Here's who could end up yelling at Skip Bayless if Shannon Sharpe leaves Undisputed

After years of sitting opposite Skip Bayless on Fox Sports’ Undisputed desk, Shannon Sharpe is reportedly departing the show soon after the NBA Finals’ conclusion. As enticing as it would be for Skip Bayless to host a one-man show, I think that would be too much for even his most ardent supporters.

Undisputed is a pox on television, but people crave it. Like First Take, they cater to the lowest common denominator by rehashing the same debates every morning. To their credit, Shannon and Skip were extremely prepared, but the embrace debate age Skip helped usher in needs to end eventually. It won’t go willingly though. The only way to destroy this beast is to ensure its demise is so brutal that nobody ever attempts to replicate it again. Here’s a list of serious, not facetious at all, replacements who would implode Undisputed from the inside.

The good news is that Emmanuel Acho can fit in Shannon’s old suits even if he’s mostly an empty-suit version of Sharpe complete with confusing metaphors. He already works for the network, so it wouldn’t be too much of a hassle to transition him over to the new set and time slot. Brevity is the soul of wit, and Acho is renowned for his ability to go on television every day and drag out responses longer than the sermon in a black church. Undisputed has time to kill and Acho is the sort of long-winded orator who can compete with Skip for turning a microwave topic into a 30-minute back-and-forth.

An entertainment figure who is just as obsessed with LeBron James as a gimmick as Shannon was is the ideal partner for Skip Bayless. Phillips’ debate credentials are lacking, but half of Skip’s schtick is about LeBron. Mark can do that. The NBA’s scoring champ would never lower himself enough to sit across from Skip, but Phillips is the next best thing. He’s LeBron’s version of Keegan-Michael Key’s Angry Obama Translator.

OK, hear me out. Killa Cam has been trying to transition into sports talk for a while now and even produces his own show on YouTube. It’s mostly him telling athletes to STFU and Ma$e reminiscing about the time they beat Stephon Marbury’s Lincoln High School in the city championship, but Dipset and Skip Bayless might be music to some viewers’ ears or nails on a chalkboard. After all, this is the man who somehow formed a bond with Lil Wayne and convinced him to record the intro of their show.

ESPN’s highfalutin name-dropping gab master is locked into a lucrative deal with the Worldwide Leader, but the impressionist who nailed his mannerisms, talking points and hairline is currently looking for gigs. First Take with Skip and Stephen A is considered the Kobe/Shaq or Magic/Kareem of debate shows. This could be the Gasol-Kobe era equivalent; Marc Gasol, not Pau. (Editor’s note: Chris Redd and Frank Caliendo also do Stephen A. Smith impressions.)

The former Wizards point guard has hosted shows with porn stars, is insightful, and needs attention enough to spar with Skip Bayless. He might be a little younger than the hosts Skip usually cycles through, and he brings the high heat with some spicy takes.

The acerbic Golden State Warriors forward has a plethora of media experience, is deft enough to speak about a broad range of issues, shares Skip’s habitual linesteppin’ tendencies, and is the one co-host Skip would think twice about disrespecting. He can also replace Shannon as LeBron James’ staunchest supporter.

Probably the only person who can stand Skip is his long-term live-in girlfriend-wife. The show will likely have to shift a tad bit from its sports-debate focus to whatever topics Ernestine is comfortable with, but maybe she’s the only one who can wrangle him in and mellow him out.

Kellerman was too level-headed for Stephen A. Smith on First Take, but he held his own during his stint. His show Just In sounds like it may be replaced to make room for Pat McAfee. Maybe there’s a second chance for him across from Skip. Max might be too even-keeled and reasonable for debate shows and he’d rather discuss boxing 12 hours a day, but maybe he’ll bore Skip into retirement by refusing to engage as Shannon would by shouting, “Skiiiiip” at the top of his lungs.