Stephen A Smith has finally broken his silence after he spent part of his podcast on Wednesday speaking on former ESPN partner Skip Bayless, who is reportedly leaving FS1’s “Undisputed.”
The New York Post’s Ryan Glasspiegel shocked the sporting world when he reported Monday that Bayless would be leaving his role on FS1’s Undisputed later this summer.
Alongside Stephen A Smith, Bayless helped reshape the sports media landscape during their time together on First Take.
Bayless and Smith’s individual careers have evolved since the former’s departure from ESPN in 2016, but now that he is on his way out, his old friend had to speak on it.
On the latest episode of his podcast, Stephen A Smith spoke on his relationship and history with Bayless, dated well before their time on First Take.
“Where I am, where I’ve been, and especially where the hell I’m going with the stuff I’ve got coming down the pike in a matter of months… none of it’s possible if Skip Bayless doesn’t extend that helping hand and bring me on First Take,” Smith said.
“I’ll never forget that. I never have, I never will,” Smith continued. “You want to hold on to something that I have to say about Skip Bayless, hold on to that.”
Smith also shockingly revealed that they haven’t spoken in a long time, but he finds no enjoyment in leaving Fox Sports.
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“As the reports have said, they’ve had some ratings struggles. I’m not about to get into that,” Smith said. “I’m not going to play that game. Skip Bayless, and I have not spoken in a long time. He’s on that side of the fence, I’m on this side of the fences.
“But as I’ve stated on many occasions … I don’t root against my colleagues and contemporaries and certainly not my friends. … Being on First Take and wanting to be No. 1 doesn’t mean I wanted Skip Bayless to fail, doesn’t mean that I want to see him out of the business.”
He added, “I have not called him, I’m not going to because I know what this moment must be like for him,” Smith said.
The viewership for Undisputed fell off a cliff as soon as Shannon Sharpe left and joined First Take.
When it is all said and done, Stephen A Smith and Skip Bayless might both be out of a job as ESPN reportedly put a contract worth $18 million on the table, and he turned it down.
ESPN Rules Against Reunion Between Skip Bayless And The Company Stephen A Smith
ESPN wasted little time ruling out a reunion between Skip Bayless and Stephen A Smith, with Bayless reportedly on the way out at Fox Sports.
An ESPN spokesman said to Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports, “We are set with the current First Take rotation, and wish Skip the best on his future endeavors.”
