As Skip Bayless and FOX Sports 1 completed the first week of the revamped edition of Undisputed, they have been privy to varied feedback from viewers reacting to the show. Some people feel that the lack of a moderator such as Molly Qerim on ESPN’s First Take communicates a sentiment of disorder, while others believe that letting Richard Sherman, Keyshawn Johnson and Michael Irvin debate unhinged makes for great television.
As recently expressed on the Meadowlark Media podcast Pablo Torre Finds Out, there is a debate to be had over whether or not Bayless’ show is watchable or fits in today’s environment of diversified viewing interests. The confluence of debate television with traditional and modern sports coverage has posited questions about what will be sustainable for the long run, along with what it is that consumers want to see.
Bayless promulgated on The Skip Bayless Show that he has been carrying a heavy load throughout the first week in serving as both a commentator and the moderator of Undisputed. During Monday’s episode, he had what is being considered by some viewers as a Freudian slip when he told Johnson that he was talking too much.
Leading up to the program, Bayless disclosed that he had been feeling bouts of anxiety and uncertainty regarding whether or not it was worth it, but he was able to collect himself in the afternoon before its premiere by reaffirming his self-efficacy. After all, Bayless had landed his top three targets for the show following a comprehensive meeting with network executives reviewing potential candidates to fill the vacancy left by Shannon Sharpe, who departed the show in June.
“I have never prepared harder than I did for the four or five days leading up to Monday because I never have that kind of time; the luxury of time to prep,” Bayless said. “We prepped hard; I prepped harder. I scripted out a rocket launch of an opening for that Monday show because I needed to [since] I was going to introduce all three of my new teammates.”
Once the opening was written, it was loaded into the teleprompter, a piece of studio equipment that Bayless usually refrains from utilizing. Because of the complexity and sheer length of the introduction, he capitulated to having the script written so he could read it, deviating from his usual practice of simply working with notes.
“I was coming out of my chair,” Bayless said. “I’ve been off television too long. I got rocket [launched] by Diet Mountain Dew, the breakfast of champions; the nectar of the gods; rocket fuel. So I’m reading the prompter – I do the three big introductions – and then all of a sudden, it just explodes with energy, lightning strikes [and] chaos, all of it sensational because we had all waited so long.”
Bayless is grateful to be back on television following a two-month absence and is looking forward to debating everything from the Dallas Cowboys to the legacy of Los Angeles Lakers superstar forward LeBron James. He does it with a new team featuring the aforementioned Sherman, Johnson and Irvin, along with Rachel Nichols, Lil’ Wayne, Josina Anderson and other FOX Sports contributors.
“I’m a control freak – I just wasn’t sure what to expect; it’s all new,” Bayless said. “Even now, we’re still experimenting; it’s all new. I jump out of bed in the morning thinking, ‘I wonder what’s going to happen today.’ I don’t know – I’m out of my comfort zone and I am extremely happy right now. I love this feeling; I love the over-emotion of the moment.”
