Jason Whitlock calls out ‘presidential candidate’ Stephen A. Smith for silence over Shannon Sharpe controversy

Stephen A. Smith has sided with First Take colleague Shannon Sharpe after his Instagram Live incident, but has now stuck to diplomacy.

Jason Whitlock calls out ‘presidential candidate’ Stephen A. Smith for silence over Shannon Sharpe controversy

Jason Whitlock believes Stephen A. Smith is distancing himself from Shannon Sharpe

ESPN executive producer Stephen A. Smith had a major role in helping to recruit NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe to join First Take. He saw an opportunity once the Atlanta native decided to leave FS1’s Undisputed, where he worked alongside Smith’s former colleague, Skip Bayless.

After Sharpe joined, First Take saw an immediate rise in viewer ratings, whereas Undisputed’s ratings declined. Everyone understood that the 56-year-old was the driving force behind this improved performance, and ESPN rewarded him with a contract extension.

Smith and Shannon Sharpe have not had the explosive debates like the former tight end used to have with Bayless. But their camaraderie is different, and their combined humor has made First Take boost its ratings month on month.

Then, Sharpe had an Instagram Live embarrassment, which he eventually apologized for. ESPN did not take any action. Now, the father of three is a part of national news after a young woman filed a lawsuit demanding $50 million in settlement for s*xual assault.

Shannon Sharpe has claimed his innocence, which even Stephen A. Smith acknowledged while speaking on his podcast. But former ESPN employee Jason Whitlock believes Smith has distanced himself from his First Take colleague for one particular reason.

Now that Stephen A. is running for President, this man is backpedaling and getting as far away from Shannon Sharpe as cleverly and as slyly as he can. Because Stephen A. Smith got his wet finger in the air. He got told by his bosses what’s about to happen.

Jason Whitlock said

Jason Whitlock believes Stephen A. Smith’s bravado has disappeared. That is because he brought over Sharpe to improve his ratings. Now that the situation is threatening to damage everyone’s reputation, especially with Smith looking to run for President, he is backing off.

Jason Whitlock believes Shannon Sharpe’s time is up at ESPN

Jason Whitlock believes that Stephen A. Smith knows what is going to happen if Shannon Sharpe does not win this lawsuit. ESPN does not tolerate anyone bringing controversy that they cannot handle, and has promptly dismissed those who have.

I don’t think we’ll see Shannon Sharpe back at ESPN. Stephen A. distanced himself from Shannon. The HR problems that Shannon had at other jobs will likely surface. The allegations in the lawsuit are not unfamiliar to people at Freak Sports 1.

Jason Whitlock wrote

Now Whitlock believes the Hall of Famer‘s time is up at ESPN. The network is too big to feel the need to continue employing a person who might be facing the heat of this lawsuit. Whitlock believes Sharpe’s lawyer revealing that he tried to pay $10 million as a settlement shows he is somewhat guilty.

What angered the 57-year-old analyst is that Sharpe appeared on First Take on the next morning after the lawsuit came to light. Stephen A. Smith went on his show later in the day to talk about the situation. Whitlock believes something changed in those few hours for Smith to change his tune..

Could ‘Unc’ go off air until the lawsuit settles?

Shannon Sharpe has been trending for the wrong reasons ever since the lawsuit came to light. Multiple publications have been running the story, and some are actively pursuing any new leads about the NFL Hall of Famer.

This negative attention will not suit ESPN, his podcast’s Club Shay Shay and Nightcap, or his media production company. If Jason Whitlock’s prediction is right, the three-time Super Bowl champion might go off air for a while.

If he does not, then every word he says will be scrutinized. Since his podcasts are under his command, he could continue to appear on those shows. Nightcap, in particular, is a daily show where he reviews games and talks about all things sports.

But ESPN could force him to stay away for a while. Sharpe usually appears on First Take on Mondays and Tuesdays. Two days off will keep him out of the view of the entire nation. That could help his situation until the lawsuit reaches a settlement or a judge tosses it away.

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