Skip Bayless leaving ESPN

soxhop411

news aggravator
SoSH Member
Dec 4, 2009
46,275
“@espnmikes: Skip Bayless will leave ESPN when his contract expires; his last @FirstTake will be at the NBA Finals. Statement: https://t.co/FVbf5T8Vyw

Skip Bayless has decided to leave ESPN when his contract expires at the end of August.

His final appearance on First Take will be the day after the NBA Finals conclude.

We want to thank Skip for his many contributions to ESPN. His hard work and talent have benefited ESPN for 12 years.
 

nattysez

Member
SoSH Member
Sep 30, 2010
8,429
He'll be on FS1 two days after the NBA Finals conclude. The guy who turned him into a "star" at ESPN is now running FS1.
 

NortheasternPJ

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 16, 2004
19,271
I hate Skip Bayless more than anyone, but I'm willing to give him a second chance. He railed on Stephen A Smith as being a lazy untalented hack who didn't prepare and just brought the shows he has ever been on to a lower level.

I'm 90% sure Bayless is an annoying POS but I'll give him a shot after ESPN. He seems to at least know his shit in general, so I'll give him a chance on another outlet to see if he stops being a horrible contrarian that Felger would be ashamed of.
 

NortheasternPJ

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 16, 2004
19,271
Seriously, ESPN MADE Skip, he wouldn't leave on his own volition
He's been after ESPN and SAS for quite awhile. He was rumored to have been quitting. I have little doubt he's out on his own accord.

God i hate defending people like him.
 

Tyrone Biggums

nfl meets tri-annually at a secret country mansion
SoSH Member
Aug 15, 2006
6,424
Speaks out against Roger and gets cut the next day. Excuse me I mean leaves on his own accord. Roger owns ESPN. Such a disgrace.
 
Dec 21, 2015
1,410
Speaks out against Roger and gets cut the next day. Excuse me I mean leaves on his own accord. Roger owns ESPN. Such a disgrace.
I was going to make a joke about Bayless supporting Brady just to be a contrarian and getting hoist on his own insincere petard... but then TB goes and says it in all seriousness.

Nobody makes business decisions anymore, everything is controlled by what the NFL thinks and does. They're after our precious bodily fluids!
 

Tyrone Biggums

nfl meets tri-annually at a secret country mansion
SoSH Member
Aug 15, 2006
6,424
I was going to make a joke about Bayless supporting Brady just to be a contrarian and getting hoist on his own insincere petard... but then TB goes and says it in all seriousness.

Nobody makes business decisions anymore, everything is controlled by what the NFL thinks and does. They're after our precious bodily fluids!
I was half kidding. I'm sure Roger didn't actually call them but ESPN is super sensitive to anything anti NFL these days.
 

mauf

Anderson Cooper × Mr. Rogers
Moderator
SoSH Member
It wouldn't surprise me if Skip's comments (which were stupid) motivated ESPN to make this announcement today, but I'm sure he was gone regardless. No big loss for ESPN. Whether he's a good find for someone else is debatable; if "not quite as shitty as Stephen A. Smith" isn't damning someone with faint praise, I don't know what is.
 

Papelbon's Poutine

Homeland Security
SoSH Member
Dec 4, 2005
19,615
Portsmouth, NH
It wouldn't surprise me if Skip's comments (which were stupid) motivated ESPN to make this announcement today, but I'm sure he was gone regardless. No big loss for ESPN. Whether he's a good find for someone else is debatable; if "not quite as shitty as Stephen A. Smith" isn't damning someone with faint praise, I don't know what is.
Disagree. It's no loss in content but it's a big loss in eyeballs. His schtick was cultured to bring mouth breathers to catch #hottakez and two guys yelling at each other. And he was damn good at playing his part in that.

Frankly the more people that leave - whether actually talented or just attention grabbing a whores - the better. Eff ESPN.
 

moondog80

heart is two sizes two small
SoSH Member
Sep 20, 2005
8,093
Disagree. It's no loss in content but it's a big loss in eyeballs. His schtick was cultured to bring mouth breathers to catch #hottakez and two guys yelling at each other. And he was damn good at playing his part in that.
Sadly, you are 100% correct.
 

shaggydog2000

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 5, 2007
11,482
The only problem with this from my personal viewpoint is that now there is a remote chance I could see this clown on a show or channel I actually watch, and have to change to another station immediately. I knew I hated him and ESPN, so I could easily avoid both. Now I might tune into FS1 for some soccer coverage and see this nitwit acting pompous while saying completely moronic poorly reasoned bullshit. I doubt it will happen, but you never know.
 
Dec 21, 2015
1,410
On the other hand, his new gig might require him to play-act an entirely different persona. He might now be the Bill Simmons or Stuart Scott or Al Michaels of FS1. We just don't know. Nobody typecasts Skip Bayless!
 

NortheasternPJ

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 16, 2004
19,271
The only problem with this from my personal viewpoint is that now there is a remote chance I could see this clown on a show or channel I actually watch, and have to change to another station immediately. I knew I hated him and ESPN, so I could easily avoid both. Now I might tune into FS1 for some soccer coverage and see this nitwit acting pompous while saying completely moronic poorly reasoned bullshit. I doubt it will happen, but you never know.
This is known as the Tanguay/GRESH!!!!! Effect. Before they were at 98.5 full time, you'd run into him when least expected. Then they were doing 10-2 at 98.5 so you could avoid them. Now since they've been let go, you never know where they'll pop up and it'll most certainly ruin your day.
 

mauf

Anderson Cooper × Mr. Rogers
Moderator
SoSH Member
The only problem with this from my personal viewpoint is that now there is a remote chance I could see this clown on a show or channel I actually watch, and have to change to another station immediately. I knew I hated him and ESPN, so I could easily avoid both. Now I might tune into FS1 for some soccer coverage and see this nitwit acting pompous while saying completely moronic poorly reasoned bullshit. I doubt it will happen, but you never know.
I feel the exact opposite. I watch lots of games on ESPN, and my son likes to watch SportsCenter in the mornings, so I couldn't avoid seeing Skip once in a while. If he goes to FS1, I'll never see him again.
 

shaggydog2000

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 5, 2007
11,482
This is known as the Tanguay/GRESH!!!!! Effect. Before they were at 98.5 full time, you'd run into him when least expected. Then they were doing 10-2 at 98.5 so you could avoid them. Now since they've been let go, you never know where they'll pop up and it'll most certainly ruin your day.
If only Bayless and GRESH would get a radio gig together in some wannabe city like Tampa or Phoenix. They could even have a simulcast on whatever sportsnet-PODUNK channel was in the area. I'd never have to listen to either of them again, and in fact their sense of self-satisfaction after a pair of devastating #hottakes could create black hole and wipe out the metro area.
 

Plympton91

bubble burster
SoSH Member
Oct 19, 2008
12,408
Who is Skip Bayless? Haven't watched SoortsCenter in a decade since I got MLB Network and the DirectTV sports pack.
 

garlan5

Member
SoSH Member
May 13, 2009
2,684
Virginia
Why are people on here saying Bayless railed on Steven a Smith. I remember reading that skip hand picked him to do the show and basically resurrected his career after whatever that politically incorrect shit got S.A.S in trouble a few years back. Smith even confirmed their tight friendship and how skip facilitated things to convince him to come on the show. I think that was on air yesterday.

Sorry for the grammar issues, on phone early morning
 

NortheasternPJ

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 16, 2004
19,271
Why are people on here saying Bayless railed on Steven a Smith. I remember reading that skip hand picked him to do the show and basically resurrected his career after whatever that politically incorrect shit got S.A.S in trouble a few years back. Smith even confirmed their tight friendship and how skip facilitated things to convince him to come on the show. I think that was on air yesterday.

Sorry for the grammar issues, on phone early morning
Stuff started coming out in the fall about their being major issues on First Take such as:

[TBL] AS THE STORIES IN BRISTOL GO, SKIP BAYLESS IS LESS THAN THRILLED WITH THE CURRENT SETUP OF FIRST TAKE. HE SHOWS UP HOURS BEFORE THE SHOW GOES ON AIR AND HUDDLES WITH PRODUCERS TO GO OVER TOPICS THEY WILL COVER, AS IT USUALLY WORKS IN TELEVISION. ACCORDING TO SEVERAL PEOPLE AT ESPN INTERVIEWED FOR THIS ARTICLE, SMITH IS SAID TO REGULARLY SAUNTER INTO THE MORNING MEETINGS A HALF HOUR BEFORE THE SHOW, LEADING BAYLESS TO ASK COLLEAGUES AT THE NETWORK WHY HE HAS TO DO ALL THE WORK. ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION, SMITH HAS CALLED INTO SAID MEETING FROM HIS BED.

McIntyre floated the idea that Bayless’ reported growing dissatisfaction with Smith — in conjunction with ESPN’s track record of parting with controversial employees — could lead him to jump ship and join a rival network, much like Colin Cowherd did two months ago.

[TBL] THE MAN WHO PUT SMITH AND BAYLESS TOGETHER AT ESPN, JAMIE HOROWITZ, IS NOW RUNNING FOX SPORTS 1. HE ALREADY MADE ONE SIGNIFICANT MOVE BY PLUCKING COWHERD, WHICH SHOOK UP ESPN’S RADIO/MID-DAY TV LINEUP. COULD HOROWITZ LURE BAYLESS AWAY FROM ESPN TO FURTHER BOLSTER FOX SPORTS 1 PROGRAMMING?
http://www.sportsgrid.com/uncategorized/the-big-lead-dishes-dirt-on-first-takes-internal-issues/