Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless embrace a challenge as much as they embrace debate. And the current merry-go-round of NFL analysts is reigniting their rivalry.
Shannon Sharpe reached a buyout agreement with Fox Sports in June, ending his near seven-year tenure as Skip’s debate partner on Undisputed. Sharpe is now headed to ESPN, and Bayless is filling his void with some of Smith’s former First Take analysts.
Bayless has announced Lil Wayne, Rachel Nichols, Richard Sherman, Keyshawn Johnson and Michael Irvin as contributors to Undisputed when the show relaunches Aug. 28. Johnson’s deal, however, reportedly has not been finalized as he is still under contract with ESPN, even though the company laid him off in June.
But after Bayless recruited Irvin and Johnson to Undisputed, that caused Smith to chime in. And this week, Smith firmly stated on his The Stephen A. Smith Show podcast he is “not happy” about losing two of his former debate partners.
“I got profound love for Skip Bayless,” Smith admitted. “But as I’m sure most of you know, we can sit up there and say, ‘Our brothers from another mother,’ but it’s a little bit different than the love that you have for your brothers of the same ilk. And me, Keyshawn Johnson and Michael Irvin are just that.”
Smith has maintained he wanted Irvin back on First Take this NFL season, despite the fact that the former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver was accused of sexual misconduct earlier this year at a hotel during Super Bowl week. Irvin has strongly pushed back on the accusations with video evidence, despite initially admitting he did not remember the alleged encounter “because I had a few drinks.”
After losing Irvin and Johnson to Undisputed, Smith claims he’s ready for a competition.
“Some of you damn trolls out there have acted like I’m supposed to be quaking in my boots because of the new lineup,” Smith said. “I don’t roll like that. I don’t give a sh*t about competition. I live for it. And as far as I’m concerned? Let’s get it on.”
The evidence of “trolls” that Smith provided was an article that read, “Skip Bayless’s popular talk show Undisputed.” Smith asked, if Undisputed is popular, “what does that make First Take?”
Maybe Smith is reading too many Twitter mentions. No one in the media is claiming Undisputed has a bigger linear audience than First Take, and no one thinks the addition of Irvin and Johnson will put Bayless’ show over the top.
Undisputed landing Irvin and Johnson while Smith recruited Sharpe to First Take is interesting. But it’s not going to change the fact that ESPN typically has a bigger audience than FS1. Yet Smith’s competitiveness seems to be creating this false narrative of the media world predicting his downfall, and it’s just not the reality.
