Stephen A. Smith wears name tag on his show after Shannon Sharpe called him “Skip”

Stephen A. Smith has decided to give his new First Take co-host some help. Shannon Sharpe, who made his debut on the ESPN program earlier this week, kept forgetting who he was speaking with.

In Monday’s show, Sharpe repeatedly referred to Smith as “Skip (Bayless),” his ex-co-host on FS1’s Undisputed. The Pro Football Hall of Famer kept apologizing after the errors, to which Smith responded, “It’s OK.”

But on Tuesday, Smith decided to hilariously help out his new colleague. He wore a “Stephen A.” name tag on the show. Hopefully, that helped Sharpe keep his name straight during his second show.

Stephen A. Smith is sporting a name tag sticker on First Take to help Shannon Sharpe remember who he’s talking to pic.twitter.com/pLkzJsGvyz

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 5, 2023

During Monday’s show, Sharpe referred to Smith as “Skip” twice. The former NFL tight end was truly apologetic, but it didn’t sound like the long-time ESPN employee took much offense to the mix-up.

Here’s the clip from Sharpe’s ESPN debut:

Shannon Sharpe repeatedly called Stephen A. Smith “Skip” during Sharpe’s First Take debut Monday. Here’s the first time he did it, in his very first segment: pic.twitter.com/TSUvbYsSOv

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 4, 2023

Sharpe inked a deal with ESPN weeks after deciding to leave FS1. He will be part of the program for a majority of the NFL season. The former football star departed from Undisputed after seven years. So, you can probably understand why he still has Skip on his mind.

Hopefully Stephen A.’s name tag helped Sharpe out in his second show on ESPN.

Stephen A. invited Sharpe on ESPN after FOX exit

When Sharpe announced he was leaving Undisputed, Smith quickly began the recruiting process. On his own radio show, the longtime ESPN personality said he’d welcome the former NFL tight end onto the First Take platform with open arms.

“And that I don’t know what his plans are. I don’t know what he’s trying to pursue. I don’t know what he’s after. But if Shannon Sharpe needs me, I’m happy to be here for him. And if that included him wanting to come on First Take, the bosses at ESPN know that is something I would support,” Smith said on his Stephen A. Smith Show.

Obviously, it worked out pretty well for Smith, Sharpe and First Take. Well, other than Sharpe still referring to Smith as Skip, but it’s just a matter of time before he gets comfortable with his new co-host.

Things didn’t turn out too bad for Bayless and Undisputed, either.

The New York Post reported that Richard Sherman will be Sharpe’s replacement for the FS1 program. It sounds like it will be another NFL-style partnership, with Sherman joining the program for 50-100 shows, primarily during the football season.

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