Stephen A. Smith was ‘pissed’ at how Skip Bayless handled ESPN exit

Stephen A. Smith may have liked seeing Max Kellerman leave First Take, but he was less thrilled about Skip Bayless’s departure.

And according to Smith, it wasn’t the fact that Bayless left; it was the way he left that initially caused him to have an issue.

Smith and Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo joined The Howard Stern Show for an hour-long interview on SiriusXM Wednesday morning. And during the segment, Stern asked both hosts about their media break-ups, asking Smith specifically if he was “pissed” at Bayless for leaving ESPN’s First Take.

“Skip Bayless left for Fox, but he just left for Fox because they throw him a boatload of more money,” Smith said. “I was pissed at how it was handled because I had found out at a later date. He didn’t come to me initially and say this is what’s going on. I found out on my own. But I understood why and no disrespect to him, but at the time, I was pissed, initially, until I found out some of the nuances that was going on behind the scenes, and he couldn’t say anything. In the case of Max Kellerman and myself, that was a separation.”

It is somewhat surprising to hear Smith had any issue with Bayless leaving.

Bayless moving to FS1 paved the way for Smith to take the reins of First Take, a responsibility he’s fully embraced. And Smith being left out of Bayless’s conversations with ESPN and FS1 is the nature of the business. Smith wishes he was more in the know, as Bayless was plotting a move to FS1 back in 2016. And surely, Kellerman would have liked to know when Smith was telling ESPN to move him off the show.

In the case of Max Kellerman, it wasn’t just a separation. Smith has made it clear he pushed Kellerman out the door, believing they lacked chemistry after five years together.

In Smith’s defense, First Take has grown in prominence since Kellerman’s ouster.