Shannon Sharpe made his debut on ESPN’s First Take last week after a seven-year stint debating alongside Skip Bayless on FS1’s Undisputed.
However, some habits die hard, even after seven years.
During his first show on First Take, which turned out to be a massive ratings success, Sharpe made the understandable mistake of addressing Stephen A. Smith as “Skip.” Given the countless debates he had with Bayless, such a slip-up was almost inevitable.
When the same mistake occurred again a week later, Sharpe was visibly frustrated with himself. This frustration was evident during the Tuesday edition of First Take.
Watch below:
However, it was heartening to witness how Stephen A. Smith handled the situation.
Despite the often cringe-worthy nature of performative sports debates on television, ESPN invests heavily in Smith for a reason.
He’s a seasoned professional, and he swiftly stepped in to support his new colleague. Smith has firsthand experience of what it’s like to engage in years of debates against Bayless, and he understands that on live TV, people can misspeak.
Rather than criticizing Sharpe for the repeated error, Smith exhibited grace and helped Sharpe regain his footing in the discussion.
Viewers particularly appreciated how Smith handled this situation.
