Monday, I saw Skip Bayless walking up Beverly Drive towards Wilshire Blvd as I was walking down towards Charleville Blvd. He wore aviator glasses that looked like the ones Jerry Jones wears. My Anglo-Saxon reserve won out over my Jewish enthusiasm and I did not approach him. I’m still kicking myself for that. I wanted to tell him my Tom Landry story. And what Lowell Cohn said about him. And I fantasized that we’d become friends and we’d cohost his show on Fox.
I’ve been a huge Skip Bayless fan since I started reading his nationally syndicated articles in 1982. Skip makes me feel alive, it’s like watching porn. Colors are more vivid, life is more exciting, vistas of of previously unexperienced pleasure open up in front of you.
The first time I saw Tom Landry in person, was December 22, 1986 at Candlestick Park. I was covering the game for KAHI/KHYL radio. San Francisco won 31-16, despite the Cowboys having many opportunities to run away with the game in the first half. It would be Dallas’s last season in the playoffs under Landry.
I went into the locker room and after listening to the leading 49er players speak from the podium, I headed towards the Cowboys room. On my way, I saw Tom Landry speaking to several reporters. I stopped and listened in. Tom was saying, “Well, I haven’t spoken to Skip Bayless in several years…”
Nov. 7, 2008, I interviewed San Francisco sports writer Lowell Cohn.
Luke: “Where would you place Skip Bayless as a writer?”
Lowell: “I know Skip because he worked at the San Jose Mercury News. We’re friendly. I would place Skip in the category of someone who’s connected. When he was a sportswriter, he was extremely well connected. He always knew that day what was the main issue in sports that day. He also could stir up controversy. Do I think he’s a great stylist? Not particularly. Was he an effective columnist? He was really good.”
In 2013, Skip told the Washington Post nine essential points about him, including: “The No. 1 thing you should know about me: I’ve always tried to put God first in my life, and I’m the first to admit I often have failed because I’m too proud and too stubborn. When I was a little kid going to Methodist church, I actually envisioned one day that I would become a minister but I never pursed that. Now, if I have any regret — if I wasn’t doing this job, I would be an orthopedic surgeon, because I like to help people. …I’m not trying to come across as pious because I’m not. But it’s bigger than most people know about me.”
How does Skip’s life demonstrate that God is his number one value? How is his life different for putting God first compared to if Skip were an atheist? I couldn’t tell you.
I didn’t particularly enjoy the pairing of Shannon Sharpe with Skip Bayless. Most of this type of content is Joe Rogan tier aka Goop for men.
From the July 12, 2023 article:
* One [Bayless] was a reserved former sports writer from Oklahoma who watched games in his hotel room all night, woke up at dawn to run for an hour and memorized a daily packet of notes to prepare for debates. The other [Stephen A. Smith] was a magnetic former newspaperman from New York who hated jogging, spent his nights in noisy arenas and sometimes rolled into the pre-show meeting with minutes to spare.
* The duo of Bayless and Smith — the television equivalent of baking soda and vinegar — lasted fewer than four years. Yet it changed the face of ESPN, the most powerful entity in sports media; led to a host of imitators; and inspired countless arguments about the role of television and cable news itself.
* In almost every instance, whenever a spike [in ratings] occurred, there was one reason:
Skip Bayless.
* Bayless was the kind of guy who bought a Camaro for the horsepower but said he only accelerated to the speed limit.
“Skip is a church mouse,” said Parker. “That’s his personality.”
* “There’s not a single person that prepares more for their job than Skip Bayless,” said Kevin Reeder, longtime “First Take” producer.
Above all, he formed arguments that forced people — whether out of agreement or anger — to react.
* Horowitz knew the show needed to center on Bayless… No one in the focus groups ever talked about Bayless’ debate partners on the show.
* When the numbers revealed that around 50 percent of the “First Take” audience was Black…
