Skip Bayless is returning to ESPN's *First Take* for more debates with Stephen A. Smith. Despite mixed reactions, their reunion is expected to generate significant viewer interest and social media buzz.
Key points
Skip Bayless is back on ESPN's *First Take*.
His return follows a successful one-off appearance.
The reunion featured familiar debate topics.
Viewer reactions were mixed regarding the excitement level.
ESPN is focused on viewership and social media engagement.
Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless on First Take
Credit: ESPN
Skip Baylessâs return to ESPN was branded as a one-off, but after getting a taste of First Take again, it wonât be another 10 years before he debates Stephen A. Smith again.
Smith and ESPN wonât care whether you asked for it; they wonât even really care if you liked it; theyâll care whether you watched it, and theyâll care whether it created social media buzz. Love it or hate it, Smith and Bayless still garner attention together.
The reunion was a dud in terms of creating new content. There were no new fireworks; this was a Temu version of the fiery debates between Bayless and Smith. They played their greatest hits with Tim Tebow, LeBron James, the Dallas Cowboys, and Skipâs degrading nicknames. But the 2026 versions of those debates did not hit the way they did 15 years ago.
Take any one of the recycled segments from Fridayâs reunion, and you can probably find 10 much better videos on YouTube featuring Bayless and Smith arguing the same topic from a decade or two ago. The same thing happens anytime Mike and the Mad Dog have a reunion. Because theyâre just happy to be in the same room again, there isnât the same level of tension that existed when they were competing every single day for years.
But now that the pleasantries have been exchanged and the nostalgia itch has been scratched, the gloves should be off the next time Bayless returns to First Take. And make no mistake about it, there will be a next time, and a next time, and a next time.
Remember when Christopher âMad Dogâ Russoâs initial First Take cameo was supposed to be a one-off? Russo gained enough attention to be welcomed back and was eventually offered a weekly chair on First Take. Smith and Bayless were similarly way too chummy about this reunion to just shake hands and wave goodbye for another ten years.
Itâs fair to question why now? But this is really the first time in the last ten years that Smith and Bayless could have reunited. For eight years, Bayless was Smithâs top competition after launching a sort of copycat version of First Take on FS1 with Shannon Sharpe. And two years ago, Sharpe was on First Take, which would have made it awkward for Smith also to bring Bayless onto the show as a regular contributor when he exited FS1. But when ESPN moved on from Sharpe as he dealt with his since-settled sexual assault lawsuit last summer, it opened the door for a reunion with Bayless on First Take.
The question is whether Bayless is still fit for First Take. Smith abandoned the format Bayless created on First Take after deciding Max Kellerman wasnât a worthy opponent. To Smithâs credit, he grew the show by going with a rotating cast of contributors. But Smith still gets a different twinkle in his eye every time he breaks into a screaming match with Russo. And adding Bayless semi-regularly will only increase the opportunity for those viral screaming bouts.
Everyone complains that Smith and Bayless spawned a generation of hot-take artists who canât live up to the moniker as well as they did. Donât want them to debate new hot take artists? Then theyâll just debate each other. Bayless certainly wouldnât say no to the exposure. He can hold on to his eight years at FS1 as a success while claiming that a new weekly spot on First Take will help promote his digital ventures.
Smith and Bayless may not have proved they can debate with the same passion they did ten years ago during Fridayâs reunion. They may not have proved this reunion was something sports fans were clamoring for. But Smith and Bayless did prove theyâre still capable of garnering attention. The rubbernecking aspect of that intrigue might wear off if Smith and Bayless were together again five days a week, but it will still be there in spurts. Because Smith and Bayless are dedicated to playing their greatest hits, and itâs hard to imagine they wonât look to do it again once the NFL season rolls around.
Skip Bayless is returning to *First Take* after a successful one-off appearance, indicating a desire for more debates with Stephen A. Smith.
What topics did Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith discuss on their reunion?
They revisited familiar topics including Tim Tebow, LeBron James, and the Dallas Cowboys during their reunion.
How did viewers react to the Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith reunion?
The reunion received mixed reactions, with some feeling it lacked the excitement of their past debates.
What impact does Skip Bayless's return have on ESPN's viewership?
ESPN is focused on whether Bayless's return will boost viewership and create social media buzz, regardless of audience sentiment.
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