Stephen A. Smith has made no secret of his displeasure over former ‘First Take’ partner Skip Bayless’s latest moves.
Bayless has been without a debating sidekick since Shannon Sharpe left ‘Undisputed’ on June 13. But he’s set to bounce back in a huge way as FS1 is reported to have secured deals with Keyshawn Johnson and Michael Irvin.
Both men were part of a rotating panel that challenged Stephen A. on ESPN’s popular show but their runs have ended, with Irvin getting fired because of the case against him while Johnson was part of a cost-saving cut.
Smith is getting an impressive cast member in exchange as Shannon Sharpe is set to join him on ‘First Take’ as of Monday. But he’s still not happy with FS1 snatching the former NFL stars.
“I got a profound love for Skip Bayless. But as I’m sure most of you know, we can sit up there and say, ‘Our brothers from another mother,’ but it’s a little bit different than the love that you have for your brothers of the same ilk. And me, Keyshawn Johnson, and Michael Irvin are just that,” Smith said on his podcast (H/T Awful Announcing).
It will be interesting to see how the competition between the two networks shapes up when things get underway.
