Skip Bayless Calls Reunion with Stephen A. Smith Greatest Thing in His Life

Skip Bayless called his on-air partnership with Stephen A. Smith the greatest thing that has ever happened in his life, even greater than his marriage.

Bayless spent 28 minutes on social media Monday night breaking down his reunion with Smith on First Take last Friday, their first episode together in nearly 10 years. The clear message: he wants to work with Smith again.

ESPN calls Bayless' return a one-time event. Smith, who also serves as the show's executive producer, has the influence to change that if he wants. Not long ago, Smith said he had no interest in working with Bayless again, but that position softened at least for one day last week.

Their dynamic goes back years. In 2012, Bayless starred on First Take and pushed for Smith to join him. Smith had just returned to ESPN but stuck to radio, with management reluctant to put him on television.

They worked together for about five years and turned the show into a hit. In 2016, Bayless left for FS1 to launch Undisputed with Shannon Sharpe. That program initially cut into ESPN's audience and forced First Take from ESPN2 to the main channel. Over time, Smith rose to become ESPN's top star. Undisputed, meanwhile, fell to about 30,000 viewers before its cancellation in 2024.

Smith now earns $20 million a year at ESPN. Bayless lacks a major TV platform and struggles online. He has not posted a new episode of The Skip Bayless Show since October and contributes to a football program under Gilbert Arenas' Underdog Fantasy.

The power balance has reversed. Bayless had the upper hand in 2012. Now Smith does. A full-time reunion looks unlikely. Smith has said he sees First Take as his show, where he picks the rotating contributors. Last year, he called bringing Bayless back full-time unfair to regulars like Cam Newton, Ryan Clark, Kendrick Perkins and Marcus Spears.

A middle ground exists. Smith could keep his format but give Bayless a recurring slot, like Chris "Mad Dog" Russo's weekly spots. First Take has grown stale and lags behind the ESPN shows before and after it in growth.