• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Skip Bayless leaving ESPN, to sign with Fox Sports

chitwood

chitwood

Golden Member
http://www.si.com/more-sports/2016/04/26/skip-bayless-espn-first-take-fox-sports

On Wednesday ESPN p.r. put out a preemptive press release announcing that Bayless would be parting ways with the network after 12 years. His contract is up in August. For months, Bayless and his reps have been talking with Fox Sports executives about the 64-year-old joining that network and having an afternoon debate show on FS1 built around him. Fox Sports Networks president Jamie Horowitz, a former ESPN executive, has long been a fan of Bayless and was the lead executive on First Take through many of its most controversial days. It is a match made in heaven if you like sports television from hell.
Click to expand...

Lots of ESPN guys leaving recently. Bill Simmons, Colin Cowherd, Mike Tirico, now Skip.
 
The good news is that is more and more likely that ESPN will soon be under water with their horribly expensive NFL and NCAA contracts (OK, they already are, but that they will have to jettison them) and a lot of that will hopefully return to network, where it belongs. Or at least some other sportsish network like TBS/TNT/locals (WGN, NESN, etc) that aren't 100% douchebag content.
 
maddogchen said:
hmmm...maybe i'll watch ESPN more now. I usually change the channel whenever I see Skip or Steven A
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly, can't stand to listen to those idiots/blowhards. Glad to see Skip leaving, will be more glad if they finally ditch Smith.

I think ESPN is having their come to jesus moment in terms of their financials. The cost of the broadcast rights is getting astronomical, and the value ESPN adds is just not enough to sustain paying for those contracts and paying a lot of money for the "on air talent".

Guys like Mike & Mike get paid handsomely and they bring in big bucks, but other guys with big contracts are simply not worth it.
 
maddogchen said:
hmmm...maybe i'll watch ESPN more now. I usually change the channel whenever I see Skip or Steven A
Click to expand...

Yup. Two of worst sports guys on TV. Skip was a bumbling buffoon and Steven. A. "I. Pause. To make. Myself. SOUND. more IMPORTANT. While I. Try. And come up WITH. Something. THAT'S. PROBABLY. racist TOWARDS. white. people" is one of the worst on any TV station.
 
PokerGuy said:
My thoughts exactly, can't stand to listen to those idiots/blowhards. Glad to see Skip leaving, will be more glad if they finally ditch Smith.

I think ESPN is having their come to jesus moment in terms of their financials. The cost of the broadcast rights is getting astronomical, and the value ESPN adds is just not enough to sustain paying for those contracts and paying a lot of money for the "on air talent".

Guys like Mike & Mike get paid handsomely and they bring in big bucks, but other guys with big contracts are simply not worth it.
Click to expand...

i have no idea who the hell listens to mike and mike. every single person i know who listens to sports radio can't stand them. it's not that they don't care about them, it's that they downright cannot stand listening to them at all. it's the opposite of liking a radio show.

i've never met 1 person ever that likes mike and mike at all, and infact i've never met anyone who listens to sports radio who knows who they are, say that they don't hate them. everyone says they hate them.
 
I don't think this is just about the content and budget problems ESPN is currently facing--it has been one of those "poorly-kept secrets" for a very long time that no one has ever really liked working for ESPN--especially the Sports Center people.

The only person that never has seemed to publicly complain about ESPN and working in Bristol (if these people are to be believed, this is the worst place to live on the planet), is Dan Patrick, whom I think was created in a lab the day ESPN went live and his programming simply doesn't allow it. ...maybe Stuart Scott. But it's not like he ever would have been able to do anything else, anyway.

Kilburn and Olberman were some of the most vocal critics way back when and while they had personal issues with the ESPN board, a lot of their lifestyle/job quality complaints have been echoed by much of the ESPN talent for a very long time.

basically, this isn't a new thing for ESPN to shedding lots of "talent." Maybe at such a concentrated rate is new, but it's now without precedent.
 
Looks like rumors of Disney directing cost cutting are correct. Wonder how much it will hurt before that start to question value of the ridiculous amount they've given for the last couple of broadcast right deals.
 
pete6032 said:
Why do people like watching two other people argue about sports? Where is the entertainment in that?
Click to expand...

I think about 90% of the time these things are broadcast it's in a bar on a TV on mute and people are more interested in drinking beer and watching the news ticker at the bottom.
 
vi edit said:
I think about 90% of the time these things are broadcast it's in a bar on a TV on mute and people are more interested in drinking beer and watching the news ticker at the bottom.
Click to expand...

you know, that's a great point. I'm sure ESPN has some sort of data on this, and they figured that they can just put any kind of idiot on top of their tickers (kinda like how the "Guide" channel became the "TV Guide" channel, adding an advertising window, then slowly over the years squeezed out the actual guide and started producing content).

Wonder what would happen to ratings on these shows if they removed all the tickers?
 
Good...with ESPN's financial problems, I'm glad to see some of these inflated talking heads jump ship. I can't imagine that there isn't a line out the door of people perfectly willing to yell at a camera for 10% of Skip's contract.
 
He's one of the few people that make me yell at the screen when he talks....damn i can't stand that guy...kudos for fox picking him up.
 
Listening to ESPN talk radio this morning, it's funny to hear them talk about these guys leaving and the firings like it's no big deal. Of course they have to act like it's no big deal but it is.
 
purbeast0 said:
i have no idea who the hell listens to mike and mike. every single person i know who listens to sports radio can't stand them. it's not that they don't care about them, it's that they downright cannot stand listening to them at all. it's the opposite of liking a radio show.

i've never met 1 person ever that likes mike and mike at all, and infact i've never met anyone who listens to sports radio who knows who they are, say that they don't hate them. everyone says they hate them.
Click to expand...

To each his own of course, but that's the one sports show I listen to every day. Pretty much everyone I know listens to them every morning. They tend to drone on about certain subjects, but I like that they are not out to *be* the story, but instead focus on talking about the story. Other blowhard radio talking heads try to create controversy to get ratings.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top