Shannon Sharpe and Stephen A. Smith were once rivals in the blossoming debate niche of sports media. The former NFL tight end ventured into this format with Skip Bayless in FS1’s ‘Undisputed’ from 2016 to 2023. Conversely, Smith has become the gold standard among the recurring panelists in ESPN’s ‘First Take.’
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But now that they are on the same program, Sharpe and Smith are obliterating the opposition while strengthening their bond. However, Sharpe will gladly participate for the right price if an opportunity to roast Smith arises, like what Netflix did on Tom Brady.
As the Pro Football Hall of Famer shared with Cam Newton on the ‘Funky Friday Podcast,’ Shannon Sharpe would like to roast Smith even if he has to travel from outer space. Newton commented that Smith would be an ‘easy roast.’
“Yeah, if they pay me enough. But I wanna roast Stephen A. I told Stephen A., if I’m in a colony on the moon, I’m gonna pay to fly back, and I’m gonna light his a** up,” Sharpe said.
Everything is fair game when someone is the subject of the roast. That’s why Shannon Sharpe believes that the roasters conduct extensive research to unearth as much as they can about the person.
Therefore, the best roasters, like Ross, Nikki Glaser, and Tony Hinchcliffe, will dissect Smith using the same lens. They could say something about his basketball background, speaking style, and disgust for the Dallas Cowboys. Meanwhile, Shannon Sharpe will do his piece and watch Smith laugh or throw one of his iconic facial expressions.
Shannon Sharpe Is Apprehensive of Becoming a Roast’s Subject
Since he’s become a household name in sports media, Shannon Sharpe might field offers to roast someone like Stephen A. Smith or be the subject of one. He’s unsure about taking the latter, especially after seeing the roast of Brady.
Everything can be brought up in a roast, which the three-time Super Bowl might find difficult to accept. Sharpe referenced Brady’s case, saying it might be challenging for the three-time NFL Most Valuable Player’s kids to take what people say about their mother, supermodel Giselle Bundchen.
“It’s tough because at the end of the day, the kids are gonna see it, and they gonna see somebody saying things about their mom. I mean, I’m sure they’re great as far as doing what they can for the kids, but still, somebody’s saying something bad about their mom. That’s the thing that he probably got most upset about,” Sharpe added.
Brady admitted in a May 2024 episode of ‘The Pivot Podcast’ that he didn’t like how the roast affected his kids. He didn’t mind if the jokes were about him because he enjoyed a good laugh. That’s what Shannon Sharpe is trying to prevent if he becomes the subject of a roast.
But as he repeated, he’d gladly do it if Stephen A. Smith is on the hot seat and if the talent fee is worth the time and effort.
