Former NFLer Shannon Sharpe plans to exit Fox Sports 1’s “Undisputed,” according to the New York Post.
Fox and Sharpe reached a buyout agreement this week, but the buyout terms are currently unknown.
The show has not yet announced the date of his final appearance but stated that Sharpe will remain on the air with co-host Skip Bayless through the NBA Finals. Sharpe’s podcast, Club Shay Shay, is also leaving the network.
The two joined forces in 2016 and have sparred on the show for the past seven years. The Post reports that, according to viewer speculation, Bayless’ tendency to interrupt and take personal jabs at Sharpe on the sports debate show have taken a toll on the three-time Super Bowl champion, prompting his exit.
For many “Undisputed” viewers, the first clue that Sharpe was “headed for a breakup” came in January when he failed to show up to co-host the show. The move was reportedly in response to an offensive tweet Bayless made about Damar Hamlin’s Jan. 2 cardiac arrest on the field. At the time, Bayless complained about the game’s postponement because of Hamlin’s medical emergency.
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“No doubt the NFL is considering postponing the rest of this game — but how?” Bayless tweeted. “This late in the season, a game of this magnitude is crucial to the regular-season outcome … which suddenly seems so irrelevant.”
When the Hall of Fame tight end was a no-show on “Undisputed” the morning after the tweet, Bayless defended his remarks. On Sharpe’s return the following day, they argued over the issue.
Sharpe later revealed during an appearance on SiriusXM’s “The Adam Schein Podcast” that he and Bayless “had a bad two months” and their on-air tension is not for the show. He also admitted that the two aren’t close outside of their work obligations, the Post reported in February.
In December, weeks before the controversial Hamlin tweet, Sharpe felt Bayless took a personal jab at him while defending Tom Brady. At the time, Bayless said Brady was a far superior football player than Sharpe ever was, then the situation escalated. The Brady segment went viral on Twitter and many fans immediately blamed the fiery exchange for Sharpe’s exit.
Meanwhile, Sharpe appears to co-sign the rumors about his departure. He liked a May 31 tweet that claimed his volatile relationship with Bayless played a part in his decision to leave.
“Their relationship got progressively worse over the last 2 maybe 3 years because skip fought for him to be on that show but I feel like skip couldn’t stand Shannon succeeding without [him] and that’s when skip was taking pot shots on air,” the tweet reads.
Fox has not yet made an announcement about a new “Undisputed” co-host.
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