‘I’m Here Because of You’: Shannon Sharpe Bids Emotional Goodbye to Skip Bayless on His Last Episode of FS1’s Undisputed

For the first time since it was reported he’d be leaving Fox Sports 1, Shannon Sharpe has addressed his departure on Tuesday’s episode of Undisputed.

With the NBA Finals now over, it was Sharpe’s final episode as an employee of FS1. In the show’s last few minutes, Sharpe was given the floor to thank and say farewell to everyone who had an impact on his seven years with the network.

Despite previous reports of friction between him and Skip Bayless, Sharpe expressed appreciation for the opportunity he gave him when the show first started.

“You fought for me, bruh,” Sharpe said to Bayless while holding back tears. “I’m here because of you. You’ve allowed me to share the stage with you. You’ve allowed me to share the platform. I’m gonna cry in the car but I’m not gonna cry now. The opportunity that you gave me to become what I became… I’m very indebted to you. I’ll never forget what you did for me. You’ve helped me grow more than you’ll ever know.”

When the news first broke, many on the internet speculated that Sharpe and Bayless had been at odds. Not long after, sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed it. Still, the two remained gracious during Sharpe’s final moments on the show.

“When I first took this job back in June of 2016, we had a whole other format in mind,” Bayless said, “until it became clear Shannon Sharpe is available. And I said, ‘I believe he can do this,’ and did you ever. The critics just savaged us when we first started. ‘Undisputed will never last. FS1 will never last.’ Did we ever show them.

“I wanna thank you for dedicating yourself to this job. It is a voracious beast of a show. Day after day after day, you dedicated yourself just the way you dedicated yourself to professional football as a hall of famer.”

It’s unknown where Sharpe will head next. Notable ESPN personalities — including Stephen A. Smith and Pat McAfee — have welcomed the idea of him joining FS1’s rival network. He recently hinted that he has something in the works.

“All I ask,” Sharpe said on his final episode, “is when you lay your head on that pillow at night, know I gave you everything I had. I gave you everything I had.”

Watch above via Fox Sports 1

Have a tip for us? tips@mediaite.com