After Shannon Sharpe was served with a civil lawsuit on Easter Sunday that accused him of assault, sexual assault, battery, and sexual battery, the most pertinent question was whether or not he would publically respond and, if so, if he would do so on ESPN airwaves.
Sharpe’s Monday appearance on First Take came and went without any mention of the allegations. It wasn’t until afterward when Sharpe released a statement from his lawyers on his social media channels, calling the accusations an “egregious attempt at blackmail.”
While lawyers for both sides traded shocking reveals on Tuesday, Sharpe once again remained mum on First Take. So did Stephen A. Smith. Again, only afterward did Sharpe take to his social media channels with a video reading a prepared statement in which he referred to the situation as a “shakedown.”
All the while, ESPN did not comment on the legal situation involving one of their highest-profile talents.
Fast-forward to Tuesday afternoon and, as The Stephen A. Smith Show wound down, Smith finally discussed the situation. Doing so in a careful manner, the bombastic Stephen A. was reserved and seemed genuinely crestfallen. After a bunch of build-up explaining how he was instrumental in Sharpe’s arrival at ESPN following his falling out with Skip Bayless at FS1, Smith said he was “torn” over the way his co-host was handling the situation. He called Sharpe’s strategy of sharing text message screenshots “uncomfortable” and said “I don’t know if that’s a strategy that would work.”
He also admitted that he had no previous knowledge of the situation, which had been in settlement negotiations before the lawsuit was filed, until after the news broke.
At this point, Smith appeared to be clearing a pathway for the possibility that Sharpe’s future at ESPN was, at best, uncertain. It was an interesting pivot given how Smith set up the discussion by making it clear how much he was in charge of what happens around First Take and how much leeway he has, given his stature at ESPN. He could have used the opportunity to adamantly defend Sharpe and say his spot across the table is secure. He did not. In fact, Smith made it clear the buck does not stop with him.
Then, in what was perhaps the most fascinating aspect to the entire discussion, he said that he spoke with ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro, who “made it very, very clear we are taking this matter very seriously, and we are looking into this very, very closely. And once we gather as many facts as we we possibly can, we will go from there.” Smith added that he “received [Pitaro’s] permission to say that.”
That whole section is eminently fascinating for several reasons.
One, that is the language of an official statement. Whenever something like this occurs, the company, league, or team typically issues a statement stating that they take the matter seriously, are looking into it, and will proceed accordingly. This is boilerplate language, not the kind of thing you say off the cuff in a casual meeting in the hallway.
Two, neither ESPN nor Pitaro have made an official statement, meaning that this counts as the closest thing we have to one. Which, not to go down the rabbit hole too far, makes one wonder if Smith’s show was being used to launder ESPN and Pitaro’s statement and sentiments about Sharpe, so that there is something out there without them actually having to involve themselves.
Because, if you go back to the beginning of all this, none of these statements, accusations, or rebuttals have been made on ESPN “soil,” so to speak. Aside from Paul Heyman going off-script on The Pat McAfee Show, the company has kept its hands clean and let Sharpe be the one to get in the muck. And only when Smith is on his own show, which he was clear to remind us is “owned and operated by me solely,” is there a statement of sorts given.
Smith concluded the discussion saying that he has “no idea what direction ESPN and Walt Disney will go in when it comes to this matter” except that “all I do know is it won’t be me making a decision.”
Perhaps this is a little tinfoil hat, but you could easily come away from Smith’s comments on Tuesday thinking one of three things:
- This was Smith telling ESPN you’re not gonna upset me if you decide to fire Sharpe over this.
- This was Smith laundering ESPN’s official statement so they can keep their hands clean for as long as possible.
- Both.
And if it is the second one, that adds a fascinating wrinkle to the relationship between ESPN and Smith given his move towards independence and personal projects. That for all the bluster and bombast, Stephen A. is ultimately a company man, even when he’s not on ESPN.
Unlike Pat McAfee, who cashes ESPN’s checks and rubs their noses in it, Smith seems happy to work the room and dole out favors when needed. We’re not even saying we’re mad or that he’s wrong to do so. But it was hard to come away from Tuesday’s commentary without thinking there was more to it.