Dan Le Batard thinks Shannon Sharpe is done at ESPN after bombshell sexual assault scandal
The Shannon Sharpe era at ESPN is all but over.
That's what Dan Le Batard speculated Tuesday following the Pro Football Hall of Famer's bombshell sexual assault scandal that rocked the sports world this spring, when Sharpe was accused of rape in a $50 million civil lawsuit and subsequently stepped away from the worldwide leader.
'I guess we probably all know at this point that Shannon Sharpe is not likely to ever work at ESPN again, right?' Le Batard, a former ESPN host, said on 'The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz' when discussing Max Kellerman's upcoming broadcast return to Netflix for the Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford fight.
4 Shannon Sharpe stepped away from ESPN in April 2025 after being accused of sexual assault in a bombshell lawsuit.
Getty Images for SiriusXM
4 Dan Le Batard speculated the NFL Hall of Famer's time at ESPN is all but over following the allegations.
YouTube
'I think we can assume, I think we can reasonably assume that Shannon Sharpe would like it to look like he has a chance to return, but I don't know that you can be Disney and allow any of what happened there.'
Sharpe, 56, joined ESPN's 'First Take' in 2023 after his departure from FS1's 'Undisputed' with Skip Bayless earlier in the year.
In April, the legendary tight end was named in a complaint filed in Nevada state court alleging assault, sexual assault, battery and sexual battery.
4 Shannon Sharpe began appearing on ESPN's 'First Take' in 2023.
Getty Images
The plaintiff claimed Sharpe sexually assaulted her multiple times in late 2024 and early 2025.
Sharpe denied 'all allegations of coercion or misconduct' in a statement through his legal counsel, who claimed the three-time Super Bowl champion's accuser shared a 'secretly recorded' and 'heavily edited' video with him, alleging to illustrate a nonconsensual encounter.
'Mr. Sharpe categorically denies all allegations of coercion or misconduct — especially the gross lie of 'rape' — and will not submit to what he sees as an egregious attempt at blackmail,' Sharpe's attorney, Lanny J. Davis, said. 'He stands firmly by the truth and is prepared to fight these false claims vigorously in court.'
Sharpe then stepped away from ESPN, noting he anticipated returning 'at the start of the NFL preseason.'
4 The three-time Super Bowl winner also hosts the 'Club Shay Shay' and 'Night Cap' programs.
YouTube
'At this juncture I am electing to step aside temporarily from my ESPN duties. I will be devoting this time to my family, and responding and dealing with these false and disruptive allegations set against me,' Sharpe said in a statement at the time.
ESPN told The Post, 'This is a serious situation, and we agree with Shannon's decision to step away.'
Stephen A. Smith, the network's $100 million star, said in May he is 'hopeful' for Sharpe's return as the NFL season approaches.
'He is emphatic that he is innocent of those things,' Smith said on Big Boy TV. 'But the court of public opinion is what the Disneys of the world and others concern themselves with. That's a more immediate issue.
'And unfortunately, that has worked against him at this particular moment in time. So, I'm hopeful this will all go away. I'm hopeful that I'll have my brother back on the airwaves talking football next season.'
Sharpe still hosts his 'Club Shay Shay' podcast and 'Nightcap' with Chad Ochocinco.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Derbys draw at Gloucs after batting collapse
Harry Came put on 177 for Derbyshire's first wicket with Caleb Jewell before their collapse [Getty Images] Rothesay County Championship Division Two, Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol (day four) Gloucestershire 187 & 526-6 dec: Bancroft 176, Van Buuren 175 Derbyshire 398: Came 103 & 296-8: Came 91, Jewell 83; Van Buuren 4-64 Advertisement Gloucs (11 pts) drew with Derbyshire (14 pts) Match scorecard Harry Came fell nine runs short of a second century in the match as Derbyshire were forced to settle for a draw in an exciting finish to their County Championship Division Two match with Gloucestershire at Bristol. The hosts declared their second innings at lunch, having progressed from an overnight 364-3 to 526-6. Graeme van Buuren added 70 to his score before being dismissed for 175, while James Bracey hit a brisk 43. That set Derbyshire a victory target of 316 in a minimum of 67 overs. Came and Caleb Jewell put together an opening stand of 177 in just 31.3 overs before Jewell fell for 83, from 80 deliveries, with 12 fours, and Came for 91, off 118 balls, with seven fours and three sixes. Advertisement But Gloucestershire refused to buckle and left-arm spinner van Buuren claimed 4-64 to give his side a chance before Anuj Dal (36 not out) and Ben Aitchison batted out for a draw at 296-8. Derbyshire took 14 points and Gloucestershire 11. Cameron Bancroft began the day undefeated on 170 in Gloucestershire's second innings. The captain could add only six before being bowled by Zak Chappell, but could still take immense pride in a match-turning innings spanning almost seven-and-three-quarter hours and 366 balls Van Buuren was obliged to exercise initial caution as he and Bracey guarded against a collapse. But once the pair had brought up 400, they went on the attack. Bracey smacked a straight six off Alex Thomson to stretch the lead to 207 and followed up with two quick boundaries off Jack Morley. On 134, van Buuren edged Morley just short of Wayne Madsen at slip, but it was all the good fortune the South African needed to reach 150 off 261 balls, with 20 fours. Advertisement A six over long-on off Thomson brought up the century stand with Bracey, who faced just 56 balls in an entertaining cameo before top-edging an attempted slog sweep off Thomson and presenting wicketkeeper Brooke Guest with a simple catch. It was 498-6 when van Buuren's was caught at wide long-on off Thomson looking to accelerate towards the declaration. Zaman Akhter hit sixes off two of his first three balls, while Ben Charlesworth also cleared the ropes with a powerful reverse sweep off Morley on the stroke of lunch. Gloucestershire gave the new ball to debutant Todd Murphy when the afternoon session began, hoping the Australia Test off-spinner would make early inroads. With David Lloyd unable to open the batting having been off the field injured on day three, Came partnered Caleb Jewell and soon signalled his side's intentions with a four and a six in Murphy's second over. That set the tone for an exhilarating century stand, Came reaching a fluent half-century off 61 balls, with five fours and two sixes, and Jewell following him to the same landmark, having faced 52 deliveries and hit seven fours. Advertisement Came hit a straight six off van Buuren as Derbyshire progressed serenely to 169 without loss at tea, needing a further 147 to win. Came was 87 not out and Jewell unbeaten on 75. Jewell hit the first two balls of the final session from Ajeet Singh Dale for boundaries, but fell to the third, caught at mid-off by the diving Miles Hammond, who produced an even better effort to dismiss Came, one-handed at mid-wicket off Murphy to leave Derbyshire 189-2. Madsen made 17 before edging an attempted pull shot off Akhter to wicketkeeper James Bracey and Martin Andersson registered a third-ball duck, lbw to Murphy with 104 runs still required. That target had been reduced to 81 when Guest was caught behind off van Buuren for 22. Derbyshire entered the final hour of the match on 249-5, needing a further 67 from a minimum of 16 overs. Their task increased when Thomson, on 10, edged a sweep to Hammond at slip off van Buuren, who followed up by having Zak Chappell caught at mid-wicket. That finally brought in Lloyd to bat with a runner with 45 needed and Anuj Dal unbeaten on 27. Advertisement Lloyd made only nine before falling lbw to the inspired van Buuren. But Dal stood firm and Aitchison helped clinch the draw as the game ended with Gloucestershire fielders crowded around the bat. ECB Reporters' Network supported by Rothesay
Newsweek
17 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Odell Beckham's Latest Post Stirs NY Giants Reunion Talk
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Odell Beckham Jr. sat on stage at Fanatics Fest in New York and entertained a fan's demand, which encouraged the veteran wide receiver to re-sign with the New York Giants. With a smile, Beckham responded: "I got you." Of course, that didn't lead to the Giants rushing to get a contract in front of the NFL wideout to sign, but it showed that Beckham would be open to reuniting with the franchise that helped him find early success in the NFL, following his successful run at LSU. When Beckham posted to Instagram a couple of days later, he added fuel to the reunion hype. Odell Beckham Jr. scores on a fourth quarter touchdown reception against the Los Angeles Chargers last year. The New York Giants' WR is reportedly holding out for a contract extension. Odell Beckham Jr. scores on a fourth quarter touchdown reception against the Los Angeles Chargers last year. The New York Giants' WR is reportedly holding out for a contract extension. Getty Images "Mannn yo daddy did some Krazy [expletive] here," Beckham said via Instagram. "We changed the game [and] inspired a generation who came behind us. We still got more to do... I'm loving every second I get [with you and] can't wait to see what [you] do in this world.... [your] turn twin." Beckham's post was a dedicated message to the 32-year-old's son, but the fact that they are sitting on the ground staring at MetLife Stadium caused a stir amongst NFL fans. A lot of time has passed since Beckham's playing days with the Giants. In 2014, Beckham played in 12 games as a rookie, exceeding 1,300 yards and scoring 12 touchdowns. Over the next two seasons, he crossed the 1,300-yard threshold and totaled 23 touchdowns. The 2017 season was a quiet one for Beckham, who battled injuries. As a result, he appeared in just four games. When Beckham returned for 12 games the following year, he racked up another 1,052 yards and scored six touchdowns. His run with the Giants ended via trade. In 2019, Beckham joined the Cleveland Browns. After a stellar first season in Cleveland, Beckham's physical setbacks started to pile up. As a result, his production took a hit. In 2020, he played in just seven games for the Browns. In 2021, he played in six games for Cleveland before they traded Beckham to the Los Angeles Rams. Right as the Rams were reaching the finish line as NFL Champions, Beckham suffered a knee injury, which forced him to miss the entire 2022 season. Single runs in Baltimore and Miami were quiet campaigns for the three-time Pro Bowler. At this point, Beckham is a free agent and potentially willing to get back out on the field sometime soon. Will it be with Russell Wilson's Giants? Only time will tell. For more New York Giants and NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
Fox Sports
17 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
NHL's first decentralized draft is a logistical challenge to make the event fit for TV
Associated Press NHL teams for the first time in a non-pandemic environment will not be gathering in one place for the draft, and the mind-boggling logistics of decentralizing the annual event are right up Steve Mayer's alley. The league's president of content and events has masterminded how to put on outdoor games, All-Star weekends, the Stanley Cup Final in a bubble and last year's draft at the Sphere. Holding a smaller get-together at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles with similar pageantry and coordination between 32 teams spread across North America has become his department's next big challenge. 'We thought this would be simpler, and it's actually become way more complicated,' Mayer said Tuesday from LA. "Everything has to be spot on. It was so much easier when you can look at table No. 6 and they were making their pick and it was easy. I just think this is way more complicated than it had been in the past.' Commissioner Gary Bettman will be on site, along with nearly 100 of the top prospects, 32 of whom will be selected in the first round Friday night and the others expected to hear their names called Saturday when the draft resumes. Then there are 90-plus remote cameras for the draft rooms in the various markets — including the Philadelphia Flyers setup down the shore in Atlantic City — and the guest selectors who will be announcing the picks, such as Jeremy Jackson and Marguerite Moreau of "Mighty Ducks' movie fame for the Anaheim Ducks. There won't be a crowd of more than 100,000 fans in attendance like the NFL draft, though the NHL is hoping to put on a different kind of spectacle that translates well to TV. That includes a virtual environment a player will walk into and be able to interact with the staff of the team that just picked him. 'They're going to have a back-and-forth interaction with the kid they just drafted (and) the kid will have an opportunity to say a few words back at this group, which will be captured for television and it will be quite unique,' Mayer said. 'That moment in that environment ... is what I think will set us apart from the NBA and Major League Baseball and the NFL, to an extent.' The NHL also gave itself a tough act to follow with the spectacle at the Sphere last year. That was a celebration of the last in-person draft (or so everyone thought) for a while, and the venue on the Las Vegas Strip stood out as the star. This is nothing like a sequel, but some of the graphics that debuted in the Sphere will be back. 'We're taking some of those same elements, as you'll see, to give our environment depth,' Mayer said. "On television, I think it'll look spectacular. Whether it's decentralized, centralized, we don't care. Just tell us what we need to do, and as an event team we're willing and ready to pull it off.' Pull it off now. But for how long? Bettman has repeatedly said teams — not the league office — asked and then voted for the draft to be decentralized. There's some regret about that, so decentralizing may be a one-off, one-year thing. 'If after this experience the clubs say, 'You know what, on second thought let's go back to the old format,' we'll do that,' Bettman said in Edmonton at the final. 'What we do will be totally in response to what the clubs tell us they want.' Club officials aren't quite sure what they want. This will be Washington Capitals assistant general manager Ross Mahoney's 28th NHL draft, and he compares it to the virtual ones in 2020 and '21. 'It gives you more freedom to talk," Mahoney said. "When you're on the draft floor, the next table's right here with scouts on other teams and that, so I guess it gives us a lot more freedom to speak freely and talk about things. But yeah we'll have a better idea after Saturday.' Mathieu Darche, GM of the New York Islanders who have the No. 1 pick, enjoys being on the draft floor with everyone in the same city. Maybe he'll get his wish next year, but he's fine with this as he runs a team for the first time. 'I'm comfortable with both situations,' Darche said. "Whatever the league decides, I'll be doing my job.' ___ AP NHL: recommended
