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During his days in the National Football League, Shannon Sharpe was one of the best and most impactful players of his generation.

He was a guy who was ahead of his time and whose style of play and heavy involvement in the passing game wasn’t usual for tight ends, paving the way for many more to come after him.

Now, he’s trying to do the same in his next endeavor.

Sharpe has been a quick riser as a TV personality and sports analyst.

That’s why it’s not much of a surprise to see that ESPN has signed him to a multi-year contract extension, as they announced on their ESPN PR account on Twitter.

ESPN has signed @ShannonSharpe to a multi-year contract extension

The Pro Football Hall of Famer will see his role on @FirstTake expand & extend to additional ESPN programming

Details: https://t.co/HMdlLushZE pic.twitter.com/q8GkVXDAOM

— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) June 11, 2024

Sharpe will reportedly have an expanded role on their signature show, First Take, as well as become a more prominent figure in their programming.

Shannon Sharpe joined ESPN months ago after years of partnership with Skip Bayless.

The two had multiple infamous run-ins during their show, Undisputed, up to the point where he pushed to be bought out and take his talents away from the network.

It didn’t take long before Stephen A. Smith, who had replaced Bayless as First Take’s main host, picked up the phone and reached out to him to make sure he landed on his feet, all while making the most of his charisma and input.

Clearly he is a great fit there, and the worldwide leader in sports coverage wants to have him tied to the network for many more years to come.

The post ESPN Announces New Contract Extension With Shannon Sharpe appeared first on The Cold Wire.

For years, Stephen A. Smith has been one of the most popular voices among NBA and NFL fans.

His meteoric rise has made him the face of the network, and he’s grown an even bigger platform with his podcast, which airs independently.

That’s why some have speculated about his political aspirations and whether he would like to run for office at some point in his career.

With that in mind, fellow sports analyst Jim Rome went straight to the point and asked him about a potential career, and his answer was right on point.

“I will never run for office unless it was the presidency of the United States.”@stephenasmith on the possibility of moving into politics. pic.twitter.com/YRWzK251ZR

— Jim Rome (@jimrome) June 3, 2024

Truth to form, the controversial pundit stated that he would only consider running for office if it was for the Presidency of the United States.

He vowed that he would look to represent all sectors of the population and help the less fortunate, working to get the country back to ‘a better state of affairs’ than it is nowadays and do everything possible to ‘make America better.’

However, he also claimed that he would only do so if he was sure that he had a strong chance to win the Presidency, adding that he had no interest whatsoever in being a Senator or a Congressman, mostly because he wasn’t even qualified to hold that kind of position.

He also admitted that he doesn’t see that happening any time soon, so his fans shouldn’t get their hopes up about this.

The post Stephen A. Smith Reveals If He Would Ever Run For President appeared first on The Cold Wire.

If you’re an NBA or NFL fan, chances are you’ve heard Stephen A. Smith’s takes on everything that revolves around sports.

Whether you like him and his style or not, it’s a fact that “First Take” has become the most successful sports talk show on Earth.

That’s why, as much as some people are still surprised by their rating numbers, the controversial pundit isn’t.

Talking on the latest edition of the show, Smith jokingly stated that being No. 1 in ratings shouldn’t be a story at this point, as all they do is win (via Awful Announcing).

Stephen A. Smith: "The ratings, I mean, it's a story. But it's not really a story because it's simply what we do. We just do it every day. It's what we do. All we do is win, win, win, no matter what." pic.twitter.com/L91RqgZKwx

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 8, 2024

Well, he’s most definitely earned his bragging rights.

He’s got a huge edge over his biggest competitor and former host of “First Take,” Skip Bayless.

“Undisputed” lost co-host Shannon Sharpe, who’s one of the biggest risers and most respected voices in today’s sports media landscape, and not even putting together a superteam of rotating co-hosts has been enough to compete with ESPN.

Smith may not always be right, but he’s going to live and die by his opinions.

Also, he’s made sure to stand corrected when he makes a mistake, and while he shouldn’t jump the gun at times to begin with, he clearly has a direct line to the players, owners, and executives, which is something that Bayless and other pundits simply don’t have.

The post Stephen A. Smith Sends Clear Message About ‘First Take’ Ratings appeared first on The Cold Wire.

For years, ESPN’s “First Take” has been the industry leader when it comes to ratings.

Love him or hate him, thousands of people tune in to hear Stephen A. Smith’s hot remarks, rants, and takes on everything that revolves around sports.

Of course, any fiery host needs someone who can dial him back in and tame his temper, which is why he has a renowned co-host like Molly Qerim.

Notably, Qerim used to be married to former NBA star Jalen Rose, but the couple divorced some time ago.

That’s when the rumors of her relationship with Stephen A. Smith started flooding social media, and they haven’t stopped ever since.

That’s why, when Chris “Mad Dog” Russo jokingly stated that they looked like a married couple, Smith just had to set the record straight (via Awful Announcing).

After Chris Russo jokes that Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim look like they got married, the First Take co-hosts address social media rumors they're dating.

SAS: "There's nothing going on. America's been lying about that for years… here's the upside to all of that: they know… pic.twitter.com/5qF4rHalNd

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 10, 2024

Smith jokingly said that it should be a compliment to both of them, as everybody is aware of their fine taste, so they clearly look good right now.

But more than that, even though there’s nothing but friendship and a professional relationship going on, Smith took pride in the fact that America tuned in not only because of their content but also because they looked the part.

Needless to say, Smith did the right thing by addressing this subject and putting an end to the rumors right away, and handling it with humor was also nice.

Now, both can just focus on doing their job, hoping people won’t mistake their chemistry as co-hosts for anything else.

The post Stephen A. Smith Addresses Rumors That He’s Dating Molly Qerim appeared first on The Cold Wire.

The sports landscape will get yet another podcast, this time featuring two of the most sought-after media personalities.

According to a report by Complex, sports media personalities Taylor Rooks and Joy Taylor will debut their new podcast soon (via NBA Central).

Two Personal, as they call it, will see them teaming up to cover multiple subjects even outside of the gridiron and the basketball court.

From mental health to social issues, they won’t be afraid to go the extra mile to talk about things that matter according to the report from Complex.

Joy Taylor and Taylor Rooks are partnering to create a new podcast, per @Complex

“The podcast will be released every Wednesday and promises to feature a wide variety of ‘high-profile special guests.’”

(Via https://t.co/1tGLZ6GWF9) pic.twitter.com/VStzKLOojj

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 22, 2024

They’re reportedly expected to discuss as two friends rather than two professionals, voicing their opinions on things they would usually talk about in private.

Per the report, the podcast will debut on March 6 on YouTube and major podcast streaming platforms.

It will be released every Wednesday, and they’re expected to feature several ‘high-profile’ special guests weekly, depending on the topic.

They reportedly want to make sure to make an impact and use their platform to show a different side of them as people, not just sports journalists.

They will reportedly be ‘authentic, raw, and expose their personal experience and personalities outside of their respective jobs,  adding that they can’t wait to show the world everything they have to offer.

It’s nice to see two of the most prominent personalities in sports media joining forces for this venture, and they will definitely inspire more people to pursue a career in this landscape.

The post Joy Taylor Announces New Podcast appeared first on The Cold Wire.

For 13 years, NFL superstar Tom Brady and supermodel Gisele Bundchen were one of the ultimate power couples.

They constantly made the headlines for their successful business endeavors, their loving family, and their individual success.

However, sometimes fairy tales don’t last forever, and their love story came to an end.

Now, the Brazilian supermodel has officially moved on, and she’s now in a relationship with Jiu-Jitsu instructor Joaquim Valente according to a report by People.

“They have been dating since June. They’re taking it slow. They started out as great friends first,” People said.

Apparently, Valente was there for her throughout the divorce process.

Some reports state that Bundchen’s marriage to Brady crumbled when the legendary quarterback shockingly decided to come back from retirement.

It was a rocky final campaign for No. 12, who looked emotional on the field and couldn’t find success and lead his team to another Super Bowl to keep building on his already legendary résumé.

He shares two children with his ex-wife, and the separation was believed to be on good terms, with Bundchen even wishing him well.

It’s nice to know that they’ve both been able to move on after such a rocky couple of months of making all the tabloids, and let’s hope things stay this way for two of the wealthiest and most famous celebrities.

The post Gisele Bundchen Reportedly Has A New Love Interest appeared first on The Cold Wire.

The Kansas City Chiefs are reigning Super Bowl champions, and they may have found a new lucky charm.

Taylor Swift’s relationship with superstar TE Travis Kelce was the biggest storyline of the season, for better or worse.

The social media frenzy around this couple was a perfect storm for the NFL, as it brought the game a whole new audience.

Unsurprisingly, millions of her followers have now become Chiefs fans as well, and vice versa.

Notably, plenty of those took to Twitter to react to the pop superstar’s shocking new look ahead of her shows in Australia (Via The Swift Society).

| Taylor Swift with curls tonight pic.twitter.com/m4J2scYpRM

— The Swift Society (@TheSwiftSociety) February 20, 2024

Looking amazing

— ZeroX (@Xero668) February 20, 2024

Oh debut is coming

— joey (@Fan_FlickOn) February 20, 2024

So Hot Boom

— Mohammad Zubair Aslam (@zubairaslam968) February 20, 2024

She looks pretty and cute with curls

— Pֆყ𝔠𝔥o Heba (@0hebafathi) February 20, 2024

Taylor your hair is so cute

— Edidiong A. (@efiokobong4620) February 20, 2024

Swfit showcased her new curly and brunette hair, going away from her traditional blonde hair.

Throughout the course of the season, several NFL fans complained about all the exposure she got, with Hall of Famer Tony Dungy even claiming she was responsible for a lack of interest in football.

Still, that couldn’t be further from the truth, as we actually had the most-watched Super Bowl in history, and her presence allowed the game to reach an audience that otherwise would’ve rarely been interested in it.

Travis Kelce also drew plenty of criticism for how his production took a slight dip in the regular season, with some fans blaming their relationship for that.

However, he came up clutch and delivered when it mattered the most, being as dominant as per usual in their epic postseason run to crown arguably the best year of his life with back-to-back Super Bowl rings.

The post Fans React To Taylor Swift’s New Look In Australia appeared first on The Cold Wire.