Some people are dog people. Others not so much.
When Shannon “Unc” Sharpe revealed he laid out $10,000 for his beloved Pomeranian, Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson was shocked.
As Finurah previously reported, Johnson is known for his reputation for being as frugal as possible despite his $15 million net worth and it seemed he needed assistance understanding the rationale behind Sharpe’s puppy budget.
On an episode of their “Nightcap with Unc and Ocho” podcast, the two former athletes discussed on Nov. 1 how much Sharpe spent on his dog, Teddy.
When Sharpe, estimated to have a roughly $14 million net worth, reminded his co-host that he paid someone else to go abroad to obtain a dog for him, where he ultimately spent $10,000 for Teddy in February, Johnson’s reaction caused hysterics, making the clip go viral.
“I wanted one that looked like this,” Sharpe said.
Teddy arrived at LAX on Feb. 1, 2023, while Sharpe was co-hosting the popular Fox Sports 1 “Undisputed” morning news program with Skip Bayless.
He met with the dog’s handler, who had made four separate trips from her home country to an undisclosed location to pick up Teddy, bring him to Los Angeles, and then return to her home country.
“You went way overseas to get a Pomeranian? I could’ve gotten one from my homeboy in the city,” Johnson asked before Sharpe explained.
When Johnson inquired about the price of the dog, to which Sharpe responded that it cost “10 bands.”
Making sure that he heard Sharpe correctly, Johnson asked about the meaning of the term “bands,” to which Sharpe replied that a band refers to $1,000.
“Man, you paid $10,000 for a dog? Ten thousand American dollars? C’mon, man, I could’ve gotten you a Pom out of the city for $300!” Johnson replied. “Now that we’re a pair, you need to run things by me before you make those types of decisions where you’re paying that kind of money for anything.”
Inside the Podcast
The two former NFL stars and outspoken broadcasters began collaborating on a weekly show called “Nightcap” on Sept. 11. The first episode, which lasted more than 44 minutes, was a success, garnering more than 365,000 views.
From Grid Iron to Broadcast
Johnson played 11 seasons in the NFL for the Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots. He would have played for the Miami Dolphins if not for his termination following a widely publicized domestic abuse arrest. Despite his checkered career, Johnson remains one of the NFL’s most productive wide receivers of the 2000s. He was never injured during his games, including his Super Bowl XLVI appearance against the New York Giants, a game that broke the then-record for the most-watched program in American television history.
Sharpe, who played 14 seasons primarily with the Denver Broncos, is regarded as one of the greatest tight ends. While Johnson’s frugality is one of his defining traits, for celebrities like Sharpe, their love for dogs and willingness to pay for them is quite common in the entertainment industry.
As Finurah reported, Oprah Winfrey reportedly is bequeathing her dogs a total of $30 million when she dies.
Johnson’s outburst struck a chord with Twitter users who were unimpressed by Sharpe’s choice to spend so much on a dog that could have been adopted or bred for a fraction of the cost, typically ranging between $600 and $2,000.
“My book on financial literacy dropping Christmas, ’cause this is unacceptable regardless of income,” Johnson said after the video started to gain popularity.
