Skip Bayless did not enjoy Saturday's Gonzaga-UCLA game because he thought it ended on a 'lucky' shot. Fox pays this guy $8M a year for you to get pissed at him on Twitter, while mid-market. On Tuesday, bored and out of other sports segments to litigate, Fox Sports 'Undisputed' co-hosts Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe decided to debate Steph Curry's standing among the NBA's all-time.
Skip Bayless is, arguably, the biggest troll in the sports media world, as the FS1 personality often ruffles feathers and straight up pisses people off with his hot takes every day on the show Undisputed. And while the 68-year-old Bayless may have even outdone himself with the comments he recently made regarding Dak Prescott’s depression following the death of the Cowboys QB’s brother, it doesn’t seem as if they’ll impact his upcoming contract negotiations with FOX, per sources.
That’s according to Front Office Sports‘ Michael McCarthy, who detailed some information regarding Skip’s soon-to-come expiring contract with the network, which was originally signed in 2016 after FOX poached Bayless from ESPN for a whopping $5.5 million over four years (which included a $4 million signing bonus).
From a reliable source: Fox Sports is paying Skip Bayless in neighborhood of $5.5 million per for four years, plus a $4M signing bonus.
— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) April 28, 2016
Per McCarthy, while most networks don’t get this far down the line when it comes to a talent’s contract — and, from the report, the Prescott remarks did cause a “bump” in negotiations — Skip Bayless is still in line to get a raise from FOX. What that increase in salary might be isn’t yet known, but considering he earns $5.5 million at the moment for being an instigator in bad takes, it sure does pay to be the “bad guy” in sports media.
There have been talks about Bayless reuniting with his former TV partner Stephen A. Smith at ESPN’s “First Take.” The former sparring partners call each other their “brother from another mother” and have made no secret of their desire to work together again.
Drivers prottoss electronic laboratory. But the pending TV free agent wants to stay with FS1 in Los Angeles and Fox executives want to keep Bayless, sources said.
Still, nothing is finalized yet. The negotiations between 68-year-old Bayless and Fox are going right down to the wire since his current contract is set to expire this month, said sources.
…
However, the recent controversy involving Bayless’ comments about Prescott put a major bump in negotiations, said sources.
Although Skip Bayless never apologized for his comments regarding Prescott, FOX did release a statement saying that, while they didn’t agree with the outspoken analyst’s opinion, they did support him — which seemed to be a sign that a contract extension is sure to come.
“At FOX Sports, we are proud of Dak Prescott for publicly revealing his struggle with depression and mental health. No matter the cause of the struggles, FOX Sports believes Dak showed tremendous courage which is evident in both his leadership on the Dallas Cowboys and in his character off the field,” the network said in a statement. “We do not agree with Skip Bayless’ opinion on ‘Undisputed’ this morning. We have addressed the significance of this matter with Skip and how his insensitive comments were received by people internally at Fox Sports and our audience.”
Despite the insensitive remarks, Undisputed‘s audience reportedly grew by hundreds of thousands following Bayless’ take on Prescott, so, while FOX can play the company line on this one, deep down, the controversy led to more viewership; which, ultimately, is what Skip’s paid to bring in.
(H/T The Spun)
© Provided by The Big LeadSkip Bayless is the host of Undisputed alongside Shannon Sharpe, one of Fox Sports' daily studio shows. The controversial sports media star has many a hot take to galvanize the masses and presumably lead you here, curious about how Bayless has gotten to where he is.
Bayless attended Vanderbilt University for journalism and got his first job at the Miami Herald. He then jumped to the Los Angeles Times before heading to Texas to work for the Dallas Morning News and then the Dallas Times Herald. He wrote several books on the '90s Cowboys during his time down south. After that, he headed to the Windy City and became the lead sports columnist for the Chicago Tribune. Bayless left the print journalism industry as his main occupation in 2001. He was hired by ESPN in 2004 to host shows and write columns. In 2007, Bayless was named a host of First Take, where he worked until parting ways with ESPN in 2016. That's when he joined FOX and started Undisputed.
Here's everything else you need to know about Bayless.
Skip Bayless Twitter
Here is a link to Bayless' Twitter account, which will probably get you worked up. But you knew that already.
Skip Bayless Wife
Bayless is married to Ernestine Sclafani. Unlike many media personalities, Bayless talks about his wife a lot on air. She even wrote a book for partners of sports fans, filled with advice from her years as the wife of a man whose job is to constantly be aware of the sports environment. This book is entitled Balls: How to keep your relationship alive when you live with a sports-obsessed guy.
At Real Skip Bayless
Skip Bayless Net Worth
Celebrity Net Worth gives Bayless a net worth of $13 million, a number that is unconfirmed.
Skip Bayless Age
Bayless is 68-years-old and in pretty great shape for a dude in his late 60s.
Skip Bayless Salary
Bayless reportedly makes $6 million a year working at FOX, according to an article written by Mike McCarthy of Front Office Sports in May 2020. Bayless' contract expires in September.
Skip Bayless Instagram
Here is a link to Bayless' Instagram account, where he mostly shows off his drip instead of his takes. Speaking of which..
Skip Bayless Drip Bayless
Bayless has earned a reputation for posting his outfits and has adopted the nickname Drip Bayless. He's a big fan of posting pictures of himself in Jordans. For those who don't know, Drip is a term for style. It's a bit tongue-in-cheek, but Bayless definitely has better taste than most men his age.
Skip Bayless Lil Wayne
Skip Bayless Twitter Feed
One of the most unlikely friendships in sports media history exists between Bayless and rapper Lil Wayne. Wayne is a big Packers fan and has made many appearances on Undisputed to hang out with Bayless to shoot the bull about his team. He also let the media personality drive around his Lambo in Miami during the 2020 Super Bowl