Man, it’s truly hard to believe that Shannon Sharpe’s time on Undisputed is coming to an end.
Back on May 31st, Sharpe and FOX Sports reached a buyout agreement, and it was announced that the NFL Hall of Famer’s time on the show would be coming to an end after the 2023 NBA Finals.
So, after the Denver Nuggets sealed the deal with the Miami Heat last night, that meant the time had officially come.
I’ll admit, it was some high quality entertainment watching Sharpe debate with the borderline insufferably opinionated Skip Bayless (who seems to argue just for the sake of it), and after seven years seeing the Denver Bronco legend sitting across the table from Bayless, it’s gonna be strange from here on out.
But speaking of Sharpe’s time coming to an end, he got me a little misty eyed when he sat down to say his goodbyes on today’s show.
With tears in his eyes, Sharpe told Bayless:
“Skip Bayless. You fought for me bro. I’m here because of you. You’ve allowed me to share the stage with you. You’ve allowed me to share the platform. I’m gonna cry in the car but I’m not gonna cry now. The opportunity you gave me, to become what I became, I’m forever indebted to you.
I’ll never forget what you did for me. You’ve helped me grow more than you’ll ever know… All I ask is when you lay your head on your pillow at night, know I gave you everything I had.”
Bayless then emotionally responded:
“Which is why I want to thank you for all you have given me. When I first took this job back in June of 2016, we had a whole ‘nother format in mind, until it became clear Shannon Sharpe is available and I said ‘I believe he can do this.’ And did you ever.
The critics just savaged us when we first started, ‘Undisputed will never last, FS1 will never last,’ did we ever show them. I want to thank you for dedicating yourself to this job, it is a veracious beast of a show, day after day after day.
You dedicated this job just the way you dedicated yourself to professional football as a Hall of Famer. I want to thank you for never taking a sick day. I want to thank you for preparing as hard as you could every single day, every single topic.
I want to thank you for competing as hard as you competed with me because the greatest compliment I can give you is, you were a worthy adversary. I want to thank you and tell you that I love you for what you have done for me.
I’m gonna miss our Diet Dew bets, you owe me a lot. I’m gonna miss our Lebron battles, even though he’s still the phony GOAT. I’m gonna miss our Cowboys arguments, the ‘How ’bout them Cowboys’ because you were right about my Dallas Cowboys from day one.
In the end, I just want you to know it was because of you, you made possible a very very special time in my career. This is a happy and sad moment for me because I look forward to your next great achievement because it is coming.
But just know tonight I will toast you with a Diet Mountain Dew.”
I’m not crying, you’re crying…
