After Shannon Sharpe’s IG live mishap this week, rumors from the grapevine indicated that the former tight end might be shown the door by his employer, ESPN. Well, luckily for Sharpe and his fans, Stephen A. Smith has since confirmed that his co-host will indeed continue his role with the media giant.
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In his latest YouTube video, Stephen A. put an end to constant speculation about Sharpe getting fired by ESPN with a single reason — “Shannon Sharpe committed no crime.” The First Take executive producer defended Unc by labeling it as an involuntary mistake.
Stephen A. also revealed that in his recent chat with ESPN higher-ups, nothing was mentioned about the entire debacle. Further reassuring fans, the lead NFL analyst added that even if such a conversation were to occur, he would be the first to know. His role as Executive Producer ensures it.
He said:
“I was on the phone with the bosses yesterday and you know, nothing’s going to happen. Because nothing should happen! Let me be the first to say that Shannon Sharpe committed no crime. It wasn’t some s*x tape that he meant for everybody to hear, that’s not how he rolls.”
What enamored netizens, however, was Stephen A.’s bold assertion that followed. The broadcaster was completely convinced of Sharpe’s innocence, stating that if things had gone serious, he would have “fought like hell” to let Unc be at First Take.
Smith emphasized that, in his view, the mishap was simply an unintentional mistake:
“If something had happened where he was going to be in a world of trouble, I would have fought like hell to make sure nothing came of it because again. There’s no video, and he was living his private life. It was a mistake.”
Clearly, Stephen A. is all too sure about his co-host’s innocence. And he had another reason to support this claim.
Sharpe is “incredibly clueless” about social media
Stephen A. noted during the interview that Sharpe always has a huge entourage around him. His team comprises multiple professionals, ranging from a social media specialist to a photographer.
This support team is necessary because Shannon is not well-versed in social media. Although Sharpe himself decides what to post, his team handles the actual posting.
“If you know anything about Shannon, trust me and believe me that it was a mistake because not only is he incredibly private but he’s incredibly clueless when it comes to using social media. He has a team that does that for him. That’s not what Shannon Sharpe does. Shannon Sharpe will tell you what he wants tweeted, he will tell you what he wants posted on IG.”
As someone who has followed Sharpe over the years, it must be admitted that his social media comes across as a curation of promotions rather than a glimpse into his life. But honestly, this should not even be an issue.
As Smith clarified, Shannon did no crime. However, ESPN has let go of employees for far less. So, it will be interesting to see how it unfolds in the future.
