What began as a sharp disagreement between two ESPN personalities, Shannon Sharpe and Kirk Herbstreit, over comments about Ohio State head coach Ryan Day has seemingly ended with an amicable resolution.
The spat was sparked on Saturday night when Herbstreit, along with broadcast partner Chris Fowler, covered Ohio State’s 42-17 victory over Tennessee in the first round of the College Football Playoff. As the game wrapped up, Herbstreit addressed the criticism Day has faced this season, including calls for his job, taking aim at both fans and pundits.
The Comments That Started It All
Herbstreit first criticized what he called the “lunatic fringe” of the Buckeye fanbase before turning his attention to ESPN’s own First Take crew, which includes Stephen A. Smith and Shannon Sharpe.
“First Take tried to fire him,” Herbstreit said, referencing Day’s critics. “They thought he was done. So I’ll be excited to see what they talk about on Monday after this performance. They had him out, trying to find replacements. But here he is. Still got his hat on, still coaching.”
Herbstreit’s direct mention of First Take quickly drew a response from Smith and Sharpe during Monday’s broadcast of the show.
Sharpe’s Strong Response
Sharpe didn’t hold back, addressing Herbstreit and Fowler directly during Monday’s episode.
“If we’re going to be on the same team, if we’re gonna work for the same network, don’t do that,” Sharpe said. “Kirk, Chris Fowler, I promise you, if you ever mention any platform that I’m on again, and talking about, ‘I wonder what they’re going to say as negativity,’ I promise you, ESPN ain’t got enough bosses to keep me off y’all for what I’m going to say.”
Clearing the Air
Later that day, Sharpe revealed on his Nightcap podcast with Chad Johnson that he and Herbstreit had spoken privately to resolve their differences.
“We had a conversation today. We cleared the air. He told me what he was thinking, he apologized, and I let him know what I was thinking,” Sharpe explained.
Their conversation followed what had been a heated exchange of words and tension between the two ESPN colleagues, with Sharpe defending the integrity of First Take and Herbstreit seemingly attempting to clarify his initial remarks.
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The Aftermath
While Sharpe and Herbstreit appear to have resolved their feud, Herbstreit endured further teasing from fellow ESPN colleagues Joe Buck and Troy Aikman during Monday Night Football, proving that tensions within the network can sometimes spill over into lighthearted jabs.
The resolution comes as a relief for ESPN, which avoided further escalation between two of its high-profile talents. The incident underscores the challenges of internal criticism within a media empire where personalities frequently express strong, differing opinions.
For now, it seems the dust has settled, and the focus has shifted back to the College Football Playoff and the upcoming bowl games. Whether this truce holds remains to be seen, but for now, Sharpe and Herbstreit appear to have buried the hatchet.
