Shannon Sharpe Ignites ‘Massive Stink Bomb’ Between NFL, Falcons and Fox Sports After Shocking Julio Jones Stunt
Shannon Sharpe’s cold-call to Atlanta Falcons star Julio Jones on live television might lead to major repercussions for Fox Sports, as their relationship with the NFL now appears strained.
During the call, the 32-year-old Jones admitted to Sharpe and Fox Sports’ national audience that he was ready to leave the Atlanta Falcons. It’s unclear whether Jones was aware the call was live on Undisputed, but the Falcons were reportedly blindsided by the incident.
“Man, Look, you wanna go to the Cowboys Julio, or you wanna stay in Atlanta?” Sharpe asked Jones Monday morning.
“Oh man, Nah, I’m outta there man,” Jones casually answered.
According to a report from Michael McCarthy and A.J. Perez of Front Office Sports, the phone conversation has made a “massive stink bomb” in the relationship between Fox and the NFL. Sources told FOS that Jones’ admission of wanting to leave Atlanta, undercuts the Falcons ability to recoup a maximum return for the star wide receiver if they do trade him.
“The Falcons are not going to be happy with this — and they will express their angst to the NFL,” Andrew Brandt, the former Green Bay Packers vice president told FOS. “Payback’s too strong a word. But they will hope for some kind of stroke down the road.”
Fox will not lose their NFL TV rights over the issue, but the league could limit the network’s access to teams, fearing a future incident similarly controversial to the one featuring Sharpe and Jones. Even if there is punishment, it would make sense for Fox and the NFL to quickly resolve any bad blood considering their mutual dependence on each other.
In March, Fox announced an 11-year media rights agreement to continue as one of the NFL’s TV partners. The deal kicks in after the 2022 season and will see Fox pay the NFL more than $2 billion annually.
Their also remains the potential for legal action against Sharpe if Jones was unaware the call was being aired or recorded. Undisputed is filmed in California, a two-party consent state, meaning both Jones and Sharpe must be aware the call is live, or live to tape, prior to the conversation.
