Ex-ESPN president reveals reason for parting ways with Skip Bayless despite First Take’s immense success - “Star of the show was Stephen A”

From 2012 to 2016, Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless were the most popular sportscaster duo in America thanks to their fiery debates and arguments on ESPN's First Take. However, it all ended when Bayless left for Fox Sports.

On Wednesday, The Athletic published a comprehensive history of the highly popular hot take show. Among other things, it interviewed former network president John Skipper; and when asked why Bayless left, he said that he had undervalued the future Undisputed host:

“We waited too long,” Skipper said. “We valued Stephen A. more than we valued Skip. … We just felt that Skip was the foil and the star of the show was Stephen A.”

Smith later denounced the article on his eponymous show, noting that it had been endorsed by people no longer associated with the program:

“It was basically a puff piece and an endorsement for Skip Bayless. I have no problem with a nice piece for Skip Bayless…but when you’re writing a piece about First Take and you’re talking to everybody from the past, what exactly is it that you’re trying to say?”

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Skip Bayless' other show Undisputed is facing troubles

First Take is now not the only time Skip Bayless has struggled to mesh well with his co-workers, as recent reports have hinted at backstage trouble over at Fox Sports and more particularly Undisputed.

The departure of former co-host and Hall-of-Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe has already been well-documented; but even afterwards, the show is still encountering difficulties. Last week, Bayless announced that Undisputed would return to the airwaves only on Aug. 28, just in time for the new NFL season.

So why the long wait? And why has there still been no announcement regarding a co-host, even though multiple candidates, both internal and external, have been linked to the position?

According to Front Office Sports, it is because prospective successors to Sharpe do not want to deal with the 71-year-old's micromanaging of the show. A source recently told the website:

“Nothing happens on that show without Skip. They chose Skip over everything else. You can’t tweet about him, talk about him, anything – or they call you into the office. On ‘Undisputed,’ he makes all the calls, even when he’s off."

They further stated:

“Skip is not going to hire anybody who challenges him – and he’s going to make the hire. So it’s a crazy deal. And here’s the kicker: you have to be willing to work with Skip, you’re going to have to put up with some s**t, he has to approve of you. And you have to get up at 3:30 in the morning.”