Shannon Sharpe rejoined the set of “Undisputed” to explain his absence on Tuesday, Jan. 3, and confront Skip Bayless about his Damar Hamlin tweet. The results were explosive as Bayless interrupted Sharpe during his monologue. The two had a tense exchange that may give a peel behind the veil about their polarizing on-air relationship.
Upon his return today to #Undisputed, #ShannonSharpe speaks on his emotions after seeing #DamarHamlin fall after a tackle Monday night. He also spoke briefly on the tweet from #SkipBayless who responded that no one had a problem with the tweet at the network 😑 Do better Skip! pic.twitter.com/rrGdNstNt4
— ➹ღ Lauren JNel ღ➷ (@LaurenJNel) January 4, 2023
Shannon Sharpe Vs. Skip Bayless
“There’s been a lot of speculation on why I wasn’t on air yesterday, and I won’t get into speculation or conjecture or innuendo,” Sharpe said Wednesday morning on Undisputed.
“But I will say this; in watching that game on Monday night, what happened to Damar Hamlin struck me a little different. As a brotherhood in the NFL when injuries happen, and we know injuries are a part of the game, I’ve seen guys suffer ACL’s an Achilles tear, but I’ve never seen anybody have to be revived and fight for their life on the field. So this struck me a little differently because I remember seeing my brother paralyzed on the field temporarily, and he was able to regain focus.”
As a former athlete, Sharpe understands the consequences of a sport that is dangerous to play. He also understands as a media personality that sits across one of the most polarizing sports journalists in America; he has to know when his emotions will bubble over, which is what he alluded to next as an explanation of why he didn’t appear on Tuesday’s episode or attempted to before he was rudely interrupted.
I Dont know how @ShannonSharpe does it man. As much as it hurts to watch him continuously face disrespect from his counterpart skip I’m always proud of how he manages to keep his composure. Cuz let me tell you… I wouldn’t be the one.
— Aaron Maybin (@AaronMMaybin) January 4, 2023
Shannon Checks Skip Bayless On Damar Hamlin Tweet
“Skip tweeted something, and although I disagree with the tweet,” Sharpe continued, “and hopefully Skip will take it down, but…” Shannon was then interrupted by Bayless.
“Time out,” Bayless said. “I’m not going to take it down because I stand by what I tweeted, okay.”
Sharpe’s frustration with the opinionated sports journalist was palpable.
“I mean, I cannot even get through a monologue without you interrupting me,” Sharpe shot back. “You could have came back, Skip. I was just going to say, Skip, I didn’t want to, yesterday, to get into a situation where Damar Hamlin was the issue. We should have been talking about him and not get into your tweet. That’s what I was going to do, but you can’t even let me finish my opening monologue without you interrupting.”
But Skip would not be undone.
“Okay, I was under the impression you weren’t going to bring this up because nobody here had a problem with that tweet,” Bayless contended.
“Clearly the bosses wanted you to offer an explanation so clearly somebody had a problem,” Sharpe quipped back.
Bayless quickly attempted to squash that sentiment.
“No, they did not have … nobody,” Bayless fit in before Sharpe quickly tossed to Jen Hale, the third person on the show to transition.
Will Shannon Sharpe Quit The Show?
Many wonder what the televised incident’s repercussions will mean for their dynamic. On the one hand, sport debate shows survive solely on the two strong personalities with opposing positions. However, for many, Bayless’ tweet crossed a line in decency during a time when Hamlin’s health was the only thing that mattered. Sharpe signed a new multi-year contract with FOX Sports in 2019 to sit across from Bayless.
Whether the tension was beneficial or a watershed moment in their relationship is yet to be seen, but the trickle-down from Damar Hamlin’s injury is manifesting in this breakdown within their relationship.
