“Here’s the thing Skip, damn!”: Shannon Sharpe addresses Stephen A. Smith as ‘Skip’ Bayless for third time

A few weeks ago, Shannon Sharpe made his long awaited debut on ESPN. Things have gone well between him and Stephen A. Smith on "First Take," but there have been some growing pains.

As everyone knows, Shannon Sharpe sat across Skip Bayless for years on "Undisputed." This built some habits that the Hall of Fame tight end has been unable to break.

During his First Take debut, Sharpe accidentally called Stephen A. "Skip." Fans went crazy over the incident, but the longtime NBA reporter and host was not bothered by it. Sharpe slipped up again later on, but the two again quickly moved past it.

Despite getting more comfortable on air together, Sharpe can't seem to shake this name slip-up. He accidentally referred to Stephen A. as Skip again during Tuesday's installment of First Take.

Given his reaction, it's clear that Sharpe is doing everything he can to shake this bad habit. Luckily for him, he has a co-host that just wants to see him succeed. Stepehen A. has a good relationship with Bayless, which is why he isn't fazed by the constant slip-up. He knows Sharpe is a great asset to First Take and is focused on helping him grow.

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Pat McAfee pokes fun at Shannon Sharpe name slip-up

After hearing Shannon Sharpe call Stephen A. Smith Skip Bayless again, another former NFL player couldn't help but get in on the fun. He tried to lighten the situation by also calling the host by the wrong name.

During a recent episode of "First Take," former Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee joined the show to discuss Week 1 of the NFL season. When asked about Aaron Rodgers before his New York Jets debut, McAfee poked fun at Stephen A. by also calling him Skip.

Stephen A. and Sharpe got a kick out of this as the trio enjoyed a laugh together before getting back to business.

All this continues to show what a consumate professional Stephen A. Smith is. There are few hosts that would be able to handle something like this with grace. His ego could easily get in the way and cause a scene, but Stephen A. rfuses to let something small tear apart a show he's been building for years now.

Sharpe is still finding his footing, but he's shown he wants to improve. He knows he's better than this, and strives to live up to the hype fans set before his arrival.