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Stephen A. Smith has opened up on his relationship with Skip Bayless during a recent appearance on JJ Redick's "The Old Man and the Three" podcast. Smith said that after joining ESPN's "First Take," the ratings for the show increased. However, Bayless refuted Smith's statements.
Smith revealed to Redick and Tommy Alter last week that Bayless had approached him about joining "First Take" in 2012. The colorful analyst accepted his collegue's offer and has claimed to help the show increase its ratings. Bayless left ESPN in 2016, with Smith becoming the face of the network.
"I need you. I've done all that I could to take this as far as it can go," Bayless told Smith. "I need you to do this for me, please. Just give me three years, I think we'll knock it out of the park."
He continued:
"I thought about it. Those were clearly my best options," Smith said. "They weren't about to give me my own show or anything like that at the time. I thought about it for a couple days and said I'd do it. One month later, we were number one, and we've been number one ever since."
Bayless responded to Smith's comments on his "The Skip Bayless Show." The Fox Sports commentator made it clear that he loves Smith like a brother but refuted the latter's comments made on Redick's podcast.
"Stephen A. Smith made some statements on JJ Redick’s podcast last week that flat out blindsided me," Bayless said. "That stung me to the core, that ultimately made me angry and made my wife Ernestine even angrier. ... How can you save and make a show that was already as big a billion to one success story as ESPN had ever seen?"
He continued:
"The ratings and revenue were impossibly great when Stephen A. joined me in 2012. With Stephen A. as my partner, 'First Take' would never touch the NFL Monday ratings that it hit in 2011, pre-Stephen A."
Stephen A. Smith releases statement in response to Skip Bayless' comments
Several hours after Skip Bayless responded to his comments, Stephen A. Smith released a statement to diffuse the situation. Smith was adamant that he did not tell any lies, while also showing his love back to Bayless, who called him a brother.
Smith explained that Bayless did carry "First Take" from 2007 till he joined in 2012. He added that Bayless approached him to help carry the show to new heights. Smith then went on to acknowledge that without Bayless giving him the hosting gig, he would not have the success he has today.
"Because of his decision, I've enjoyed the success I have," Smith wrote. "Because of him, I've become what I've become at ESPN. Skip Bayless is my brother. I will always love this man, and I will always be grateful."
