Just like the NBA Finals, the Shannon Sharpe-Skip Bayless Era of Undisputed is now over.
The news broke earlier this month that Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Savannah State star would be leaving the FS1 show when the NBA season came to an end. The Finals ended on Monday night and Tuesday was Sharpe’s last show with co-star.
Here’s what the two had to say.
Shannon Sharpe
“Skip Bayless. You fought for me. I’m here because of you. You’ve allowed me to share the stage with you. You’ve allowed me to share the platform. I’m gonna cry in the car but I’m not gonna cry now. The opportunity that you gave me to become what I’ve became – I’m forever indebted to you. I’ll never forget what you did for me. You’ve helped me grow more than you’ll ever know.
One more thing – All I ask is when you lay your head on that pillow at night, know that I gave you everything I had. I gave you everything I had.
Skip Bayless
Which is why I want to thank you for all you have given to me. When I first took this job back in June 2016, we had a whole ‘nother format in mind until I heard ‘Shannon Sharpe is available.’ And I said ‘I believe he can do this.’ And did you ever!
The critics just savaged us when we started. Undisputed will never last. FS1 will never last. Did we ever show them?
I want to thank you for dedicating yourself to this job. It is a voracious beast of a show, day after day after day. You dedicated yourself to this job just the way you dedicated yourself to professional football as a Hall of Famer. I want to thank you for never taking a sick day. I want to thank you for preparing as hard as you could every single day, every single topic. I want to thank you for competing as hard as you competed with me because the greatest compliment I can give you is you were a worthy adversary.
“I want to thank you to tell you that I love you for what you have done for me. And Shannon I’m going to miss our ‘diet Dew’ bets. You owe me a lot. I’m going to miss our LeBron battles, even though he’s still the phony GOAT. I’m going to miss our Cowboy arguments – how ‘bout them Cowboys – because you were right about my Dallas Cowboys from Day One.”
“In the end I just want you to know that it was because of you, you made possible a very special time in my career. This is a happy-sad moment for me because I look forward to your next great achievement and it is coming. But tonight, I just want you to know – I will toast you with a diet Mountain Dew.”