Shannon “Ankh” Sharpe, 56, found herself in the crosshairs of fans online through the WNBA. The host of “Club Shay Shay” is accused of favoring Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark over other players in the women’s basketball league.
A segment on the September 23 talk show “First Take” went viral after Sharpe, Stephen A. Smith and Andraya Carter discussed Clark’s success.
NFL Hall of Famer-turned-media personality Shannon Sharpe is facing accusations of being “anti-black” after telling an online critic, “Isn’t there another horse that would take his hair?” . (Photo: @shannonsharpe84/Instagram)
Sharp essentially argued that Clark is most responsible for the WNBA’s rise in popularity heading into the 2024 season. He also lashed out at his colleagues at ESPN.
“A lot of this noise was generated by people who are part of this network. They try to trivialize her and say, ‘You give her all the credit, but the women who came before her… What happened?” Sharpe argued.
He continued, “The women who came before her, what they did cannot be taken away. It has nothing to do with Caitlin Clark. But let’s keep Caitlin Clark in her place. There are many people who did.”
Sharp’s comments offended many people online. One X user in particular criticized the three-time Super Bowl champion for not doing more to recognize WNBA stars other than Clark.
“My problem is that[Shannon Sharpe]never talks about the disrespect experienced by the rest of the women in the W. I will always defend Kaitlyn. The disrespect in the WNBA didn’t start with Kaitlyn and they’ve been around for years. continues to be looked down upon,” user X claimed.
The source continued, “Caitlyn’s buzz has made that hatred even worse, and the people who tried to support other women (Shannon Sharpe, Stephen A. Smith) are the ones who should be grateful for the ratings boost.” “They started calling me ‘the hated one,'” he added.
ESPN contributor Shannon Sharpe has been accused of favoring Caitlin Clark, a white WNBA star who is the majority Black woman in the league. (Photos: @shannonsharpe84/Instagram, @caitlinclark22/Instagram)
Mr. Sharp began defending X. In response to the backlash, he tweeted, “That’s your problem, not mine.” I have no problem with anything I have said about the WNBA and its players, past or present. ”
The former NFL tight end then launched a personal attack on his critics.
One person said, “Surely not,” to which he responded in a tweet: Isn’t there another horse to take his hair? Please stop trying to kill my vibe. ”
Caitlin Clark’s white ethnicity has also been a hot topic. She is being touted as the new face of the WNBA, where the majority of players are black women.
Several people also questioned Sharpe’s blackness. Another X user said, “You can never defeat an anti-black argument.”
The Pro Football Hall of Famer retorted: Those who question me aren’t supporting me anyway, so why should I care about their opinion? ”
Additionally, his insults about horsehair caused outrage. Some X users took this comment as an attack on all black women who wear hair extensions.
“‘Horsehair’ is a ’90s insult, ‘I don’t like black women.’ Michelle’s race is confirmed,” one comment said, noting that Sharpe “accidentally” went live on Instagram. During the broadcast, he mentioned the name of the woman he called out to during sex.
Sharp’s Instagram account initially claimed that the explicit audio from his live show was the work of a hacker, but he ultimately claimed that he was the one who had sex with the moaning woman. he admitted.
He faced further “anti-black” accusations, some of whom suggested he was “letting his guard down.”
“What’s even more anti-Black is what you say to Black people you don’t even know. I don’t jump on people’s timelines and talk recklessly, but some of you do and the reaction is When it’s not what you expected, you’re anti-black and you dance wildly. Take what you give,” he tweeted.
Mr. Sharp was also called out for going back and forth with random strangers on social media. But he said he was enjoying the harmful discourse being played out in front of the world. “I like to go back and forth. When you get the best stuff. They play the victim,” the Glenville, Ga., native responded.
But 10 minutes later, the hour-long battle between the three fathers came to an end. “September. 25, 2024 6:06 PM. 2 I don’t respond to negative comments anymore. I’m not a serious 4 person. I have children and if they reacted like this… If you do, I will make them angry. This is below me. Please pray for me.”
September 25, 2024 at 6:06 p.m. 2 I no longer respond to negative opinions. I am not one of the four serious people. I have children and if they reacted like this I would be mad at them. This is below me. Please pray for me too. 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🤣
— Shannon Sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) September 26, 2024
Meanwhile, Sharpe’s “Nightcap” podcast partner Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson is “unsubscribing” from content from fans who allegedly “completely disrespect Black women” like Sharpe. Threatened and drawn into a digital brawl.
Chad continued his attack. the six-time NFL Pro Bowler tweeted. Don’t let your actions second-guess you, direct your anger to the right place and person. ”
When one of her followers suggested she avoid negative tweets, Ochocinco responded: 363 days of love and 2 days of war is possible. ”
No, fuck you and your subscription, I’m not your uncle, I’m not going to fuck your pussy twice, direct your anger to the right place and person. https://t.co/gIqVfFOKCc
— Chad Johnson (@ochocinco) September 26, 2024
Clark’s rise to basketball superstardom began in college, where he was the nation’s leading scorer in three of his four seasons and broke the NCAA Division I career scoring record. As a player for the Iowa Hawkeyes, her rivalry with Louisiana State University standout Angel Reese in the 2023 NCAA Women’s Tournament championship game captivated the nation.
The conflict made headlines due to racial factors, with Clark being white and Reese being black. The two women went on to play friendly games as part of the WNBA’s 2024 rookie class.
Clark was the first pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft when the Indiana Fever selected her with the No. 1 pick. The Chicago Sky selected Angel Reese with the seventh overall pick.
The Associated Press’ 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year matchup focused attention on Clark and Reese. On September 22, the Associated Press announced that Clark had won the honor unanimously.
