Potential replacements for Shannon Sharpe on 'Undisputed'

The New York Post broke the news Wednesday that Shannon Sharpe is leaving Fox Sports 1 and "Undisputed," the show he helped build alongside Skip Bayless.

Sharpe, a Pro Football Hall of Famer, has built quite the following since his pairing on the show with Bayless in 2016. Sharpe's departure, supposedly a result of long-simmering friction with Bayless, has created an interesting void on sports television, where "takes" are currency more than ever even if the quality of those opinions can leave much to be desired.

Most of mainstream sports talk, whether on radio or television, has historically consisted of white men riffing about blown saves and sacks given up on 3rd-and-3 in close games. Even with some diversification over the past decade, the medium is still largely composed of white men. 

With that in mind, here are potential candidates for the role opposite Bayless with a bit of diversity in mind.

Emmanuel Acho

Acho had been in sports television for several few years, starting with his work on ESPN's Longhorn Network (he played football at Texas) before moving to other areas at the company. He joined FS1 as Jason Whitlock's replacement on "Speak For Yourself" in 2020 and has remained a co-host after the show's retooling last summer.

Acho, a former NFL linebacker, was tabbed to host the season finale of "The Bachelorette" in 2021 after Chris Harrison left "The Bachelor" franchise. Acho was in the running to become the franchise's permanent host but didn't get the gig. 

On social media, Acho is known for questionable takes. Perhaps that makes him a great candidate for "Undisputed."

Chris Broussard

Like Bayless, Broussard made the jump from ESPN to FS1 in 2016. (He aimed to move beyond NBA reporting.) Broussard has worked with Bayless before on ESPN's "First Take" and on "Undisputed," so if there's someone in the building who knows how to mess with Bayless, it's him. 

Broussard is well-versed in giving takes hot enough to set off fire alarms, such as these recent thoughts on Nikola Jokić's legacy compared to some of the NBA's greatest players.