When Stephen A. Smith accepted the invitation of Skip Bayless to reunite on air for the first time in nearly a decade, he thought about whether he could pick up in a place that bubbly slurped out of where his famous “first take” sparring partner left off nine years ago.
“All of a sudden, reality hit me,” what if it wasn't the same? What if it felt troubling or that it was a relic of the past that we could never go back and reboot? ” Bayless recently posted.
“The Trepidation” Bayless, 73, felt prepared to host Smith, 57, as the first guest on the “Skip Bayless Show,” as the pair evaporated the moment after exchanging pleasure through the camera.
“Like I did yesterday, the day before and the day before, I felt like I was in the air together. Bayless, who left FS1 last summer, said:
“They say it's like riding a bike. Yeah, it was like riding a bike, but it was like riding a bike, and it was like riding the best bike that was built into sports media with Heartbeat.”
From “Instant Ruppet,” which appeared in Jim Roma's “The Last Word” in the early 2000s to reunion with world leaders, the “resistible suspension” appearance led to a “first take” team-up in 2012 when he returned to Smith's network, and a “special” team-up when Bayless and Smith painted the lanes of Bayless Leans Lane when they were on display on Monday.
Conversation for nearly 60 minutes – Since then, it has surpassed over 900,000 views on YouTube. If Aaron Rodgers' expected decisions for the free agency are looming, and of course, if Smith's five-year, $100 million contract extension with ESPN was announced last week, Bayless and Smith covered topics such as the Lakers' current status.
“it was [an] A simple conversation,” Bayless said. “At least, I can't speak for him, but at least for me.”
The road back to this reunion was not without some conflicts.
Bayless left ESPN in 2016 for a lucrative contract with FS1 and appeared in “Indisputable” for eight years. Following comments made by Smith on the 2022 JJ Redick podcast, their relationship has worn out.
Smith claimed Bayless had pleaded with him to co-host full-time, full-time, as he was not excited by the “first take,” which was originally “cold pizza.”
Bayless was “blinded” by the comments and he decisively shot down the program for his title.
“The last thing in the world that was on the table was that we needed to save on ratings,” Bayless told the Post. “No, I wanted him to be my partner, so I didn’t have to have a new partner every week.
“…I wanted Stephen A because he knew it was magic and he could wake up every morning, hoping for magic from Stephen A.”
Smith, who covered the 2022 NBA Finals with Boston for the Warriors and Celtics, traveled to see Bayless, based on the West Coast.
“He jumped out here. It was Sunday the US Open Golf Final Round at Brookline in Boston, so it must have been right after the final,” Bayless said. “I'm a golf fan and sat with him by the pool in our gated community and we gave up looking at about five holes in America on the back nine to have it.”
Bayless was unsure if something would nibble beneath the surface when he tapeted with Smith following the widely publicized rift.
“The other day we're airing, and we didn't know if there were any lingering feelings of hurt about it, but it wasn't. It was like a great old time,” he said.
Bayless felt the “highly competitive warmth” from Smith.
“We were together for a long time and we did a lot of TV and radio together, so I quickly felt the warmth of the competition that I felt with him.
Bayless will host again “absolutely” but one thing he does differently.
“He took me as a guest [on his radio show]I don't know maybe 10 or 15 times, but that was the first time I've been a moderator. I hate being a moderator. Because it takes away the ability to discuss because someone has to change the subject and bring up the next topic. I can't let it go too far as I have to move this at some point. We usually trust or rely on moderators to do that,” Bayless said.
“…It's the first time I've plunged into the role of moderator and I have to tell you, I didn't love it. I need a judge,” he continued with a laugh.
The road to this moment has continued to be challenging times, but Bayless was appointed defendant in a bomb lawsuit filed by a former hairstylist in January. Denied the claim -He still has a respect for how seamless his reconnection with Smith has become.
“So [my wife] Ernestin then scored a point. She said it appears she has an old friend who has even touched you in high school or whatever. And you hadn't spoken to that old friend for ten years. It feels like you didn't leave, you spoke to them yesterday,” Bayless said.
“That's how I felt with him.”
