A recent episode of Shannon Sharpe’s “NightCap” podcast has drawn sharp criticism online after the former NFL star spoke about the downfall of ex-Michigan coach Sherrone Moore, who was fired this week and later arrested on multiple charges.
The school said it found “credible evidence” that Moore engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. The situation escalated further when Moore was later arrested and detained on felony third-degree home invasion and misdemeanor stalking tied to a domestic relationship. He has since been released on a $25,000 bond.
Sharpe didn’t approach the topic as a distant analyst. He spoke as someone who said he had lived through his own public unraveling.
Visibly emotional, the Hall of Famer described the moment as a “pressure cooker,” drawing parallels to what he experienced earlier this year after a 22-year-old woman in Nevada sued him for alleged sexual assault, a claim Sharpe later settled in July for $50 million. Following news of the sexual assault lawsuit, Sharpe was taken off the air at ESPN.
“Six months ago I, went through something very similar, so I know what that storm is like,” Sharpe said. “Unless you’ve been in it… you don’t know what you would do until you’re in it, in that pressure cooker, in the eye of the storm.”
Moore’s firing came after reports confirmed the staffer involved was his former executive assistant. After news of the termination spread, additional reports emerged alleging Moore broke into her home while armed with a knife. In the released 911 audio, a dispatcher described a frightening scene, stating the man was “attacking her” and had allegedly been “stalking her for months.” Moore was later held at the Washtenaw County Jail.
Still, Sharpe focused less on the headlines and more on the human collapse he believes unfolds behind them. Sitting alongside co-hosts Chad Johnson and Joe Johnson, he reflected on how some men convince themselves they’re the exception, beassuming morally wrong relationship won’t end badly.
“Nah, this going to be different,” Sharpe said, paraphrasing the mindset. “It ain’t going to get out. Don’t nobody know but her and I.”
As the episode continued, Sharpe emphasized the isolation that follows public disgrace. Careers built over decades can feel like they’re disintegrating in real time, he said, leaving only “a select few” people still standing close.
“I wouldn’t wish what I went through on my worst enemy,” Sharpe added, invoking biblical cautionary tales like Samson and Delilah and David and Bathsheba.
But compassion didn’t land the way Sharpe may have hoped.
Clips from the podcast spread quickly on social media, where backlash was swift and unforgiving. Critics accused Sharpe of centering himself and excusing behavior they viewed as entirely self-inflicted.
“Self inflicted. No sympathy,” one X user wrote. Another added, “Why is Shannon talking like this is something that happened to Moore instead of something Moore caused himself?”
Others rejected the framing outright, arguing that accountability, not empathy, was the only appropriate response.
For many, Sharpe’s message blurred the line between understanding pressure and absolving responsibility.
As Moore’s legal case moves forward, reaction to Sharpe’s remarks highlights how quickly public response can shift from the facts at hand to the voices weighing in on them.
