Shannon Sharpe lost it over Stephen A. Smith’s Cowboys defense: ‘Now you know more football than me’

Stephen A. Smith and Shannon Sharpe nearly had their “put your glasses back on” moment Monday morning on First Take.

Following a conversation about whether Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy can save his job after 34-26 win over the Washington Commanders, First Take discussed whether Bill Belichick should be his successor. Tedy Bruschi and Shannon Sharpe didn’t think so because of Jerry Jones. Stephen A. Smith, however, presented the thought that Belichick could benefit from Jones handling most of his media dirty work. And as Smith attempted to paint a picture that Belichick might enjoy working for and with Jones, Sharpe quickly pumped the brakes.

“Stephen A., do you like coming to your job every day and having a headache?” Sharpe asked. “See, you’re talking about what you think you know. One voice, one sound. When you’re trying to win championships, you have one voice, one sound resonating. And you and I both know, Bill Belichick is a bigger draw than Jerry Jones, that’s why he has coaches that he can overshadow.”

Smith thought Sharpe lost some credibility by mentioning the Cowboys and championships in the same thought. Sharpe, however, appeared to think Smith just doesn’t have enough credibility to talk football with him.

“You’re argument goes right out the window when you mention championships and the Cowboys in the same breath,” Smith told Sharpe.

“Now you know more football,” Sharpe said with disgust. “Go ahead, OK.”

“Come on, Shannon,” Smith answered. “I never said I know more football than you. Stop that. Stop that. I’ve never said that.”

Sharpe appeared to stop just short of taking his glasses off in his disgust with Smith. But this was one of the first times that Sharpe appeared visibly frustrated by ESPN’s architect of First Take. This wasn’t as tense as Sharpe’s infamous on-air spat with Skip Bayless. But Smith telling Sharpe to “stop that” was reminiscent of the time Bayless awkwardly told the Pro Football Hall-of-Famer to “put your glasses back on.”

Smith might be wrong in his Cowboys take, but he’s right in his showmanship. Obviously Smith doesn’t know football the way Sharpe does, but that shouldn’t discount him from debating the sport on a sports debate show.

[First Take]