Skip Bayless is headed back to ESPN. He’ll rejoin Stephen A. Smith on First Take starting this month.
What We Know: Smith broke the news Friday afternoon on his SiriusXM Mad Dog Sports Radio show, with Bayless sitting right beside him. Bayless will join Smith every Friday on SiriusXM, plus the last Friday of each month on First Take. It marks his first regular ESPN role since a decade-long hiatus from the network. Bayless made a one-day First Take reunion with Smith last May.
What They Said: Skip Bayless: “I am personally highly entertained by getting to sit across from you. You are a one and an only, and I do believe what you and I had, and will have, is a one and an only.”
Stephen A. Smith: “On Fridays, yours truly and the one and only Skip Bayless will be joining me on this show. So, let’s get that out the way. That’s every Friday, the beatdown is coming, my condolences to you. But the other part that everybody needs to know, starting next week, the last Friday of every single month, Skip Bayless will join yours truly on First Take. You are back, my brother.”
What Remains Unclear: Any terms to the appearances on SiriusXM and First Take are unknown.
What It Means: Bayless trades a starring role for a supporting one, but the exposure still helps him. ESPN, meanwhile, gains a familiar face after losing Cam Newton and Ryan Clark from First Take this summer. And for Bayless, the ESPN platform doubles as promotion for Gridiron, his relaunched show with Aqib Talib.
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