Shannon Sharpe gets real with Stephen A. Smith | The Stephen A. Smith Show

foreign what's up everybody Welcome to the latest edition of the Stephen A Smith show I'm usually with you as always at the very least every Monday Wednesday and Friday over the digital Airwaves of YouTube we're here in my studio thanks to our official Studio sponsor fandu Sportsbook FanDuel is the official sports betting company of the Stephen A Smith show please make sure to like and follow the Stephen A Smith show on YouTube just click the Bell to get notified of all of our new content and be sure to pick up a copy of my New York Times bestseller straight shooter A Memoir of Second Chances and first takes it is my honor and privilege uh to have this special edition even though it's still you know it's on a typical day it's a little bit different today ladies and gentlemen my guest today is really not a guest he's my friend he's my partner in crime officially my brother the newest co-host of ESPN's first take every Monday and Tuesday let me not forget he also hosts the popular podcast Club Shay Shay I mean millions of followers I mean is just blowing up he's just blowing up okay by the way I'd like to add this he is a three-time Super Bowl champion he is a Hall of Famer he is recognized as one as one of the greatest if not the greatest Titan in the history of the National Football League my partner in crime my man the one and only Shannon sharp what's going on Big Time how are you man how's everything I'm I'm doing great Stephen A thank you for allowing me to share this platform with you as you have allowed me to share the platform on ESPN First Take so I'm extremely excited to get this interview underway ma'am listen first of all it's an honor and a privilege to have you it's a big time interview you know I've been waiting for this for a long long time to be sitting down with you when you have me on Club say a few weeks ago I said listen man I'm loving this it's going to be a little bit different when I interview you I can't wait for that so I said yeah as they say Get Ready Get Ready Get ready uh first question for you first of all I'm proud of the job that you've done since you've been on first take you've been an absolutely wonderful partner and co-host to have uh we've been blowing up the spot you know what we've been doing ratings wise uh it just is what it is I I want to know first of all how do you feel about your time on first take thus far I feel great um you guys have welcomed me with open arms um the opportunity that you've given me to share the platform with you that huge platform um Jimmy patero uh Bob Iger Burke Magnus everybody has been great to me so um even the the security everybody's seemingly so happy to that I've joined and I'm extremely excited also and I can't wait to continue this uh this beautiful relationship I got to tell you something right now man we you know we're making big things happen and and I don't know I don't know if you know this dude so I'm gonna break it to you um I'm working on it it's not finalized yet but I mean usually when I'm aiming um you know you you did go you did if I remember correctly didn't you go to Savannah State did you go to Savannah State it that way is that not an HBCU is that not a HBC absolutely it's not Winston-Salem State my alma mater is that not a HBCU absolutely it is I'm working on bringing first take to both universities I I think I Fair because us I mean Lord have mercy going up against me on the opposite the debate every week it's you need some support so we gonna go to your hometown you good with that you're good with that I'm I'm not good with that I'm great with that and with the news that I have that I've received over the last two months and like I said before you allow me to share the uh First Take platform this might be the best news because this is an opportunity for me and for everybody to get an opportunity to see well I'm matriculated at where I earned my degree from Savannah State University and hopefully some of the professors uh uh Dr McLemore Dr Green hopefully they come out because I want to acknowledge them and I want people to see the Shannon sharp that you see today a lot of these people had had a hand in helping Shannon sharp become what I became well listen it's not finalized yet but like I said I'm aiming to make it happen they said hey look here see what they said gonna happen Steve it's gonna happen I I don't know throwing up in the car as soon as I think I'm about to call everybody I'm working first I'm working on it I'm working on it in the month of November and and I asked that and I bring that up because I know that it's important for you to have a good time it's important to you to feel respected to feel embraced or whatever and I want you to put into your words is that an accurate description of Shannon Sharpe obviously for all of us respect is important but being embraced feeling welcome feeling supported talk about that for a second just in terms of how important that is to you at this stage and point in your career and your life well absolutely uh I'm a big thing of appreciation um I'm a big proponent of validation um we all won't we Stephen A we all seek validation and when people say no I don't seek validation they're lying because of job promotion is validation um you want to make the Pro Bowl you want to make all NBA you want that's validation if you are if you sing um you wanna uh a Grammy you want to sell a million copies you want a dime album that's validation you want to be appreciated you want to be respected by your peers to say the job the job that you're doing well done and for for me to only have been on first take for a month and to have something like this for you to put this chain of events in motion and for ESPN says okay Stephen they make it happen man you don't I mean I mean words don't wouldn't do it proper justice justice of me trying to explain just what this means to me for Savannah State one of Savannah State's own to be able to come back on a show on a platform like First Take and for everybody to see what's what's what I what I was able to become and it all started there almost 40 years ago man man I'm humble Beyond humble you know Shannon when people look at you right now obviously they see Club Shay Shay they see what you're accomplishing and you're doing big things with that as well let me not forget that you got a podcast with Ocho Cinco that you do if I remember right now is that a nightcap isn't that every Thursday Sunday and Monday is it after the games that is correct that is correct okay and what made you decide to do that particularly with Ocho Cinco who by the way I got a lot of love for you know what I had him on my podcast about a year ago and Stephen A we had instant chemistry um he understands uh the entertainment aspect of it you know you have to have a certain level of credibility but you do have to have the entertainment Factor he understands that he has a way of of saying things and making it funny although he's telling he's giving you factual context of what actually happened and so when I pitched the idea to him he was like okay let's make it happen and so it was really that simple I got an opportunity to sit down and have lunch with him and his representative uh me uh excuse me myself Jamie Horowitz we sat down and says okay let's try to make this happen and he says man I'm all in and uh it's been thus far it's been a great success um but I always I'm trying to give people platforms trying to give them opportunities that's what my sole purpose was was creating media was to give people like myself an opportunity I have a platform so let me share it like you've done with me allow me to come to First Take so let me give people an opportunity let me give Ocho Cinco let me give some of the others an opportunity to show that there are more they can talk about more than just football well listen when you say people like yourself crystallize for the audience what that means when you're talking about people like yourself what exactly do you mean by that I mean blacks um I wanted to start you know for me is it black is it black folks and that's it or black folks no no no I know that no no I know blacks women and whatever but I wanted to know whether or not you were really emphasizing former football players that's what I was really asking former former athletes okay um but but don't I I just look this is not a a charity case or a handout you got to be willing to do the work a lot of people say they want to be successful but a lot of people are not willing to put the work in my thing the way I look at it I'm like if I was willing to work this hard for the Broncos the Ravens CBS Fox FS1 why can't I work this hard for myself if I was willing to try to help them grow their business I should be more than willing to help me grow my own business and that's what I want people to understand if you're willing to put the work in I'm willing to give you the help you with the infrastructure and give you the foundation help you with the foundation in order for you to grow what you want to be but you got to be willing to put the work in I can't do everything give me an idea of what you want to do let's see how we can make this work for the both of us and then we'll take it from there when you bring about when you when you mention hard work you got to be willing to put in the work yeah remember your last day on Undisputed FS1 June 13 2023 this past June 13th that was your last day after the Denver Nuggets uh had beaten the Miami Heat in the NBA finals and on your last day I want to show this video of you on your last day at Undisputed because I want the world to to see what you were talking about as it pertained to that very very hard work you just alluded to play that video for me please the opportunity that you gave me to become what I became I'm forever indebted to you I'll never forget what you did for me all I ask is when you lay your head on that pill that night you know I gave you everything I had you did I gave everything I had expressed to us what kind of emotions were going through your head at that particular moment your last day at FS1 Shannon but by malady of it knowing that that was officially my last day on Undisputed uh something that I had poured my heart soul uh My Blood Sweat and Tears into it I moved away from my family um to move out here to LA will your family living by the way where was your family everybody was back in Atlanta okay go ahead I had a fiance I had a fiance at the time my kids were in college um Mo uh my son had just graduated my daughter was about to graduate um but I had moved away started out here and I never really even I never really wanted to live in California if somebody would have told me you're going to be living in California at some point in time in your career or your life I would be like man you out your mind I'm about to come out here uh and the opportunity that Jamie Horowitz when he flew down and we met in the W Hotel and said okay you got the job we're not interviewing anybody else it's you now I understood that you know they had to have a backup plan just in case I wanted a little bit more than they were willing to give right but they're just the finality of it knowing that I had worked so hard people don't understand just how hard I worked at that job I mean what they saw was the two and a half hours a day but they didn't see the prep the six to seven hours of prep time that I actually did to get ready for the show the re-watching of the entire show to try to get better says okay I said this but I could have said that he went there I could have went here um and just the knowing that man it's over and all the people that I had from the stage managers to every last one of my moderators uh Joey Taylor started off and she handed off the Jenny Taft and Jen hell and Carissa Thompson and ellica sedagi and Jamie Maggio Christina Pink uh ebony Williams uh Holly Saunders I mean you don't that's over and those are relationships and you know every stage Stephen I know every stage manager from Craig to Johnny and to Karen and Bonnie Lou Who with audio who we always joked about and talked about our dogs he would show me pictures of her dogs I would show her pictures of my dog and then the makeup room Sylvia started off and then jumpsuit Joe's and then bread and and Yuki and Brina and new Sheen and the Wardrobe was was Autumn and Tracy and sent who was security who walked me every single day for seven years to my car uh and then I would sometimes I would get breakfast Carlos and his staff um props Jeremy and and Michelle that's that's what I'm gonna miss that's what I missed even a honestly honest to God yeah I love debating I thought I had gotten very good at it but that's what I missed because they became my family because I saw them for 240 days a year for seven years and uh the finality of it it was over you do understand that in that link the answer that you just gave to my question you did not mention Skip Bayless one time you do know that I do um I am very very grateful for the opportunity I would be remissed and I can't say it enough that he fought to get me on First Take when all the bosses said no we want to go to a a media guy a journalist across from you he said Shannon Sharpe could do the job and he fought for me and he really did and I think I've been been as humble and as gracious as I possibly could in giving him his Kudos for that but where I push back and where I get upset is that when people say Skip Bayless made Shannon sharp Skip Bayless did not make Shannon Sharpe relatable Skip Bayless did not make Shannon Sharpe the Storyteller that he is Skip Bayless did not make Shannon Sharpe the football player that could break down plays and said this is what happened that's what happened and this is why the play worked or didn't work yeah I'm gonna miss aspect of it yes I miss debating him but it had gotten to the point over the last six or seven months and it won't I won't allow it to ruin the six great years that we had but it had gotten to the point that it it needed we needed to go out separate it we needed to go our separate ways and uh I wish it could have been a little bit I wish it could have been handled a little different Stephen A that's the only thing that I wish I wish it could have been handled differently um but it was handled the way that it was and I will never ever forget the opportunity that fox and FS1 afforded me but this notion well nobody knew who I was well I was a pro member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame but before I stepped foot in Fox I'd won three Super Bowls before I had stepped footing Fox at one point in time I held every statistical record a Titan can hold in the NFL most yards in the game uh uh thousand yard seasons uh catches touchdown yards I had all of those was I as known or as popular then as I am not no and I owe that to FS1 and I owe that for to skip for giving me that opportunity but what Skip and I didn't have the relationship that I have with the people that I missed basically skip would get to work I would get to work I was in my dressing room he was in his dressing room it was really like a heavyweight fight we barely talk I mean honest honest to God we might say hello we go to the back if we're passing each other in the bathroom hello that was it it was not a carry on a conversation and then like all of a sudden we get up there and we do what we do and we carry up no well why not it was it was very little communication why was that well I I I take my cue from him he was not a guy that was very talkative in the morning now remember I had worked with him a little bit right on first take um once when you were there and a couple of times when you weren't there when you weren't there yeah so I noticed that doing the breaks he would get up and leave well okay so I'm thinking myself after a couple of times of seeing that I'm seeing that he's in a mode he's in a Zone in which he doesn't want to be bothered he's treating this like an actual game like I might have my friends I got my friends but when they're on the other team we're not communicating we're not having the type of relationship that once the game was over or once the game started we were gonna have and so I just learned like okay he doesn't want to be bothered I'm cool with that because I could do two things guys will tell you the way I was in the locker room I'm joking around having a great time I'm telling jokes and the moment it's like okay and you are a lot of times like during the break you're quiet I mean you're looking up stats okay we you we have the uh the topics of where we're gonna go um but skip skip was different um we didn't have the type of relationship um I think in seven years Skip and I we went to I think we had brunch once uh and that's okay yeah that's okay I don't think Skip's a bad guy but I didn't develop the type of relationship or the type of excuse me let me take this back I didn't develop the type of work relationship with him that I did with some of the guys that I played with when I was in Denver or I was in Baltimore or I didn't develop the type of work relationship that I have with some of the the young ladies and wardrobe or in makeup or Bonnie or things of that nature because I didn't get the sense that's what he wanted so I'm not a guy that's going to force anything if you if you show me that you want to have a relationship outside of work that's I'll I'll accept that right if you want to have a relationship that strictly work and it's confined to those two and a half hours that we are are at work and when you come into the building you don't say anything to me and when we exit the building we don't say anything and the relationship that we have is for two hours and 30 minutes I'm cool with that too I'm there to do a job I'm not there to per say make friends now if I if I'm a I'm a friendly guy yes you are and if that's if that's if that's something that you want okay fine but I'm not forcing anything and you know I got three dogs I got enough friends and that this at 55 years of age Daryl McCormick buckett Keith Burns Burns hey yes I'm good well I got everything else everything else happens happens I'll say this I'll come to Skip's defense and regard that that's the way he has always been when it comes to his work he's focused he's locked in he doesn't say much before a show that's just the way that he is he was that way with me as well no harm and I learned Stephen I learned that early on yeah so for me try to get him out of that because he would have taken it if me trying to get him off his game and to try to gain some type of advantage against him right so I want him to be at his absolute best I want him to be in a mode where he's comfortable he's focused he's not a guy that does a lot of talking um up until the pandemic I was getting up at 3am because I had to get the dog situated get them taken care of showered get to work because we had production at four o'clock that was his routine that's what he liked to do once the pandemic happened and we didn't have production we didn't have production meetings for like eight or eight like like not like four or five months right but we still was able to do the show that was a that was for me because I didn't really get anything out of production meetings because me and my researcher and my producer had already spent two hours the night before talking about what we was what we were going to discuss and then we would go down and for another hour discuss it again so me and my producers are doing three hours I'm doing three to five hours on my own and we doing a show for two and a half hours I was talked out more early this NFL season with FanDuel America's number one sports book right now new customers get 200 in bonus bets guaranteed when you place a five dollar bet that's 200 in bonus bets win a lose if you've 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fanduel.com RG in Colorado Iowa Michigan New Jersey Ohio Pennsylvania Illinois Tennessee and Virginia call 1-800 next step or text next step to 53342 in Arizona 1-88-789-777 or visit ccpg.org chattan Connecticut 1-8009 with it in Indiana 1-800-522-4700 or visit kscamblinghelp.com in Kansas 1-877-770 stop in Louisiana visit MD gamblinghelp.org in Maryland visit 1-800 gambler.net in West Virginia or call 1-800-522-4700 in Wyoming hope is here visit gamblinghelplinema.org or call 800-327-5050 for 24 7 support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-8-hope NY or text Hope NY in New York there is no eye in team but there is one and indeed and that's the hiring platform you need to build your team when you're hiring you need indeed I'm telling you it is of the utmost importance to find the right people for your team you work you ideate you live with these people and indeed that's powerful tools that help you attract interview and hire all in one place their whole platform is meant to help you because you got a decision to make and you can't worry about all the nitty-gritty Tech related stuff I love that indeed's platform immediately matches you with quality candidates boom it's easy like that join more than three million businesses worldwide that use indeed to hide great Talent fast start hiring now with a 75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post at indeed.com SAS or for good for a limited time claim your 75 credit now and indeed.com SAS just go to indeed.com SAS and support the show by saying you heard about it on this podcast indeed dot com slash SAS terms and conditions apply need to hire you need indeed when I made news the other day because uh first on Club Shay Shay and then I had reiterated it I said listen I don't have to go into details that's their business it's not mine but make no mistake about it um you know he was forced out and people like what are you talking about what are you talking about and they acted as if I was wrong or was I wrong Shannon Sharp I will say this I'm not here to confirm or deny anything um you've been a journalist for almost three decades and I'm sure you've done your homework I'm very happy with where I am now um I don't like to dwell too much into the past because I don't understand how that helped me in the future but what it did teach me is that I need to to make sure objects are closer than they appear and I got to make sure I protect my blind spots okay I appreciate everything fox has done FS1 it did done for me I appreciate um the opportunity that they gave me but the one thing I do want to say and hopefully I don't have to address this fox has never ever ever own club shayshay Shannon sharp has always been the sole owner and proprietor of Club shayshay what fox and Shannon Sharpe had was an agreement that they would cover certain production costs and once those costs was met Shannon and fox would split the revenue generated after that it within Shannon's contract that once Shannon sharp left Club shayshay his catalog and all copyrights came with Shannon sharp so can we put that to rest now when people saying Shannon didn't own this Shannon didn't own that Shannon sharp absolutely one thousand percent always has and for the very foreseeable future unless something unforeseen were to happen owns Club well listen bottom line is this ain't that in the now I tell you that much this ain't gonna get clipped word for word syllable syllable you know my interview with you in its entirety is going to be aired let me go to December 12 2022 Shannon I want you to see this video right here this is you and Skip getting into it about Tom Brady take a look at this as a fresh reminder you have no objectivity it's just straight Brady hey look wait a minute this is just straight Hate by a guy who's jealous that he is still playing at a high level at 45 when you had to stop at 13. every time somebody every time I call something in the question I'm jealous no I did I never said you were jealous a baker Mayfield I did what I did you make it seem like I was a bomb I'm in the effort Hall of Fame I got three Super Bowls he's way better than you were yeah you would take a personal shot at me wait a minute what are you talking about you would take a person that's your glasses back on you see that video right there Shannon months later when I saw that I hadn't spoken to you in years you know we were always cool we never had any issues but I hadn't spoken to you in years when I saw that video I said I don't have to know him I know Skip that relationship is in a world of trouble as you reflect back on that moment what goes through your mind and how much trouble was the relationship between you two in at that particular moment there were a lot of that is my fault because there were times that led up to that that I felt that shots were taken and I let it go and I should have said something then but I didn't and I would bring it to people's attention and they brushed it up under the rug so that was my fault that it got to that point and he felt that he could go over the top in that situation I think in any relationship whether it's host co-hosts it's boyfriend girlfriend it's husband wife whatever the relationship is once one partner has no respect for the other the other partner then in turn loses respect for said partner then I think it's only a matter of time because I felt in that moment he had lost all respect for me he had no respect for me he's trying to compare me to a tight end I never said I've always given Brady his credit I've always given all great players all trying to compare you to a quarterback trying to continue what I was trying to say in that moment Brady didn't play well braided didn't play well that game I didn't talk about anything that he had done three weeks ago three years ago 20 years ago I'm talking about that game and for him to feel that he was trapped and he was losing a debate to attack me personally when I stood up when guys have come on that show and tried to attack him personally I was his bodyguard I took the blows and said hey this is Undisputed Skip and Shannon this is not yours so I was very hurt and disappointed that he chose to go there with me when I've been one of the guys that's been in his corner so it really really hurt me and what hurt me the most probably was there because I know this is what I know and this is what I told my bosses that I don't want to get too specific okay I said had the shoe been on the other foot what would have been the outcome had I attacked him personally live on television what would have happened but the good and all of that is that when I walk in meetings and I meet CEOs and I meet CFOs and I meet people in charge of making decisions they always say the way you handle that situation told us everything we needed to know about you and you're someone that we want to do business with because it it took everything because I had to make a split second decision in that moment Stephen I had to make a split second decision and the decision I made was to have a a further long-term career because I knew at that moment in time it was only a matter of time they was going to have to separate us I knew that I knew that um I was willing to to play out the contract but I knew it it was going to end because he had it started to come up with greater greater regularity the disrespect you can say what you you could say I'm loud you could say I'm obnoxious you can say I'm arrogant but to try to pooh-poo my career a seventh rounder that made that started out on special teams and played so well that I got into the Hall of Fame to try to minimize that was was very disheartening for me and I didn't think look someone that I don't know discredited in my career I'm cool with that I can live with that but someone that I considered a friend or maybe or we were friendly but I consider skip a friend for you to take that kind of personal shot at me it really hurt me Stephen it really did you said in the split moment you had to make a decision I'm saying the split the sound I'm saying to crystallize in that moment the split decision was what what you did what you did or what were you thinking about doing what I didn't do it what did what are you talking about what you didn't do what do you mean by that Stephen A man look here over the last seven eight years I've gone through a lot of therapy to be able to control and I I rage is good control rage is better aggression is good controlled aggression is better and when you're a professional athlete you know how to have to I know how to turn it on and turn it off it hurts more when someone that you know someone that you trust someone that you think or friend would betray you or say something to you to that effect when people say things outside if I don't know you I don't care it doesn't bother me yeah but for him to take that shot to say I was jealous of Brady jealous of what I'm not saying I'm Brady I've never said I people have heard me on Undisputed on other shows Gronk was a better tight end than me Travis Kelsey Gates okay I'm cool with that right all I could do was get the best out of my god-given ability but for him to take a shot like that because he's losing the debate and everybody knows Tom Brady didn't play well it was the 49ers game yeah I think the score was 28 nothing at the half or maybe 35. yeah yeah so everybody knew but to try to but to try to oh you were you were nothing and you're jealous of Tom Brady why why would I be jealous of Tom Brady I'm happy that Tom Tom was like me given an opportunity he made the most of that opportunity I I think that was in all of my TV career that probably was the I I remember going home calling my sister I called my brother um my homeboy has had everybody had told him and he had raised home to he'd watch it it took a lot it took a lot for me not to not to put my hands on him it actually did I'm so thankful you didn't do that I'm so thankful first of all I almost broke my hand just shaking it's just touching your shoulder yes I just touched your shoulder almost broke my damn hand you're built like a chiseled brick house for crying out like good Lord of mercy and I told you I ain't working out with you that'll never happen Shannon I mean that's like The Rock Johnson working out with Snoop Dogg and Suits my mom I'm not doing it Chad it's never going to happen I'm not doing that you understand what I'm saying so thank God you didn't do that and you you know we we spoke after for one of the for the first time in years thereafter because I was really worried and you know how much love I have for Skip Bayless because the same things that you say about him I got to say about him I wouldn't have been a first take if it were not for him I'm indebted to him for that and he certainly I never had any kind of moment like that with him that you had so it was coming from a completely different place but here's the thing though Stephen A you can be gracious you can be humble you can be thankful but when my grandma used to always tell me say boy don't be a slave to loyalty sometimes people can give you an opportunity or present put you in a situation and feel they can talk to you and treat you any kind of way and you still be beholden to that that's not me I'm a very respectful person all I ask and Jamie Horowitz if you ever if anybody who knows who Jamie Horowitz is asking the one thing that I said I said no man or no person has to respect me but I be damned if I let you disrespect me I say I walk in here as a three-time Super Bowl game winning Champion I said I'm a father I'm a brother I'm a son and above all that I'm a man and I'm a very proud man so if you don't want to respect me just let me go about my business because you don't like you won't like the disrespected version of Shannon shark and so that's where that's where I was and people keep saying be thankful I'm thankful I'm beyond thankful my brother has done so much for me but he's not deed and disrespect me my grandmother gave me but my grandmother Stephen they gave me everything but life my grandmother's never cursed me so you mean to tell me because I'm somebody gives you an opportunity I'm supposed to be beholden and let him talk to me less than and be appreciated you you're all on television you're making a lot of money damn money I had money I was I was a long time millionaire before I stepped foot in L.A I'm appreciative I'm thankful for the opportunity but I believe you can do something for someone without have to constantly remind him of what you've done for them or you have to constantly bowing down and taking your hat off to say I'm thankful and I'm gracious I've done things for done things for people you will never know unless they tell you I don't mention it I don't care that's where I am I just refuse to be a slave to loyalty and allow people to walk all over me because they've done something good for me that's where I am I want to switch uh left for a second because I've said this to people about you and I I want you to know that I've said this to people about you I've never shared with you that I've said this to people about you but it's just something that I deduce because I went to school at Winston-Salem State and I went to school in the South and I said to anybody that would listen whenever they asked me about you I said here's what I know other than the star football play that he is in my opinion you can tell that Shannon sharp I know you were born in Chicago but moved to Georgia when you were three months old if I remember correctly that's what my research says obviously you played at Savannah State I'm thinking about a black man in the South growing up in the 70s and 80s and the level of disrespect one could imagine you had to have been exposed to particularly as a proud black man and so as a result you're not going to come up to him and I'm not talking about Skip Bayless it's not about Skip Bayless it's about you this is about black men particularly it's how black men period but especially in the South particularly in during those times there's a level of vitriol Venom um and beyond that one could easily submage y'all have been subjected to to the point where that thing that you just talked about disrespect it ain't happening you're not tolerating it and when you see this guy who is loud who will get in your face who will challenge you if you approach him the wrong way etc etc that's not rude that's not disrespectful that's not that's not unprofessional that's a person that's proud and is letting you know there's a certain standard you will treat him with that is what I have always said about you since or at least over the last year or so late Year too when people have asked me about you am I wrong in that description no you're absolutely right because of the way I carry myself because I give everybody a search I believe everybody deserves a certain level of respect no matter what I might think of someone I will give them a level of respect just at a common courtesy as a man as a woman as a human being being a person I will give them that level of respect and I think the thing is that when people see me out I'm kind of nothing like what I am on television I'm kind of quiet I'm kind of telling myself I'm reserved one of the things that people that once they get to know me is that I'm not as boisterous at home I'm I'm in my own place I you know I get my point across I have a a voice that projects I can be Charming I can be charismatic I can be I can be loud I can be a lot of different things but I don't think I I've never carried myself and I don't think I'm better than anybody I might think I can do my job better than you could do your job but I don't think because I was a ex-professional athlete or I'm on television I'm better than you I don't carry myself like that all I ask all I've ever asked from anyone would give me the level of respect that I've shown you that's all I've asked that's that's it I don't I don't I don't you know disrespect anybody uh till this day is yes sir no sir it's yes ma'am no ma'am um I've kind of gotten away from holding the doors for for women because I don't want them to say well he held the door because he wanted to look at my butt or I don't ride the elevator Stephen hey I don't ride the elevator with single women wow I don't if if a server comes to my room and she's a female I'll take the cart at the door I won't allow them in my room they start to clean the room I'll go sit in the hallway while they clean the room I just try to protect myself at all angles and I've been very respectful to everybody but that hurt me that day that that really did Stephen A and my sister has become very very religious and she talked to me because she was she was like Shannon okay yes what he said was wrong yes should have said it yes but you still sharing Sharp you still my baby brother you still love you still got kids that love you your mom still loves you your brother loves you still got millions of millions of people out there love you so how much harm did he really do should you have said it no could he have could could he have winner going another Direction yes and so as time passed by I started to realize okay you right you're right and uh but but I but I but I think you know it's sometimes even they like when you do so it's kind of like a bully like once a bully does something to you if you don't stand up for yourself right he'll keep doing it that's right when it comes to travel we all have a happy place think about it y'all Sun sand mountains forests five star hotels and Beachside Bungalows my happy place is traveling from City to City going to big events and interacting with my favorite people on the planet all of you of course and Priceline wants to get me you everybody where we want to be they want to help us travel to our happy places for a happy price with deals that you can't miss Priceline can save you up to sixty percent of Select hotels 50 off flights and 40 off car rentals plus they have an amazing bundle and save feature so when you book a flight and book a hotel as part of that whole package because you need somewhere to stay you're going to save and save and save at a rental car you'll save even more up to six hundred dollars see why millions of people trust Priceline with getting them to their happy price visit priceline.com to go to your happy price this summer we had a conversation and I won't get into the specific who's we who's we who's weak Shannon me Skip and Charlie okay uh we had a conversation and uh I think I conveyed my point fairly well um no matter how much longer I was on the show how much longer I was gonna be at FS1 that level of disrespect wouldn't be tolerated he made sure to make that point and how receptive they were I know I've known Charlie for years Charlie's a good man obviously I've noticed for a long time how was that received when you said that I said my piece and I got up and walked out I don't really think there was anything else to discuss or have a discussion it had already been said I just wanted to say my piece um and uh I moved on um I have uh it's like I really don't have I I've never had a whole lot of relationship with with the bosses because I really never really saw them so it's not like you know we're going out to lunch and we're going out to dinner or things like that uh that that wasn't the case um I'm just I just want to go to work I just want to go to work do my job come home be the best be the best person on tell on their personality I can be be the best person I can be in my home in the community that's all I want to do right that's it I I well all this all this other stuff that that potentially have to come along with it I can do without that Stephen I can honestly do without that this you know and and I hear where you're coming from but just three weeks later I believe it was January 4th 2023. um a couple of days earlier Demar Hamlin had collapsed yeah on the football field um the next day on FS1 you were not there you were not in attendance for that show and then uh uh January 4th you showed up and here is you expressing your frustration in the aftermath of the Demar Hamlin situation when you were on the set with Skip Bayless take a look at this skip tweet or something and although I disagree with the Tweet uh and and hopefully uh skip would take it down but I didn't want it yeah timeout timeout I'm not going to take it down because I stand by what I tweeted skill let me finish all right okay go ahead no you go let's go Jen okay I mean I cannot even get through a monologue without you interrupting me you could have came back skip no I was just going to say skip I didn't want to yesterday to get into a situation where Demar Hamlin was the issue we should have been talking about him and not get into your not get into your uh your Tweet that's what I was gonna do but you can't even let me finish my opening monologue without you interrupting okay I was under the impression you weren't going to bring this up because nobody here had a problem with that tweet no clearly the bosses wanted you to offer explanations so clearly so no they did not have nobody that moment right there because usually as you see me as I'm prepping for the show I don't get an opportunity to watch uh the competition too often but I I saw that and the second I saw that two thoughts came into my mind number one number one and I told you this when I saw you a few months later I said Shannon never ever give up that seat you should have been there the next day you should have been there I don't give a damn you sat up there and said nothing you can't you don't give up that seat that's exactly what I said to you remember that right that's exactly what I did tell you to never give up this yeah I sort of said Kenny Smith when Kenny Smith walked off the TNT said that's my brother I love him to death but I always I said no don't give up that seat that's number one and number two I also told you that is the day I knew it was over you would be leaving I said there is no way the Skip Bayless that I know the Shannon sharp that I came to know the television business the way that I know it there is no way in hell they survived that together it is over Shannon's gonna be gone your thoughts yeah you did um you told me a lot of things leading up to that point um I I think the thing for me is that I saw Demar Hamlin and my brother I remember watching my brother lay temporary paralyzed on the field and I saw a lot of uh uh Demar Hamlin in that situation um for me even and if even though he opened the show the day that I wasn't there saying his bosses wanted him to offer an explanation and when I said the bosses had a problem with what you said he simply said they did not when he had clearly said to himself that the bosses had a problem with what he said and he needed to clarify it I agree with you um probably if I could go back and do one thing differently there are a couple of things uh that situation I definitely would not have uh I definitely should have reported I'm sure they held that against me but reported to work reported to work right yeah yeah I should have I should have I I should have uh gone in there and sat down and not you know if I show up to work I'ma work it's not like I'm gonna sit there and uh hold out hold in while I'm there uh no I would have I would have absolutely done my job and uh that's probably one of the one of the moments uh in my tenure that uh I'm least proud of that I didn't show up because on all the other jobs I've ever had I've never not shown up for work and for me not to show up for work um I should have and I was wrong in that situation and uh maybe they you maybe that was the final straw maybe that was the coup de gras that they used to say okay we want to move on without Shannon sharp whatever the case may be um I was wrong in that instance before for not showing up the work but that particular day when you responded the way that you responded when you were interrupted was that your way of just saying I'm done I've had enough um so I was just like okay let me get through the monologue if you have anything that you want to object to you want to add you can do it then at least just let me get through the monologue because you know Stephen A like if you remember a couple of months later uh I had an incident at the Laker game with the Grizzlies yeah is that when I did what I did I didn't have anything that that was from my heart yeah I don't put anything in prompter that was from that was me speaking yeah and when I was talking I told you you handed that right too I told you you handed that right absolutely because you can't put the mark Hamlin situation Stephen A that was from my heart there was nothing written in prompter my farewell speech there was nothing written in prompter so I just wanted him to let me get through he could object to anything that I said that he liked or disliked or he wanted to add that was fine but just let me get through it but at that point in time I just think the thing is he was like I don't I don't really want to hear anything else he has to say I just want to move on and that that was fine but if you notice to go back to that Tom Brady and this is what a lot of people um was most proud of that if you didn't see that moment you would never know that moment happened in the show because I went on and carried on like nothing happened and that happened very early in the show Stephen A I went on and did my job The Last Two and a Half Men the last two hours and 15 minutes of that show if you did not watch that actual segment you would have never known Skip and I had an issue that's how well I compartmentalized what had transpired and I think athletes do a great job of compartmentalizing because a lot of times being an ex-professional athlete's DNA we deal with things that people at home and people in the arena or in the stadium have no idea what they're going through but we're able to compartmentalize that and play to a high level and and so that's what for that moment I went back I'm an athlete compartmentalize this Shannon do what you need to do because you're still shedding sharp you're still Libby sharp Sterling sharp little brother you still the father of Kayla Kaylee and Chiari hey you can do this and so that's what I did a smile came about the next segment like nothing that happened I'm inside I'm an inferno right but I understand that I have a job to do and when I show up to work the one thing you go ask Mike Shanahan coach Reeves rest your soul is going away Brian Billick when I came when I showed up I gave my honest day's work and so you know what even though that happened early in the show I say I still owe Fox honors day's work when it was over how fearful were you when you were departing from FS1 how fearful were you that those incidences the apparent friction that existed on camera for all the world to see how fearful were you that your career in your career aspirations were going to be compromised because of those incidences well you you you you could never be for sure uh you would have liked to have left on the greatest of terms but even someone that leaves on the greatest of terms sometimes people might say things so I really didn't know um I just and and I was like okay I have my podcast so if and really Stephen A you know ESPN is really the only the only or the platform that kind of do what I was doing and so I said well I don't know they probably not going they probably not gonna give me a chance because they're probably everybody knows everybody and they'll probably say well he was this and he was that and so I was like I I really didn't know I really didn't know what to expect and then talking to you and he's like you know what are you when you you say hey you you hit me up say big boy what you want to do say man I want to work I said I want to work I say I think I'm good at this I think I can be an asset to uh a network um I'm hard working I do my job and I'm gonna go home and uh he says well I want you you told me so I want you and uh it's not up to me whether they hire you or not he said but I'm gonna go tell the bosses today that I want you and true to your word um a couple of days later one of the ESPN execs reached out gotta gauge my interest that was like on a uh I want to say a Wednesday Thursday and that Monday morning he flew down we had breakfast together he said tell me what you want say I'm looking to do this this and this he says okay and then you could you hit me up says hey we're gonna green like this thing I said all right I said bro you know you know what you're getting I say I work hard I said uh now I I like to have people to give you know on a regular job on a job resume you have to give like three or four references so hopefully that he is being reached out to Fox I mean uh reached out okay obviously Fox but reached out to CBS reached out to uh the Broncos reached out to the Ravens because those are really the only employees I had I did Manual Labor until I was like 18 but uh most of those people that I work for are no longer with us um and so Stephen A to be honest I really didn't know I really didn't know but I was kind of like man what if they say this and I don't have any way to refute what they're saying so I really I really didn't know what to expect but I felt really good once you reached out to me I was at peace I was going to ask you about that because I wasn't worried about no damn references I was like I wanted to know how you how shocked were you that you know that I went public and I said I wanted to Shannon sharp I was shopping I'm like hold on no no on God's on his truth I was shocked I'm like well damn I mean I'm just the door just closed behind me and here is somebody on a platform the number one he's the biggest in morning television there's no one bigger than Stephen A Smith and he's saying that he wants a guy that just let go a lot of times when people get let go people automatically think they're damaged goods he did something so you were saying hey nah I want that brother I know that brother I know that brother's background and there are too many people that have vouch for him to let me know the type of person that he is and I'm willing to put Stephen A Smith on the line bruh when you call me and said it's not up to me but I am going to tell the bosses I have bosses he's like yes uh First Take I'm the executive producer but I have bosses over Stephen A Smith but I am going to tell them today that I want Shannon sharp on first take now whether or not you want to come and be a part of that that's on you but I'm going to tell them that today and being a man of your word you did exactly that well and within for people that want to know that story just go to Club shayshay when you sat down and interviewed me and I explained or I explained everything and I explained why but as we sit here today now and you've had all of this time to reflect on everything that's happened you know and you look at your career and where it's going because I'm seeing big things for Club Shay there's obviously big things for First Take and and I will never root against Skip Bayless let me be very very clear no I don't I don't know we got Sherm here's the thing I've known Richard Sherman and I've given interview we talk about football related things and he reached out yeah I told him I said sure you got to devote your time to it I say you got to become well-versed we know you know football you played at a high level I say but now in order for you to be really really good you're gonna have to immerse yourself in basketball you're gonna have to immerse yourself on other sports you're gonna have to be willing to put yourself out there on societal issue because they will arise I know Michael Irvin 30 years he and I've been good friends uh you know 15 20 years right I don't know he as well I know who he is I haven't been around him but how am I gonna root for look if this table there's food for everybody to eat off of right even though we're not eating up even though I'm not eating at the table where they're eating there's food on the table for everybody to eat and that's how I look at it I won't skip to be successful I will first take I will first take to be more successful I'm not gonna sit here and say I want them to be as successful as us because hell I'll be lying right but I do want them to be successful just not as successful as us that's what I've been saying for weeks everybody's been asking me about it I said I I Keyshawn Johnson and I go back nearly 25 years Michael Irvin and I same thing Richard Sherman and I have gone back over the last decade we know each other I love I love them to death I love all three of them I'm never going to root against them that's number one and number two I'm too grateful to Skip Bayless to root against him I just want to be more successful than the competition it's just that simple and I know that's hard for people to accept but damn it they'll have to get over it being in the position that we're in with First Take clearly being number one um and now you being a part of it and elevating us even more the bottom line is that puts us in the eye of the storm and there's a lot of people that throw a lot of shrapnel of criticisms innuendo and all of this other stuff I guess what I'm asking you is I I mean you know how I deal with it sometimes I ignore it sometimes I tell somebody to kiss my ass sometimes I call them the pathetic bastards that they are we don't have to mention names you know where I'm coming from but but but but but in your case you don't have to deal with that as much probably because you're about 250 pounds and you you're the black Hulk and you could break somebody in half that's probably why you can't have to deal with this stuff the way that I do but how do you deal with it particularly now at this point time in your career yeah my grandmother used to always say boy don't chase a lie see when people say stuff or I can do this and I can tell this why would I run that down to try to disprove it right I'm true you trying to get credibility you trying to get credibility using my name right you haven't heard me mention your name nor would I right for me like I don't like arguing publicly with people of my community a lot of times I will DM them if I have their information call UPS or hey bro hey what what's what's up what's our deal how do we get past this how do we move past this because I I don't I don't want to put that out there like then they're like you see yeah yeah we got them they arguing amongst themselves I'm not gonna do that I'm a big and if I'm wrong I've never been too big too proud too successful to anything to say I'm sorry I'm wrong nor will I ever be two of anything to say I'm wrong if I'm wrong I'm gonna say I'm wrong same here and if I've hurt and say I'm not gonna say well that I'm I don't I'm not one of those guys saying well that's not what I mean you said I heard you you said I said something that wasn't true okay bro my bad ma'am I'm sorry we're living in the nation and we're that's not good enough for these guys like listen I I I can't tell you how many times I've told brothers look have you not seen me on National Television say I apologize I was wrong I said if I'm wrong publicly I'll admit I'm wrong publicly if I'm right I'm not budget if you try to punk me I'm like I might ignore it and then every now and then I might clap back just to let you know I ain't scared now you know whatever it's gonna be it's gonna be you know what I'm saying but you know you just gotta do that sometimes but you're not you're not really trying to good you but we live in a day and age now Shannon covering Sports especially I've seen you on FS1 before before you got the first take and you were like I can't believe we're taught we're not it's not personal we're talking about your performance yeah I'm talking I'm talking I'm talking about a game right and I think the thing the thing is what I've gotten a lot of Stephen A is that when guys that I've criticized or critique or whatever the case may be when they see me out a lot of times they'll say man you tough but you fair right and that's all that's that's all that's all I can ask I'm not you know I I see you know I go to fights and I've been a couple of places and I see guys if they want to acknowledge me I'll acknowledge them back if not I'll keep it moving it's okay no harm no foul I'm not you know hey you got your life to live you live your life I understand I think the thing for me Stephen A is because I was an ex professional a professional athlete I have a sister I have a mom got kids so I think in the back of my mind I try to be a little bit more I'm not as probably as harsh as I would have been had I not been in that situation but knowing that I have a sister that heard things in a mom and it wasn't like it is now obviously right and kids I like I try to be a little bit more respectful but at the end of the day we both got jobs I mean if you do your job and I do my job everybody goes home happy right but if you don't do your job and I do my job and tell people that you didn't do your job you can't be mad at me yeah they're gonna be mad anyway and that's the way it goes just a couple more questions before I'll let you get on out of here I mean I'm hearing what you're saying loud and clear um and I get that I can't let you get out of here without asking about your brother this brother was something special I mean I had him when he was playing as the second best receiver in the game by Jerry Rice we talk about Randy Moss we talk about that other dude I ain't gonna even met you no more because I hell with him but he did you know who he is okay I'm gonna leave that alone right but Sterling Shepherd was something special Sterling sharp Sterling Shuffle Sterling ship Sterling shop so I was apologize what kind of effect has he had on you now compared to what he had on you during your playing days well Stephen A I had the best role model anybody could ever have the only person I ever wanted to be when I was growing up was Sterling Sharpe um I remember my sister would get sold my sister's eight years older than than I am she's five years older than my brother and she would always say Shannon stop trying to be like him be your own person be your own be your own man sorry be your own man and but what he didn't know the man that I wanted to be was him so everything that he said I hung on it everything that he did whatever number he wore in high school I got it whatever number he wore in college I got it when I got to the NFL I couldn't get 84 because Ricky natio had it when Rick and the teal was a free agent and he got let go I I ran upstairs to coach Reeves office I said coach Reeves can I can I change numbers to 84 because I want to be like my brother he's like it would be an honor for you to wear that number and be on this team 84. and so I got 84. so every every car that he got I got the exact same car everything Stephen that people laugh and people thought I was lying but if you ask you a sister if you ask Ed my very girlfriend that I got in college was identical to his I'm talking about from hairstyle complexion the way she was shaped the way she walked everything was just like what was it about him what was it about him specifically man because you know my brother like I was more talented as I had more god-given ability than my brother I can see him do something and I could go do it he just worked harder earlier than I did he had I was you know I wanted to be the class clown my brother did his school work but I wanted to tell jokes Steve today I wanted to be funny you know I wanted to be funny man right so in the process of me being funny man my grade was nothing left was nothing left but nothing laughing they were bad I mean Stephen had to be honest man with them grades I had coming out I couldn't got in prison with him wow man they were so low I needed a crane to pull them up wow yeah they were bad Steven they they were bad and so and then so I was gonna go join the military the recruiter the recruiter was coming I was going to the recruiter's office to take the test I was going to the Air Force my brother left Columbia South Carolina University of South Carolina and he came down he says because he's more like a father my sister is more like a mother my brother's more like a father because they kind of raised me he said you're going to go to Savannah State he said you're going to go to Savannah State for one year and if you don't like it you could say I went to Savannah State but it wasn't for me but you're going for at least one year he got in his car and he left I went to Savannah State and it's one of the five greatest decisions that I've ever made in my life because it changed my life because I was around people the professors the doctors they cared about Shannon sharp they had no idea I think there might have been two professors one of them told me his name was Dr Wilkes she was my criminal law professor he was an old FBI guy he's a son come to class he said you're smart he says I watched you play he said you gonna go to that that that other league and you're gonna be a hell of a player but my brother was so encouraging I've never met someone that wanted more for someone else than he wanted for himself vice versa for me yeah Stephen A I would take everything that I've ever accomplished to be able to switch places with my brother so he could have a full NFL career take take me out the hall take them Super Bowls take the money that I've made take the life that I I would I would rather work make 50 to 100 000 a year and let my brother have a full 14-year career man Stephen that you don't know what my brother told me he wasn't gonna be able to play football no more people don't know how many nights I cried wow people don't know how many times that I took the field with a broken heart knowing that what I'm doing my brother was supposed to be two times and I'm still and I'll say it again I'm the only player of almost 400 men in the Pro Football Hall of Fame out of my second best player in my family nobody else can say that nobody no other NFL player can say they're in the Hall of Fame and they're the second best player in their family I can say that unequivocally the one thing that's not that you're not like when it comes to your brother your brother didn't like talking to the media nah you do you don't mind but your brother did not like talking to the media at all nah he's not much of what he is funny it's funny that he's funny because we're the flip side because like when we get together he does more of the talking than I do and when we're in family functions he does more the talking than I do right uh I I think he had a bad incident um early in his career in Green Bay where people's like I don't know why you drafted this guy you probably should have took you know you probably should have traded up to get Tim Brown or you might have should have taken you know because Tim Brown Michael Irvin Anthony Miller I think uh Aaron Cox maybe flip right there are like five or six receivers that went in the first round that year and my brother had an okay year and then the next year he was first team All Pro he led the league and catches and I think touchdowns and then two years later when he went on that streak he had back-to-back Hunter catch Seasons tonight and so it kind of It kind of ticked him off that nobody wanted to talk to him and they thought he was a bust and then the following year when he's putting up these numbers he's leading the league in receptions uh everybody says Okay that was a great great pick he's a he doesn't forget as easily as I do right somebody wrongs me I'll just move on okay fine he hold he hold grudges a little bit longer than I do brother smart as hell loved him as a football analyst when he was working on the NFL Network and Beyond I only had the pleasure of meeting him I think it was once or twice he was absolutely it was always wonderful to me I just like real people and he's one of them there's no fake in Sterling shops but but I told him and he's done a lot better than Stephen hey you know um holding on to grudges and I used to I used to do this also right um but my grandma used to always tell her she said boy if you can you can never be free without forgiveness and I I didn't understand when she was young when I was younger and she said that she said because you're holding on right she says you're not physically incarcerated or uh but your emotions that person going on with their life they living your life and you got your emotions and your feelings held hail Captain Let It Go I'm ashamed so uh I'm surprised you one of these days man I'm I I I'm thinking about bringing both of the shops on first take I mean the debate against me I mean you might need some help you might need some help I'm I'm a big stolen Shopper to help us to help his little brother I mean if I'm bringing up his brothers his little brother needs some help and I'm gonna bring I'm gonna bring him more I'm gonna try to get them on there but listen man really really really quickly two things last words if you have any that you want to share about Skip Bayless specifically in your time at FS1 what would that be I had six and a half incredible amazing years and I won't let six months ruin that Fox FS1 the opportunity along with Skip Bayless maybe I should put skip first because skip fought for me to get me on that show and the platform that they allowed me to be on for six and a half years although I'm disappointed how it ended and the abruptness and the suddenness of it ending I'm forever grateful for the opportunity that you gave me I can honestly say I wouldn't be here uh there would probably be no Club shayshay I would not be the the name because a lot of times Stephen A people don't even realize that I played a sport they asked me how do you know so much about sports I was like well you know I study a lot people really don't because I've been retired two decades oh you know your football my brother especially your football you're brilliant football mom my brother I I mean I stepped back I debate but then you know me I'll step back and be like this that is a damn three-time Super Bowl champion let me fall back because I don't I don't even want to wait I don't even want to touch a helmet let alone get hit the people that at pico Boulevard because everybody don't know that Los Angeles California go ahead man everybody know that man look it didn't end the way I wanted it to end Stephen A but skip gave me that opportunity Fox let him have that kind of leeway to give me that opportunity and so I'm forever grateful Jamie Horowitz who believed in me and I'm like bro what are you talking about I can be a star on television yeah I say bro you I mean Y'all Gonna Let Me Be Me he says we want you to I said y'all I say you don't even know what me is because all you've seen was a decade of uh of CBS Jamie you didn't do what me is Jamie's that dude he got me started on first thing you know Jamie had to approve me get Jamie had to support me getting on first take it wasn't it skipped obviously it starts with skip or gratitude do to him but if Jamie Horowitz hadn't gone to the honchos to support me I wouldn't have been on first take so we both owe him so that and so I'm forever grateful box FS1 thank you continue success for whatever guys you guys doing over there you got an outstanding lineup from um speak for yourself uh first things first Nick right I know Nick Nick's a great friend of mine Joy who's on speak with archo and Shady McCoy and Skip and his new Team guys I wish you all guys all the best but I don't wish you better than Skip and Richard and Keyshawn and Michael Irvin y'all not gonna be better than me and Stephen A that's not gonna happen I promise you that is not going to happen ever now if Stephen A says you know what I'm gonna move on or he said Shannon I want to go in a different direction y'all still not cause Stephen A that dude and if Stephen A ever decides to leave and turn the Reigns over with me y'all know I'm that dude I'm him and now he is open the problem that y'all got is that y'all got two hymns to go up against you but y'all got two hymns by the way I'm not gonna let you get out of here without ass answering a question about LeBron because you got some explains before this before that you know you I mean Shannon sharp I mean you you don't have a podcast that says Shannon sharp you have a podcast that says Club Shay Shay Club Shay is a pretty fly name and there's a lot of people out there speculating about your dating life and stuff like that care to share anything I mean you you single you eligible do you know what I mean ain't care to say anything I just want to make sure that that I'm I'm me me and this little guy right here Teddy me and teddy bear we we are happy we're happy couple right bro all right and he got two he got his two brothers Stephen hey bro I'm too busy wrapped up into you I I gotta I got I gotta pull my I gotta pull my weight I'm only on two days a week I gotta be my absolute best Mondays and Tuesday to show that Stephen A was well was right everybody threw himself out there you're already proven that bro I ain't no I I don't I don't right now I ain't got time okay so if I ain't got I ain't got time to be anything serious that ain't happening okay okay and plus I gotta grow Shay Shay media and I got a whole I got nightcap with Uncle Ocho I got another something that I'm gonna announce here in the next couple days Stephen A but right now there are I ain't got time for a relationship I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm right now I'm dating I'm dating first take okay and we happy all right well you know I've been dating first take for a long time too but you've been dating yourself [Laughter] now listen before I let you get on out of here here's the deal man I mean the one thing that's not gonna listen people think that they're gonna see the end of you come in the football season oh no as long as LeBron James still around I know your ass is gonna find a way to annoy me by calling me by call me and coming on first take it just gotta take over that's right let me tell you let me tell you something right now it's not gonna work Shannon I don't regarding your Excellence come football you need to stop that but LeBron James he's number two all time that is not an insult let me let me I'm gonna this is how I'm gonna do it I'm gonna come out I'm gonna come out don't first take with an entire goat suit not just the mask don't do it I'm gonna come out with the goat suit and a 23 Laker jersey on please that's how I'm gonna do it please don't do that first of all can you win the championship again before you do that if you're gonna win a cat suit because that's not going to Lakers ain't winning no Championship now they're gonna be okay they're going to be in the mix they'd win in the championship now I think that's going a little bit too far you will you willing to bet you willing to bet against go James why would you do that yes yes cause it's not about him it's about it's about the brother that you got to bet with me for that he gonna play 65 games I already won the BET ain't no way in hell Anthony Davis is playing 65 games in a regular season he ain't gonna miss the playoffs but it he ain't playing 65 games say it with me you did tell let me tell the audience me and Shannon have a bet because I told her ain't no way in hell that that Anthony Davis is playing 65 games this year so we we both like bow a restaurant we like boa I like a few I mean I'm a catch fan as well you know I'm saying maestros and all that stuff but boa we like a lot and Shannon's already plotting to order his most expensive dinner he can find because I'm gonna have to pay up he don't realize he's gonna have to pay up ain't no way in hell Anthony Davis Mr 62 million dollar man by the way but he deserves it as long as he's healthy and he's bringing his a game he deserves it but he ain't playing 65 games he ain't gonna let me down okay he ain't gonna let me down oh stop you need to say he ain't gonna let me down so what you trying to say with ad give me 65 and goat James being the goat that he is entering season 21. what have you seen have you seen any slippage no not for me no no no no no I know LeBron James is that dude he's everything but Michael Jordan he's everything but Michael Jordan that's what I'm gonna I'm gonna say something that you gonna agree with what had LeBron James came first and had a tennis shoe and did what he did guess what he would be to go no he only said that that is not true that is not true the fact is is that Michael Jordan then had that performance against the Dallas Mavericks in the finals that's just a fact he don't have six NBA Finals losses he was Michael Jordan win time all defense the only way to fix how do we know he had he won the loss excuse me he would have won eight Straight had he not retired he would have done they would not have lost to the Houston Rockets he had to take a break because of burnout can you imagine the vitriol and the blowback goat James would have got if he says I need a year off Ricardo in all services in all seriousness respectfully seriously on a serious note no joking no no all jokes inside yeah if LeBron James God thank God brownie is okay but if LeBron James had a death in the family the way Michael Jordan had a death in the family and decided to step away people would not have criticized LeBron for that man they criticized everything they criticized the man going to the game they criticized bro they criticized Ronnie for taking the opposite race to the prom they never Jordan never had to experience the vitriol be it him and his family yeah what what Michael Jordan never had to admit excuse me there was no me there was no social media that's the game changer that's the game changer okay so in other words because of social media LeBron James is zero credit that's just telling me because social media is deserve credit no no LeBron James is the goat because he the goat on the basketball court no he's not no he's not no he's not you need to stop but you know what I don't care what you say we're gonna take you can say we gonna table this we got Club Shay Shay we got Stephen A Smith that's right a thousand lies that you tell it don't make it the truth okay Club say Stephen a first take we got three damn outlets at the very least to go at about this come NBA season but uh here's what here's what we both will agree on okay they are worst places to be to Southern California and when yeah yeah and when the Lakers are winning who is just a buzz through the city that is just special it it really is everywhere you go the vibe just feels different when the Los Angeles Lakers are relevant well well you know I did relocate from Atlanta which ain't a bad place to be either not at all but you know what I don't foresee myself going back to Atlanta relocating back to Atlanta leaving southern cal I don't I don't I don't blame you you know I might have to come out there you know I got to come out there more because I promised you I was going to be out there twice a month to do the show with you so I'm gonna be out there I'm gonna keep my word but you know I mean yeah yeah it was a great you know we're right we we practically neighbors that's practically I want to State this for the record for all the listeners and the viewers out there um it was very difficult for me to have to drag myself to 90 degree weather in Southern California but I managed to suffer through it and just do it Shannon sharp man I appreciate the time man thank you so much man I'm so happy to have you on board on first take we're going to continue to do our thing you're a proud addition to the show everybody love you my man Molly loves you Ryan Clark swagoo Marcus Spears Mad Dog Russo Dan olowsky you know Jeff Saturday the list goes on and on and on the entire team is proud and happy to have you on board my man I'm proud to call you my brother proud to have you as my partner in crime or first take everyone day and Tuesdays man keep doing your things with Club Shay Shay and you know I'm always here if you need me appreciate you bro enjoy the rest of your day all right my man take care ladies and gentlemen that was a wonderful wonderful time I just had with the great Shannon sharp three-time Super Bowl champion NBA NFL Hall of Famer uh one of the greatest tight ends in the history of football now my partner on first take every Monday and Tuesdays on ESPN 10 a.m the noon Eastern Standard Time Of course make sure to support Club shaysha as well really really appreciate all our great work and the hard work that he's putting forth he's got a very very bright future in this industry no doubt about them just happy uh that he's allowed me to share some of it with him by blessing me with his presence to come on the show that's it for this edition of the Stephen A Smith show thanks for watching another episode uh you can watch me at the very least every Monday Wednesday and Friday over the digital Airwaves of YouTube make sure to like and follow the Stephen A Smith show right here on YouTube click the Bell and get notified for all of our new content and be sure to pick up a copy of my New York Times bestseller straight shooter A Memoir of Second Chances and first takes can't say enough about the time he just gave me it was a big time interview say the least but there's many more that's coming so stick around keep tuning in to the Stephen A Smith show thank you all for your support and your love until next time this is your boy Stephen a signing off peace and love foreign

Channel: Stephen A. Smith

Views: 730,147

Keywords: Stephen A. Smith, Stephen A, Stephen A. Smith Podcast, Know MERCY, NO MERCY, FIRST TAKE, ESPN First Take, NBA Countdown, Podcast, Motivation, Inspiration, Stephen A. Smith Cowboys, stephen a smith, stephen a. smith

Id: EnsFY4r9m1Y

Length: 84min 8sec (5048 seconds)

Published: Fri Sep 22 2023