Anyone who loves sports is bound to have a pretty strong opinion of Skip Bayless, and it’s very likely negative.
That’s sort of the whole point of Bayless’ job.
But while he is now out on his own since leaving FS1, the 72-year-old still has not one single regret about how he comported himself in a career on television — or anything he said.
In an interview on South Beach Sessions with Dan Le Batard released Thursday, Bayless defended numerous run-ins with famous sports figures and explained why he stands behind “every word” he’s ever said as a sports debater.
“I work hard at what I do. I think hard about what I’m going to say. I don’t go off half-cocked. I have slept on my opinion, it is in concrete, and it has dried completely when I go onto the air,” Bayless said. “I stand behind every word I have ever uttered on live television.”
In a book on the Dallas Cowboys released in the 1990s, Bayless gave voice to rumors that quarterback Troy Aikman was gay. While Aikman, for a time, threatened legal action, Bayless said those rumors were an open secret and needed to balance out all the tidbits Aikman gave for the book.
No regrets.
In fact, Bayless said he and Aikman are friendly now and text regularly.
During the Miami Heat Big 3 era in the 2010s, Bayless came up with the nickname “Bosh Spice” for center Chris Bosh. The moniker was intended to compare Bosh to a Spice Girl and make fun of what Bayless believed was soft play.
Pressed on the nickname now, Bayless said he still likes it — the perfect phrase to explain how he saw Bosh then.
No regrets.
In recent years, 2017 NBA MVP Russell Westbrook pled with Bayless to stop using the name “Westbrick” to refer to him. Westbrook explained that his son was hearing the name at school and that he took it as disrespectful to his family.
Bayless believes the name is simply accurate for the career 44 percent shooter.
No regrets.
In 2022, Bayless clashed with Undisputed cohost Shannon Sharpe on-air during a debate over Tom Brady’s performance in what would be his final season. Bayless made the debate personal by comparing Brady’s accolades to Sharpe’s and insinuating that Sharpe was jealous before demanding that Sharpe put his glasses back on his face to continue their conversation.
Bayless insists he was shocked when Sharpe left the network months later and that the segment was just an example of their “go for the throat debate” format.
No regrets.
Maybe you don’t get as far as Skip Bayless by looking backward, but even heading toward retirement at 72, Bayless still holds his head high.
Beyond simply standing by his own hard work, he refuses to give an inch on any of his analysis or tone from 50 years in the business.
No regrets.
