“I Have to Be Three Different People”: Shannon Sharpe Talks Juggling Multiple Talk Shows as an Entertainer

Shannon Sharpe has had an illustrious career after football. He is the face of multiple talk shows like ESPN’s First Take as well as his own podcast Club Shay Shay. Sharpe even has a third late-night podcast/show that he does with Chad Johnson, called Night Cap. Navigating these many gigs is surely no easy feat, but the man himself has the answer to how he manages it all.

On the latest episode of Get Got Pod with Marshawn Lynch & Mike Robinson, Sharpe revealed that he has created separate personalities for each of his shows. He essentially becomes a different person every time he takes his seat at the panel.

“I have to be three different people,” Sharpe explained. “I’m a different person when I sit down and have a conversation on club Shay Shay. A different person on Night Cap with me and Ocho. I’m a different person when I go on First Take. And so, I have to be a lot of different people.”

While being a sports media personality may sound like a fun job to most, Sharpe pointed out the nuances of the job that make it difficult. It can sometimes be hard to switch personalities on and off based on who you’re talking to. Nevertheless, Shannon takes it upon himself not only to entertain his viewers but also to inform, educate, and entertain them.

“No matter what I am or where I am, I need to educate you. I need to inform you, I need to entertain you,” Sharpe stated. “And at the end of the day, people want to be entertained. If I can entertain them and inform them of what’s really going on, then I think they really appreciate that, and that resonates with a lot of people.”

It’s true that in a day with endless amounts of sports talk shows, it’s more important than ever to resonate with your audience. Analysts like Stephen A. Smith and Mike Greenberg may be more like entertainers today, but they were once pure journalistic informers. Even those analysts respectfully will round out their bold statements and hot takes with genuine sporting analysis that goes a long way.

Sharpe has had his fair share of hot takes and bold claims throughout his analytic career. But this sit-down really showed how much of an effort he makes to sound credible.

“I try not to get too far in the weeds, Beast,” Sharpe clarified, addressing co-host Marshawn Lynch. “Because we see the game differently… I’m studying ‘Why did they score that TD?’ or ‘Why would that happen in that coverage?’… That’s how I’m looking at the game.”

Being a former NFL player must be hard at times when it comes to describing the game to the casual fan. There are so many subtleties that fly right over everyone’s heads, even the well-educated. Sharpe’s ability to blend legit analysis with lighthearted jokes has made him one of the most popular personalities in sports.