Skip Bayless returned to ESPN's *First Take* after nearly a decade, marking a nostalgic reunion with Stephen A. Smith. The broadcast emphasized tribute over debate, with Bayless expressing gratitude for Smith's contributions.
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Skip Bayless made his return to the set of First Take on ESPN earlier today. It was his first time on ESPN television since departing the program he helped launch almost a decade ago. While the reunion between Bayless and Stephen A. Smith wasnât their first since then, the stage was set for the return of what once defined the age of sports debate television.
The program opened with a sense of nostalgia, a theme that carried throughout the two-hour broadcast. Following an opening montage of moments that captured the audienceâs attention years ago, the lights came on and the cameras went live on ESPN. Bayless and Smith joined host Shae Cornette in a Los Angeles-based studio, ready to deliver for the Worldwide Leader.
âIâm back. Here Iâm dressed for a funeral, but itâs your funeral,â said Bayless, eager to begin the program and his battle with Smith.
You could tell Bayless was ready to own the moment. He had been off ESPN television for almost a decade, and it felt clear that he believed he needed to reintroduce himself.
However, instead of diving into what had happened since his departure, Bayless used the opening moment to express gratitude for Smithâs work on the program.
âI was the driving force for this show back in the early days. I pushed to have this man [Smith] to be my permanent partner in 2012,â explained Bayless. âAfter I left in 2016, this man became the driving force of this show. I just want to say youâve done a great job with it. Iâm proud of you man. I do love you.â
Smith shared in the moment, expressing his thanks to former ESPN executives Mark Shapiro and Jaime Horowitz for helping build First Take from the ground up. He also thanked current ESPN executives Jimmy Pitaro and Burke Magnus for âcondoning and supportingâ Baylessâ return to the First Take set.
Then it was on. First Take was off and running.
The set list was not surprising: play the hits. The show featured a mix of NBA playoff discussion alongside recycled debates that originally made the program famous. Bayless and Smith debated where LeBron James belongs in the greatest-of-all-time conversation. The Dallas Cowboys came up, even in early May. Bayless also explained why he would rather support the Cowboys than the current New York Knicks, who are actually playing postseason basketball.
Tim Tebow even came up. Why not? That topic helped drive to new heights. Years later, it made sense to revisit the debate between Bayless and Smith. Add in an uncomfortable and forced interview with WWE superstar Seth Rollins and another debate over the best Batman, and that was the show.
Skip Bayless' return marked a nostalgic reunion that celebrated the legacy of sports debate television, rather than focusing solely on current sports topics.
Skip Bayless had been away from ESPN television for almost a decade before his return to *First Take*.
Bayless opened the show by humorously stating, 'Iâm back. Here Iâm dressed for a funeral, but itâs your funeral,' signaling his readiness to engage with Stephen A. Smith.
The episode featuring Skip Bayless' return was hosted by Shae Cornette in a Los Angeles-based studio.
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âUnfortunately, Iâve turned my man over there back into Stephen A. Miff,â said Bayless, proclaiming he won the day over his former sparring partner.
After watching the program, I was left wondering who this was for?
Audience habits change over time. Bayless went to FS1 and never managed to attract major attention to any program, regardless of his co-host. He has since built a successful digital career and collaborated with several creators to grow his profile with a newer audience in that space.
However, what I hoped would be an audition to see whether Bayless still had his fastball on current topics instead became something closer to an âin memoriamâ program that focused more on the past than the present.
The ratio between current discussion and recycled nostalgia felt completely out of balance. This approach seemed better suited for a podcast audience than a network television production. Spending much of the first hour interrupting NBA playoff discussion to revisit the Dallas Cowboys left me shaking my head.
Then, during the second hour, the LeBron James GOAT conversation resurfaced not once, but twice. Revisiting Tim Tebow, who has not played in an NFL game since 2012, only added to the confusion.
Sure, I expected some nostalgia from the broadcast, but not an overwhelming flood of it. Was the goal simply to relive the past more than a decade later? Or did ESPN and First Take miss a golden opportunity to see whether Bayless could still be a viable option this fall?
Thereâs no questioning the impact Bayless and Smith had on sports debate television. Their influence is still felt across many different areas of the industry today. I was genuinely excited to see whether that fire and chemistry could meet the moment one more time and leave audiences wanting more later this fall.
Unfortunately, none of that happened. Instead, we got more âwhiffâ than âmiff.â
âI donât know if heâs coming back or not. I got to be nice,â said Shae Cornette to close the program in regard to Baylessâ performance.
Honestly, if this is the direction ESPN could be considering for Bayless as a regular contributor this fall, I hope we just witnessed his last take on ESPN.
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John Mamola
John Mamola is Barrett Mediaâs sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Mediâs Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
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