Shannon Sharpe Breaks His Silence on the Messy Sherrone Moore Scandal

The internet is still buzzing about the scandal surrounding Sherrone Moore, the former University of Michigan football coach and married father of three who was fired with cause for what the school described as an inappropriate relationship with a university staff member. As more details come out about the ordeal, one popular media personality is speaking out and sharing his advice on how to weather the storm.

During a Thursday (Dec. 11) episode of his “Nightcap” podcast, Shannon Sharpe weighed in on the news of Moore’s firing and arrest. In a conversation with co-host Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson and former NBA All-Star Joe Johnson, the athletes talked about the impact of the scandal.

“Six, seven months ago, I went through something very similar, so I know what that storm is like. And unless you’ve been in it…” Sharpe began, shaking his head. “That’s why when people say, ‘This is what I would do,’ You don’t know what you would do until you’re in it, until you’re in the eye of the storm.”

Sharpe, 57, was recently involved in a scandal of his own after a woman filed a lawsuit in April alleging she was raped and assaulted during what she described as a “rocky consensual relationship.” Sharpe denied any wrongdoing, and the case was settled out of court. But the allegations cost him his job at ESPN, the New York Times reported. The network dropped him from his position on the show, “First Take.”

The NFL Hall of Famer suggested that many people who find themselves embroiled in cheating scandals do it because they think they can’t get caught, something he says is damn near impossible to pull off.

“A college professor told me, ‘The night has 1,000 eyes, and on most nights it has 1,002 because somebody sees you,’” he said.

During the “Nightcap” conversation, Sharpe went on to say that in addition to the embarrassment he felt from having his personal drama aired out in public, one of the toughest parts of the situation was having only a small circle of people who stood by him throughout the ordeal.

“I think that was the toughest part, is that people you thought would always be in your corner, all of a sudden, they weren’t there,” he said.

Sharpe ended the conversation, advising Moore to own up to his mistakes. “Sherrone, all I can tell you, bro, you gotta stand in it,” he said.

Many commenters who watched the conversation applauded Sharpe for having such an honest dialogue.

“Big respect to you Shannon for this hard conversation bro,” wrote someone in the comments.

Others said they hope people hear Sharpe’s warning loud and clear.

“Deep message from Shannon. As a black man, I hope Sherrone (and other brothas) pay attention,” wrote someone else in the comments.

Former NBA player Joe Johnson said men in Moore’s position need to be more accountable for their actions and set a positive example for the young men they are leading.

“It’s a tough situation,” he told Sharpe during the conversation. “You’ve got to have the discipline. You’ve got to lead by example. You’re leading men, so you want to be an example to them, lead them the right way, and to have this, it’s just unfortunate.”