Buckle your seatbelts and grab your fire extinguishers. The takes are about to get scorching hot on FOX Sports 1.
The network recently hired former ESPN employee Skip Bayless to host an upcoming talk show that rivals his former gig with “First Take.” And it appears Shannon Sharpe will serve as Bayless’ new Stephen A. Smith.
FS1 announced Monday, per Sports Business Daily, that Sharpe will co-star alongside Bayless in its new debate show. The two-hour program will debut Sept. 6 at 10 a.m. ET, the same time slot as “First Take,” but still is unnamed.
Sharpe, a former Denver Broncos tight end and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, certainly is outspoken enough to hold his own with Bayless — especially when it comes to the New England Patriots. The three-time Super Bowl champion has made headlines for gloating to Patriots fans after the Broncos’ Super Bowl 50 victory, blasting Tom Brady’s harmless Facebook posts and even going after head coach Bill Belichick.
Sharpe served as a studio analyst for CBS’ “NFL Today” pregame show for several years, but his strong opinions were put on hold in Feb. 2014 when the network released him and fellow Hall of Famer Dan Marino.
Now, he’ll get another chance to express himself under the TV spotlight, and judging by the comments Bayless made recently, the discussion won’t be mild-mannered.
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
