"First Take" Celebrate Success Of Stephen A. Smith And Shannon Sharpe Debut With Drake Meme

BYBen Mock3.5K Views
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ATLANTA, GA - FEBRUARY 02: Shannon Sharpe poses for photos on the red carpet at the NFL Honors on February 2, 2019 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The new sports punditry pairing is getting some viral love.

Shannon Sharpe appears to be settling into his new role on First Take pretty well. There was a briefly awkward moment during his September 4 debut where he called Stephen A. Smith "Skip". However, that was quickly resolved when Smith showed up the following day wearing a name tag. For the most part, the pair appear to work well together, although fans are likely hoping that things will get a little more explosive before too long.

Despite this, the Smith-Sharpe pairing is one that people have been wanting for a while. Even before Sharpe announced he was leaving Undisputed, fans saw the pairing as a dream combination for sports punditry. While Smith's takes have been a little dubious as of late, there's no denying that he and Sharpe work well together. In fact, ESPN is so convinced of this fact that the First Take social media team put together a little meme to acknowledge the fact.

"Combination" Meme Featuring Smith And Sharpe Goes Viral

Jointly posted to the First Take Instagram as well as Sharpe's account, the video is a memed version of Drake and Central Cee's visit to On The Radar earlier this year. However, Smith's head has been planted over Drake's while Sharpe's head has been placed on the body of Central Cee. The short clip then uses the most memed part of the freestyle - Drake saying "Cominbation" with a slight Jamaican accent. "The combo we all needed @stephenasmith @shannonsharpe84," First Take added as a caption.

Fans appeared to absolutely love the reference. Producer Quincy Harris can be seen saying "whoever made this deserves a raise" in the comments. Meanwhile, On The Radar responded with a string of ROFL emojis. However, another debate was raging in the comments. In short - some fans were lamenting that they were going to miss old Undisputed and old First Take while others were arguing that the change was a good one. How are you feeling about the start of Sharpe's time on First Take? Let us know in the comments. Follow all the sports and sports media news here at HotNewHipHop.

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About The Author
Benjamin Mock (they/them) is a sports and culture writer working out of Philadelphia. Previously writing for the likes of Fixture, Dexerto, Fragster, and Jaxon, Ben has dedicated themselves to engaging and accessible articles about sports, esports, and internet culture. With a love for the weirder stories, you never quite know what to expect from their work.
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