Skip Bayless tends to dramatize things that deserve zero dramatization, but his theatrical performance ability can tell one hell of a story about road rage.
On the latest episode of The Skip Bayless Show podcast, the Fox Sports host detailed his involvement in a recent road rage incident, of which Bayless was the victim. Before recapping the incident that featured Bayless contemplating getting his golf clubs out of the trunk to defend himself against an enraged person with a handgun, we will note that no one was harmed.
According to Bayless, while driving home from the Brentwood Country Club in his 800hp vehicle during rush hour traffic, he attempted to cut around someone who slammed on their brakes. In doing so, Bayless nearly sideswiped another car. Bayless said all the vehicles involved avoided any accident and the Fox Sports host just chalked it up to typical Los Angeles traffic.
“I went on about my business, I accelerated back up to 40mph or so and I suddenly realized that the driver who had flown past me, was slowing down so that I could pull up beside him, which I did,” said Bayless. “He was gesturing wildly at me so I immediately pointed to myself and I mouthed to him. ‘my fault, sorry.’ But he appeared to get even angrier.”
Skip Bayless saying “my fault, sorry” is a headline in itself. If you’ve consumed any Bayless content in recent decades, you will know that admitting he’s wrong is not something that occurs very often, if ever, at least publicly.
“He sped back up for a moment and then he slowed back down beside me,” Bayless continued. “And, are you ready for this? He held up his handgun for me to see. Held it right up in the driver’s side window for me to see. Again, this made absolutely no sense to me, so I tried again, pointing to myself and mouthing, ‘no, no, no, no, no, no, no, my fault, sorry.’”
If the first mouthing of an apology drew a handgun, I probably would have advised Bayless or anyone in that situation to not offer a second apology. But this is where the story begins to take a turn into an episode of First Take or Undisputed, with Bayless reminding everyone of his stubborn desire to win every debate.
“I have my pride,” Bayless said. “I didn’t want to look like I was turning tail and running, even though that’s probably what I should have done…but you know how I am. I knew I was in the right here, even though I was wrong to have made him swerve, I was right in that I was trying to profusely apologize.”
After replaying what happened, Bayless explained that he later began to assume the road rager was misinterpreting his exaggerated gestures as some sort of challenge, which may have prompted the gun to be flashed. Despite the second apology, the enraged driver still was not ready to forgive Bayless.
“In another shock to me, he yanked his car sideways,” Bayless continued. “Cutting across my lane and blocking my lane, obviously still crazed with road rage. He gets out of his car and starts walking toward mine.”
According to the Undisputed host, he did not see the pistol as the road rager approached him.
“In my younger days, I just might have gotten out of that car, which obviously could have been the single dumbest move I could have ever made,” Bayless admitted. “I did not have a weapon other than my golf clubs in the trunk. So I have no idea what exactly I would have tried to do. Go John Wick on him, try to disarm him, beat the unholy hell out of him in front of the many motorists who are now looking on, if not filming this.”
Bayless, however, didn’t need to do any of that, recognizing that maybe he can be saved by his own recognizability. Bayless also hopefully recognized that despite being in excellent shape, a 70-year-old sports host attempting to fight a 30-year-old with a gun would completely flip the narrative as to who the crazy person is in this story. Instead, as the enraged person approached his 800hp “rocket ship” of a vehicle, Bayless took his sunglasses off, looked the person in the eye and firmly said “get back in your car.”
“And thank god, he did,” Bayless acknowledged. “It’s possible, that recognizability did save me.”
Seriously though, we’re glad no one was harmed in the incident.
