Dan Le Batard Says Shannon Sharpe's Career At ESPN Is Over, We Aren't As Certain
"Shannon Sharpe is not likely to ever work at ESPN again," said Le Batard.
According to Dan Le Batard, Shannon Sharpe's career at ESPN is over.
"I guess we probably all know at this point that Shannon Sharpe is not likely to ever work at ESPN again, right?" Le Batard said this week, while discussing Max Kellerman's return to sports media.
"I think we can assume, I think we can reasonably assume that Shannon Sharpe would like it to look like he has a chance to return, but I don’t know that you can be Disney and allow any of what happened there."
Our understanding is that Le Batard is speculating. He doesn't actually know where matters stand between Sharpe and ESPN.
Shannon Sharpe speaks onstage during a live taping of the "Black Money Tree" podcast on May 17, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Marcus Ingram/Getty Images)
For background, Sharpe stepped away from his role at ESPN in April following a $50 million lawsuit in which an ex-girlfriend accused him of sexual assault, rape, and sexual battery. At the time of the announcement, Sharpe vowed to return to ESPN by August.
"At this juncture, I am electing to step aside temporarily from my ESPN duties," Sharpe said in a statement. "I will be devoting this time to my family, and responding and dealing with these false and disruptive allegations set against me. I plan to return to ESPN at the start of the NFL preseason."
In May, OutKick reported that Sharpe's return was not a guarantee.
Even if Sharpe is not guilty of what the lawsuit alleges, the allegations unearthed several text messages and voicemails of a graphic sexual nature. Such content could be enough for ESPN (a subsidiary of the family-friendly Walt Disney Co.) to part ways with him.
That said, ESPN has not made an official decision. Despite all the negative press, Sharpe's future at the network remains up in the air.
According to sources, ESPN views Sharpe as one of the few difference-makers in the ratings. The viewership for "First Take" is higher when Sharpe appears opposite Stephen A. Smith and lower when he doesn't.
Speaking of Smith, he has publicly voiced his support for Sharpe and said he hopes his name is cleared by the start of football season.
"He is emphatic that he is innocent of those things," Smith said about Sharpe on his podcast in May. "But the court of public opinion is what the Disneys of the world and others concern themselves with. That’s a more immediate issue.
"So I’m hopeful this will all go away. I’m hopeful that I’ll have my brother back on the airwaves talking football next season."
Ratings and allies matter.
(Credit: Getty Images)
And Sharpe, despite continuing his podcast, has laid low since the allegations. No new sex tapes or raunchy videos have emerged.
That helps.
In the event Sharpe doesn't return to ESPN, sources say former NFL quarterback Cam Newton is a name to watch to fill his spot on "First Take" on Mondays during the football season. ESPN signed Newton last year to appear as a guest on the show.