September 4 is no longer solely Shannon Sharpe's debut on First Take. Another former NFL pro will also be making their first appearance on a new project. Antonio Brown will be joining the cast of It Is What It Is just in time for the 2023 NFL season. "EVERYBODY ELSE GOT #BREAKINGNEWS WELL WE DO TO… “MR. PUT THAT SH*T ON” @AB WILL BE JOINING #ITISWHATITISTALK FOR 🏈 SEASON, WE TOLD YALL THE TAKEOVER IS ABOUT TO BE PHENOMENAL NEXT LEVEL SHt… #ITISWHATITISTALK #NOBODYSAFE #WESAYWHATTHEFUCKWEWANT #WETHENEWSOURCE #WETHECULTURE," the show's Instagram announced on August 25.
It comes after a summer of Brown joking about joining literally sports show and network that suddenly had a vacancy. After ESPN announced layoffs in June, Brown said he was going there. He was actually more seriously rumored to be joining Skip Bayless on Undisputed. But now he's headed to YouTube to join Cam'ron and Ma$e on their widely-acclaimed show. He should fit right in, as the show skews hard into outrageous behavior and scolding hot takes.
Brown Latest Talking Head To Be Announced
The fall slate of talking heads is filling out nicely. Sharpe will be on First Take to battle it out with Stephen A. Meanwhile, Club Shay Shay has found a new home on The Volume, the sports network founded by Colin Cowherd. Skip Bayless will be joined by Richard Sherman, Rachel Nichols, and Lil Wayne. Undisputed will also get Michael Irwin and potentially Keyshawn Johnson. However, the Johnson move has reportedly been blocked by ESPN, despite the network laying him off in June.
In short, sports punditry has been distilled into its most concentrated form for the foreseeable future. Everyone has moved to a place where their hot takes and screaming will be its most potent. Sharpe v. Bayless will be nothing compared to Sharpe v. Smith. Antonio Brown is about to go nuclear as he joins an environment like It Is What It Is. Meanwhile, Bayless has built a roster of yes men/people who will fight him but not actually challenge his takes. As has been reported, Bayless rejected several potential co-hosts who would have actually stood up to his often outlandish arguments. Buckle in, sports television is about to get wild.
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