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Beware the diminishing returns of Skip Bayless
TL;DR
Skip Bayless's recent reunion with Stephen A. Smith on First Take highlights the fading impact of their past debates, which lacked memorable moments. The discussion raises questions about the relevance of their dynamic in today's sports media landscape.
Key points
- Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith reunited on First Take.
- Their past debates lacked memorable moments.
- The concept of anti-nostalgia is relevant to their reunion.
- Critics question Bayless's impact on sports media.
Credit: ESPN
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Before last weekâs Skip Bayless-Stephen A. Smith reunion on First Take, I wrote a piece about how this was an exercise in anti-nostalgia.
âEveryone remembers that Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless used to yell at one another every morning on ESPN, but no one could tell you anything about what they yelled about,â I wrote. âThere are no iconic moments. No memes from that era continue to populate social media platforms or Slack channels. There isnât a single debate, take, or zinger that has stood the test of time. It was all ephemeral nonsense.â
Not everyone was a fan of that column. And there was some fairness to the criticism that I hadnât accounted for the demographics of the showâs initial success.
Folks who disagreed with my sentiments got to take a victory lap this week when it was reported that Baylessâs return led to a 44% jump in viewership compared to the comparable episode last year. Per Michael McCarthy in Front Office Sports. Fridayâs First Take averaged 647,000 viewers, a 24% increase from the showâs average 2026 viewership.
As soon as the show ended, ESPN not-so-subtly sent out the signal that Bayless will be back. And while I offer them my congratulations on turning his First Take return into a ratings success, I regret to inform them that bringing him back with any regularity is still a big mistake.
ESPN, Smith, and Skip were able to craft a great narrative with the reunion, hyping it up perfectly. But the thing to remember is that, at the end of the day, not a lot of people actually like Skip Bayless. I know, I know, I should have learned my lesson from last time, but anyone who has followed sports media over the past two decades has to admit that, when the pomp and circumstance falls away, audiences remember that they donât actually enjoy watching Skip, even if he is very good at whatever it is he does.
Thereâs a reason Undisputed wasnât a legitimate challenger to First Take. And do you remember Skipâs ratings on FS1 after Shannon Sharpe left the show? Do you know anyone who watched or would admit to having done so? A little bit of Skip Bayless goes a long way in making you wish heâd go away.
The next time he comes back, he wonât have the promotional juggernaut behind him, and the novelty will have worn off. The ratings wonât be as great. And theyâll dip even further in the time after that. Pretty soon, people will start wondering why this 74-year-old keeps showing up to yell about LeBron James before changing the channel (or moving on to the next video).
Bayless built up a lot of goodwill by disappearing from relevance and yelling into the abyss for a few years before ESPNâs reclamation job last week. Thatâs especially impressive considering he was named in a sexual harassment lawsuit a year ago. It is no surprise to realize this reunion was always going to be the first of many returns. It will also not be a surprise when the bloom falls off that rose in record time.
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The post Beware the diminishing returns of Skip Bayless appeared first on Awful Announcing.
Q&A
What was the significance of Skip Bayless's reunion with Stephen A. Smith?
The reunion aimed to rekindle the dynamic they once had on ESPN, but it highlighted the diminishing impact of their past interactions.
Why are Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith's past debates considered forgettable?
Their previous debates lacked iconic moments or memorable content, making them largely forgettable in the context of sports media.
How does the concept of anti-nostalgia apply to Bayless and Smith's reunion?
Anti-nostalgia suggests that while their past interactions are remembered, they do not hold significant value or relevance in today's media landscape.
What are the criticisms of Skip Bayless's role in sports media?
Critics argue that Bayless's contributions often lack substance and memorable content, raising concerns about his relevance in current sports discussions.
