Shannon Sharpe Responds To Ray Lewis Over Fame and Criticism
Former Baltimore Ravens teammates Shannon Sharpe and Ray Lewis are now at odds, and their feud has the sports world talking. These two NFL Hall of Famers once shared the field and secured a Super Bowl win with the Ravens back in 2001. But now, it’s comments from Lewis that sparked tension.
On a now-removed podcast, Ray Lewis had a lot to say about Sharpe’s career shift and media persona. “I’m shocked at his content… I kind of started to watch him, and then we kind of went our own separate ways, because I’m like, ‘You’re gonna take that route? I can’t go that route. Never can go that route,” Lewis said.
This criticism came at a time when Sharpe was already facing public pressure. He recently dealt with a sexual assault lawsuit that was settled but still led to his exit from ESPN and First Take. Despite building a powerhouse presence in sports broadcasting and podcasting, these setbacks made Sharpe a target for both fans and peers.
Shannon Sharpe Chooses To Take the High Road
On his Nightcap podcast with Chad “Ocho Cinco” Johnson, Sharpe didn’t throw shade back at Lewis. Instead, he made it clear he wanted to be the “bigger man.”
“I got nothing bad to say. Because a lot of things you tolerated. I’m going to go ahead and say my thing. Whatever transpired, I’ll bite my tongue. I’ll be the bigger person. I’ll walk away. Hey, you right. Because you know why Ocho? It’s low-hanging fruit,” Sharpe said.
Sharpe then leaned into a more reflective moment. “There are a lot of people taking their shot at your boy. You all can have it. You all got me,” he continued. “It’s alright. It’s ok, it’s ok. We’re going to be all right Ocho. We’re going to be alright. Everybody wants to pile on. Everybody wants to jump on now. ‘We got him down Ocho, we got him down, hey let me get my lick now.’ Everybody wants to get a lick now because when your boy was doing good, a lot of people didn’t have a whole lot to say. Now everybody got something to say.”
His words show that instead of feeding into negativity, Sharpe is choosing resilience.
Shannon Sharpe Reflects On His ESPN Exit
Sharpe also addressed his exit from ESPN earlier this summer. Just like with Lewis, he kept his comments measured, choosing not to escalate the situation. While he didn’t get into full detail, you could feel he was holding back from saying more.
The silence speaks volumes. Whether it’s Lewis or ESPN, Sharpe has made it clear he’s choosing to move differently in this stage of his career. He knows people are taking shots, but he’s not giving them the energy they expect.
This raises questions: Will other voices from Sharpe’s past come forward now? Will this criticism shift how fans see him, or will it only strengthen his influence in sports culture?