Why Skip Bayless’ First Take Return Was More Tribute Than Sports Debate
"The ratio between current discussion and recycled nostalgia felt completely out of balance. This approach seemed better suited for a podcast audience than a network television production." The post Why Skip Bayless’ First Take Return Was More Tribute Than Sports Debate appeared first on Barrett Media.
Skip Bayless made his return to the set of First Take on ESPN earlier today. It was his first time on ESPN television since departing the program he helped launch almost a decade ago. While the reunion between Bayless and Stephen A.
Smith wasn’t their first since then, the stage was set for the return of what once defined the age of sports debate television. The program opened with a sense of nostalgia, a theme that carried throughout the two-hour broadcast. Following an opening montage of moments that captured the audience’s attention years ago, the lights came on and the cameras went live on ESPN.
Bayless and Smith joined host Shae Cornette in a Los Angeles-based studio, ready to deliver for the Worldwide Leader. “I’m back. Here I’m dressed for a funeral, but it’s your funeral,” said Bayless, eager to begin the program and his battle with Smith.
You could tell Bayless was ready to own the moment. He had been off ESPN television for almost a decade, and it felt clear that he believed he needed to reintroduce himself. However, instead of diving into what had happened since his departure, Bayless used the opening moment to express gratitude for Smith’s work on the program.
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