One half of the sports television duo everybody loves to hate will be departing soon. The First Take duo of Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless has been on air for years and they’ve garnered more negative comments than positive ones in that span due to their range of ‘hot takes’ but regardless, they have been the focal point of ESPN’s daytime viewing.
Now it appears after sharing the same desk since 2012, the pair will be split with Bayless electing to leave ESPN when his contract expires in August.
Following from an official ESPN press release.
Skip Bayless has decided to leave ESPN when his contract expires at the end of August.
His final appearance on First Take will be the day after the NBA Finals conclude.
We want to thank Skip for his many contributions to ESPN. His hard work and talent have benefited ESPN for 12 years.
Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated reports First Take will continue without Bayless.
I'm told First Take will continue and they already have some finalists for the Bayless position.
— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) April 26, 2016
Kevin Draper of Deadspin reports Bayless is indeed headed for Fox Sports.
According to an industry source, Bayless is expected to join Fox Sports. New Fox Sports head honcho Jamie Horowitz—who worked with Bayless at First Take while at ESPN and is generally credited/blamed for the network’s embarrassing “Embrace Debate” era—has been clear about his desire to remake Fox Sports as a sort of giant crypto-racist shout show, and Bayless is the biggest name in that game.
And Deitsch echoes those sentiments.
Hello, FS1. https://t.co/roezahn1VU
— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) April 26, 2016
Jamie Horowitz has gone full Emperor Palpatine at FS1. No turning back now.
— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) April 26, 2016
Wherever Skip ends up, it will most certainly come with a ton of controversy.
