ESPN: Wait...WHAT?!?!? Today was Skip Bayliss LAST DAY on First Take (some very happy @ESPN)
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http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexrei...loyees-are-mocking-skip-bayless/#11d2bada3951
ESPN Employees Are Mocking Skip Bayless
In a delicious example of irony, Skip Bayless’ last day at ESPN comes just 48 hours after LeBron James won his third championship and established his place on the NBA’s Mount Rushmore. Bayless, who’s made a career out of needlessly chiding James, will be forced to eat crow during his final appearance on First Take.
Several of his soon-to-be former colleagues have already jumped in.
In the aftermath of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ victory over the Golden State Warriors Sunday night, Bayless has doubled down on his take that James is vastly overrated and inferior to the game’s supposed all-time greats. Usually, ESPN personalities don’t react to Bayless’ trolling and allow the rest of the Internet to pile on. But this time, with Bayless reportedly set to join Fox Sportsin the coming months, some of them have decided to join the fun.
Anchor Scott Van Pelt also appeared to throw in a dig at Bayless on SportsCenter early Monday morning, saying “it is time to find a new ax to grind if you have made your living ripping [James].”
ESPN Employees Are Mocking Skip Bayless
In a delicious example of irony, Skip Bayless’ last day at ESPN comes just 48 hours after LeBron James won his third championship and established his place on the NBA’s Mount Rushmore. Bayless, who’s made a career out of needlessly chiding James, will be forced to eat crow during his final appearance on First Take.
Several of his soon-to-be former colleagues have already jumped in.
In the aftermath of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ victory over the Golden State Warriors Sunday night, Bayless has doubled down on his take that James is vastly overrated and inferior to the game’s supposed all-time greats. Usually, ESPN personalities don’t react to Bayless’ trolling and allow the rest of the Internet to pile on. But this time, with Bayless reportedly set to join Fox Sportsin the coming months, some of them have decided to join the fun.
Anchor Scott Van Pelt also appeared to throw in a dig at Bayless on SportsCenter early Monday morning, saying “it is time to find a new ax to grind if you have made your living ripping [James].”
Oh I knew that part but I didn't know his last day was TODAY just after Lebron wins...
feels right
(although that man is getting SERIOUSLY well paid at FOX)
and for WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!
At ESPN, criticism of Skip Bayless apparently was forbidden
Posted by Mike Florio on June 21, 2016, 5:31 PM EDT
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As the guy who once speculated that Troy Aikman is gay prepares to become Aikman’s colleague at FOX, Skip Bayless first must disengage from ESPN. And it sure seems like plenty of his colleagues in Bristol aren’t upset about being his former colleagues.
For years, none of the other ESPN employees called out Bayless for some of his buffoonish opinions onFirst Take. Now that he’s leaving, it’s open season — starting with Scott Van Pelt’s obvious knock at Bayless after the Cavaliers won Game Seven of the NBA Finals.
So why wasn’t there more ESPN-on-ESPN crime involving Bayless in the past? Apparently, it was prohibited.
Via SportsBusiness Daily, Ryen Russillo and Danny Knell addressed the issue of criticizing Bayless during their ESPN Radio show on Monday.
They don’t have to worry about it anymore, as it relates to Bayless. But which other on-air personalities are or will be insulated from criticism?
Does Stephen A. Smith get the same special treatment? If he previously did, will enough ESPN on-air personalities decide that they’re no longer going to keep quiet when Smith or anyone else who may not react well to being called out says something worthy of criticism?
Clearly, Smith won’t react well if it happens. Go back and listen to the PFT Livediscussion about Smith’s reaction to the suggestion that his hot (and misguided) take regarding the NFLPA’s legal bills had been fed to him by the league office. Smith believes that members of the media shouldn’t talk about other members of the media, with the exception of any members of the media who exclusively cover the media.
Smith gets riled up when “colleagues” who work for other companies (which necessarily makes them, you know, not colleagues) talk about him. Imagine what he’ll do if his actual colleagues choose to talk about him.
Maybe imagination won’t be required. Maybe the Bayless departure will embolden others to speak up, even if it causes Smith to blow a gasket. If enough ESPN personalities do it, what’s ESPN going to do? Fire all of them?
Meanwhile, Bayless exits Bristol and its built-in (but shrinking) audience of people who tune in to ESPN because it’s ESPN for FOX and an audience that has to be built largely from scratch, while he at the same time avoids crossing paths with Aikman.
“I will tell you this. I’ve not seen — I’ve not physically seen Skip Bayless since that time,” Aikman said in 2011. “That was in ’95. And I still kind of wonder what I might do to him when I do see him.”
As recently as last year, Aikman was still unhappy with Bayless.
“I’m upset about it because it was made up and there was nothing accurate about anything that was insinuated. And he did it, as he does everything, just for attention,” Aikman told Richard Deitsch of SI.com in January 2015.
Bayless may have gotten special consideration while at ESPN when saying goofy things. Chances are that Aikman — and presumably others at FOX — won’t be giving him that same privilege once he officially joins them.
Posted by Mike Florio on June 21, 2016, 5:31 PM EDT
As the guy who once speculated that Troy Aikman is gay prepares to become Aikman’s colleague at FOX, Skip Bayless first must disengage from ESPN. And it sure seems like plenty of his colleagues in Bristol aren’t upset about being his former colleagues.
For years, none of the other ESPN employees called out Bayless for some of his buffoonish opinions onFirst Take. Now that he’s leaving, it’s open season — starting with Scott Van Pelt’s obvious knock at Bayless after the Cavaliers won Game Seven of the NBA Finals.
So why wasn’t there more ESPN-on-ESPN crime involving Bayless in the past? Apparently, it was prohibited.
Via SportsBusiness Daily, Ryen Russillo and Danny Knell addressed the issue of criticizing Bayless during their ESPN Radio show on Monday.
Said Russillo: “If [Dan] Le Batard wanted to come on and say, ‘I can’t believe Russillo said this,’ or Mike & Mike can’t believe Russillo said this, I would be okay with it. I may disagree with them, [but] I would be okay with it. The problem is when you disagree with Skip, you’re not allowed to, and then he gets mad at you about it. So like, nobody wants to deal with it. That’s why when the LeBron stuff comes up, if you’re going to be so clearly doctoring the results to keep pushing you don’t like LeBron or you don’t think he’s any good, then go ahead and keep doing it because it’s clearly great for business. But you can’t get mad at other opinion people for being like, ‘Well, that’s just insane and I don’t even know if you believe it.’”
“Isn’t there a time, too, when you just have to go, ‘I was wrong?’ Isn’t there a time?” Kanell said.
“But it’s not good for business,” Russillo said. “Business is good, so I respect that part of it. But we’re all big boys, we all say stuff, and all of us, because we’re opinion guys, disagree with each other all the time. But when you disagree with Skip, it gets handled a different way and a lot of us are just like, ‘Whatever.’ So that’s why we never bring it up.”
“Well, we don’t have to worry about it anymore,” Kanell added.
“Isn’t there a time, too, when you just have to go, ‘I was wrong?’ Isn’t there a time?” Kanell said.
“But it’s not good for business,” Russillo said. “Business is good, so I respect that part of it. But we’re all big boys, we all say stuff, and all of us, because we’re opinion guys, disagree with each other all the time. But when you disagree with Skip, it gets handled a different way and a lot of us are just like, ‘Whatever.’ So that’s why we never bring it up.”
“Well, we don’t have to worry about it anymore,” Kanell added.
They don’t have to worry about it anymore, as it relates to Bayless. But which other on-air personalities are or will be insulated from criticism?
Does Stephen A. Smith get the same special treatment? If he previously did, will enough ESPN on-air personalities decide that they’re no longer going to keep quiet when Smith or anyone else who may not react well to being called out says something worthy of criticism?
Clearly, Smith won’t react well if it happens. Go back and listen to the PFT Livediscussion about Smith’s reaction to the suggestion that his hot (and misguided) take regarding the NFLPA’s legal bills had been fed to him by the league office. Smith believes that members of the media shouldn’t talk about other members of the media, with the exception of any members of the media who exclusively cover the media.
Smith gets riled up when “colleagues” who work for other companies (which necessarily makes them, you know, not colleagues) talk about him. Imagine what he’ll do if his actual colleagues choose to talk about him.
Maybe imagination won’t be required. Maybe the Bayless departure will embolden others to speak up, even if it causes Smith to blow a gasket. If enough ESPN personalities do it, what’s ESPN going to do? Fire all of them?
Meanwhile, Bayless exits Bristol and its built-in (but shrinking) audience of people who tune in to ESPN because it’s ESPN for FOX and an audience that has to be built largely from scratch, while he at the same time avoids crossing paths with Aikman.
“I will tell you this. I’ve not seen — I’ve not physically seen Skip Bayless since that time,” Aikman said in 2011. “That was in ’95. And I still kind of wonder what I might do to him when I do see him.”
As recently as last year, Aikman was still unhappy with Bayless.
“I’m upset about it because it was made up and there was nothing accurate about anything that was insinuated. And he did it, as he does everything, just for attention,” Aikman told Richard Deitsch of SI.com in January 2015.
Bayless may have gotten special consideration while at ESPN when saying goofy things. Chances are that Aikman — and presumably others at FOX — won’t be giving him that same privilege once he officially joins them.
for the same reason we have long been trying to rally brothers on bgol...
networking.
His OLD boss took over at FOX and bringing his buddy in.
Skip is cool though. His job on FirstTake was to make people get mad at his views. That's why he was there. He made easy money just playing that role. Now he gets an upgrade to another job to make more money. Good job Skip!
As Skip Bayless exited ESPN on Tuesday, it seems many of his now-former colleagues were lining up to kick him on his way out.
Bayless concluded his last episode of “First Take” with Stephen A. Smith, and ESPN radio personality Ryen Russillo made it clear that it was uncomfortable working with the opinionated debater, who leaves for a lucrative deal with FOX.
“The problem is when you disagree with Skip, you’re not allowed to,” Russillo said on his show, co-hosted by former Giants quarterback Danny Kanell. “Then he gets mad at you about it. So, like, nobody wants to deal with it.”
Bayless’ most contrarian fodder over the years was the overwhelming praise heaped on four-time MVP LeBron James. Even after James and his Cavaliers won the NBA championship on Sunday night, bringing Cleveland its first sports championship in 52 years, Bayless didn’t back down. That led Russillo to point out that controversial takes are “good for business,” but Bayless often took it too far: On Tuesday’s final episode, he revisited other lightning-rod topics such as Tim Tebow and Robert Griffin III.
“That’s why when the LeBron stuff comes up, if you’re going to be so clearly doctoring the results to keep pushing that you don’t like LeBron or you don’t think he’s any good, then go ahead and keep doing it because it’s clearly great for business,” Russillo said. “But you can’t get mad at other opinion people for being like, ‘Well, that’s just insane and I don’t even know if you believe it.’”
Bayless turned down a reported $4 million annually from ESPN to leave for FOX, where he apparently inked a four-year deal in the neighborhood of $5.5 million per year — plus a $4 million signing bonus.
Respected ESPN anchor Scott Van Pelt took his shot at Bayless on Sunday night, referencing his LeBron bashing by saying: “It is time to find a new axe to grind if you have made your living ripping him. Find a new act.”
Bayless concluded his last episode of “First Take” with Stephen A. Smith, and ESPN radio personality Ryen Russillo made it clear that it was uncomfortable working with the opinionated debater, who leaves for a lucrative deal with FOX.
“The problem is when you disagree with Skip, you’re not allowed to,” Russillo said on his show, co-hosted by former Giants quarterback Danny Kanell. “Then he gets mad at you about it. So, like, nobody wants to deal with it.”
Bayless’ most contrarian fodder over the years was the overwhelming praise heaped on four-time MVP LeBron James. Even after James and his Cavaliers won the NBA championship on Sunday night, bringing Cleveland its first sports championship in 52 years, Bayless didn’t back down. That led Russillo to point out that controversial takes are “good for business,” but Bayless often took it too far: On Tuesday’s final episode, he revisited other lightning-rod topics such as Tim Tebow and Robert Griffin III.
“That’s why when the LeBron stuff comes up, if you’re going to be so clearly doctoring the results to keep pushing that you don’t like LeBron or you don’t think he’s any good, then go ahead and keep doing it because it’s clearly great for business,” Russillo said. “But you can’t get mad at other opinion people for being like, ‘Well, that’s just insane and I don’t even know if you believe it.’”
Bayless turned down a reported $4 million annually from ESPN to leave for FOX, where he apparently inked a four-year deal in the neighborhood of $5.5 million per year — plus a $4 million signing bonus.
Respected ESPN anchor Scott Van Pelt took his shot at Bayless on Sunday night, referencing his LeBron bashing by saying: “It is time to find a new axe to grind if you have made your living ripping him. Find a new act.”
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, who battled Bayless on “First Take” on a daily basis, promised at ESPN’s upfront presentation last month that the show will be “even better” without Bayless.
Additionally, in the not-too-distant past, popular on-air talent Bill Simmons, Colin Cowherd, Jason Whitlock and Keith Olbermann all left ESPN as well.
“As you can see, I’m alone. I’m all by myself. Because my guy, Skip Bayless, has decided to depart,” Smith said. “It’s MY show now,” the ESPN personality emphasized, and cited a few ways he’ll improve the show. “You will not be hearing about Tim Tebow, or the Dallas Cowboys, or Johnny Manziel.”
Additionally, in the not-too-distant past, popular on-air talent Bill Simmons, Colin Cowherd, Jason Whitlock and Keith Olbermann all left ESPN as well.
Facts are a bitch.
Damn if this isn't the truth
Hell the whole network followed him
Jemele and Smith are right up there
Too bad it wasn't that raisin-faced faggots last day on earth.
I hate that cock sucker.
I hate that cock sucker.
The racism that undergirded the Lebron hate and the Tebow/Manziel worship goes unspoken. He knows how to dog whistle to the racists, and ESPN rode all that anti-black racism to the bank. Skip is there for the white man, dont u ever fucking doubt it. He has the same appeal to white men as Donald Trump, having accomplished nothing. This is why my favorite ESPN moment was Jalen Rose when he shut Skip down and destroyed his feelings.
and hes done it many times. They shouldve made THAT the show instead of Stephen A. Smith's clown coon ass.
and hes done it many times. They shouldve made THAT the show instead of Stephen A. Smith's clown coon ass.
Atleast he outed that faggot Troy Aikman.
What makes him a faggot? I'm from Dallas and the man was my QB when we won 3 rings. Troy got pussy all over the metroplex. Aikman is a savage. He would beat the living dog shit out of Skip....and he would be in the right.
He fucks little boys. It was a known secret in certain circles back in the late 80s.
Skip basically got ran out of town for writing about. Yet maintains a cordial relationship with Jerry Jones despite the fact.
Congrats on the super bowls tho.
http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/new...less-called-him-gay/gg6htdzuact81h5evqj3e0rlq
http://www.inquisitr.com/1011013/tr...resurface-after-allegations-by-dexter-manley/
http://www.outsports.com/2011/9/1/4051764/troy-aikman-im-not-gay-but-skip-bayless-might-be
http://frontburner.dmagazine.com/20...-is-gay-business-except-the-opposite-of-that/
http://thescoopblog.dallasnews.com/2011/08/troy-aikman-hints-that-he-migh.html/
http://espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=bayless/060807
“Skip Bayless could have been one of the really great columnists,” Smith told Pearlman, who conducted 146 interviews in his reporting process. “But as a columnist, if you are going to beat up on someone, it better be from your heart. You better feel that way. Skip attacked people for the sake of doing it. His gay take on Aikman was the most unfair thing in my 44 years as a journalist.”
http://www.si.com/nfl/2015/01/13/troy-aikman-fox-nfl-analyst-qa?page=2&devicetype=default