The workplace tension at ESPN may run high after Shannon Sharpe issued a chilling caution to colleague Kirk Herbstreit on First Take on Monday.
Over the weekend, the Ohio State Buckeyes steamrolled the Tennessee Volunteers, 42-17, in their college football playoff clash.
During the call, Herbstreit and Chris Fowler gave Buckeyes Coach Ryan Day his flowers but in doing so, they referenced Stephen A. Smith’s harsh criticisms of the coach.
But instead of singling Smith out, Herbstreit pointed at the top-rated morning program as a collective, saying ‘First Take tried to fire him. They thought he was done.’
‘So I’m excited to see what they talk about on Monday after this performance,’ he added.
Herbstreit’s remarks came after Fowler called ‘nonsense’ on ‘pundits on this network and other places talk about [Day’s firing] with certainty.’
Shannon Sharpe issued a chilling warning to Kirk Herbstreit during Monday’s First Take
Come Monday morning, Sharpe responded to their comments with a chilling warning that had Smith and Dan Orlovsky raising eyebrows.
‘Imma be a good teammate, Imma let it slide,’ Sharpe said calmly. ‘Have [Smith] not taken the route you’ve taken, I would’ve lit their a** up.’
‘Congratulations Ohio State, you won the game,’ he continued. ‘But hey, if we’re gonna be on the same team, if we’re gonna work for the same network, don’t do that.
‘Kirk, Chris Fowler, I promise you, if you ever mention any platform I’m in again… and talk about ‘Wonder what they gonna say,’ in negativity… I promise you, ESPN don’t got enough bosses to keep me off ya’ll for what I’m going to say.’
‘So Imma let ya’ll slide today,’ he repeated. ‘Imma turn it over to D.O. before I get myself in trouble. But don’t play with me.’
Smith then reacted with a prolonged ‘Damn,’ while Orlovsky sarcastically brushed his hair, saying ‘I gotta follow?’
Although Sharpe took somewhat of a high road, Smith did not hold back on his response while still being respectful to his ESPN colleagues.
‘Outstanding duo, it’s an honor and a privilege to call them my colleagues,’ Smith opened. ‘I say this in front of both of them – stop!’
Herbstreit responded to Stephen A. Smith’s harsh criticism of Ohio State coach Ryan Day
‘Stop it… ‘First Take gotta get him fired.’ That is not true. I did! Not First Take,’ Smith exclaimed. ‘That was me, Stephen A., I’m gonna own that. Don’t misquote me.
‘What I said was ‘this man Ryan Day, if he doesn’t get a national championship, he should go. Even with a 66-10 record.’ I didn’t stutter one bit, I ain’t stuttering now.”
Smith pointed out the importance of the head coaching job at Ohio State, where Herbstreit played as a quarterback from 1989 to 1993. Smith emphasized the importance of beating their rival Wolverines and how Day has lost to Michigan four times.
Nonetheless, the Buckeyes are through to the next round after pummeling Tennessee. They will take on No 1 Oregon in the Rose Bowl game on New Year’s Day.
