Shannon Sharpe seemed to be an eligible bachelor some women would have gladly dated at one point in time, but his openness about his expectations might be running his well of viable options dry.
For instance, the NFL Hall of Famer recently renewed interest in the 50/50 debate that Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade inadvertently opened up after revealing their shared financial responsibilities — they agree to mutually cover expenses for their daughter, Kaavia James, their home, and their trips.
The “Club Shay Shay” host discussed the hot topic with Wade in June and again, most recently in the Dec. 13 episode of the podcast with guest Kirk Franklin. Like Sharpe, the gospel music icon shared, “I’m old school, I’mma pay for everything.”
However, where the men differ is that the former Denver Broncos star does not believe “new school” women are wired with traditional values, such as being a homemaker while the man brings home the money.
“But they can be,” said Franklin. “I think that every woman would be grateful for a man to step up and take leadership in the right way.” He further explained that women have to have an equal voice in the relationship but concluded that insecurities can sometimes lead men to take on an authoritative role.
Sharpe did not offer a rebuttal, he instead moved on to the ongoing debate about allowing a woman to choose where to dine on a first date, something he is adamantly against in fear of the date expecting expensive outings as the standard. The “Love Theory” singer hit back, stating that type of thought process was not true.
This is such a contrast. I don’t know if Shannon has been in therapy, but Kirk definitely has. It shows. Shannon is single; Kirk is married, having worked thru lots of issues. And Kirk is right: I enjoy a Michelin starred restaurant. I also like my Filet O’ Fish with extra sauce. https://t.co/PaqyJefqDs
— April (@ReignOfApril) December 16, 2023
“Shannon Sharpe has been single too long. A lot of what he’s saying is a product of selfishness and fear. He’s like a real life Jason Pitts with no Kelly lol,” posted one person in reaction to the conversation.
Another wrote, “Kirk Franklin just gets it. You can tell he has done the inner work and speaking from lessons learned. Shannon is going to remind you every time why he’s single whenever he talks about relationships.”
“If you’re scorned and unhappy, JUST SAY THAT. But stop tryna spread this narrative and cause greater division amongst men/women over trivial issues such as first dates. Raining on everyone else’s love parade bc misery loves company,” posted a third person who scolded Sharpe for his controversial views on relationship dynamics.
The men may have found common ground when sharing that dating does not have to lead to marriage. “I don’t believe marriage has to be the sum total of a person’s existence … You can be on a date and still put parameters on if you want to be active or not, how much you want to give of yourself, so you can be able to enjoy beautiful relationships,” explained the award-winning musician.
Sharpe has previously stated that he was opposed to marriage during his playing days because he was more committed to his career. In order to tie the knot now, at 55 years old, he expects the woman to love him like he loves football.
The sports figure almost said I do once, having experienced a short-lived engagement. He also has three children from past relationships. Franklin has been married to his wife, Tammy Franklin, for 27 years. Their union resulted in two children, but they have a total of four, including kids who were born prior to their meeting.
