Total Pro Sports
Shannon Sharpe’s last appearance on ESPN will probably be his last appearance on ESPN, because he’s not coming back.
Despite vowing to return to the network for the NFL preseason, Sharpe will remain on the fringes as The Worldwide Leader in Sports chose to fire him after he settled with the woman who accused him of rape.
Sharpe was sued for $50 million and reportedly had the matter swept under the rug in exchange for $23 million, with the settlement amount still unconfirmed.
Having stepped down after news of the lawsuit broke earlier this year, claiming he would clear his name in court, he opted to settle instead. This left his accuser with millions in the bank, allowing her to retire from OnlyFans.
Reports of Shannon’s firing from the network broke on Wednesday, and he released a statement on his ‘Nightcap’ podcast several hours later, in which he revealed that he had found out a few days before everyone else.
Sharpe also revealed having asked the network for a stay of execution, requesting that they hold on to the announcement a bit longer.
Shannon’s older brother, Sterling Sharpe, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this weekend, so he wanted ESPN to delay news of the firing until Monday so as not to overshadow his sibling’s moment.
He disclosed having apologized to his brother several times, doing so one final time in the clip below.
Of course, ESPN paid little heed to the request, with the scoop dropping well ahead of the Hall of Fame ceremony.
As Sharpe has learned, employees don’t get to choose how or when they get fired, and they definitely don’t get to choose when the employer makes that information public.
