Skip Bayless once had it all, but it fell out of his hands when he and Shannon Sharpe were no longer on the same show.
That one decision of him leaving Fox Sports has led to Skip Bayless making his own shocking decision this week.
Back in 2016, Bayless decided to leave ESPN to join Fox Sports and create his own version of the show: Undisputed. The ratings were great, the show was regularly going viral, and things were headed in the right direction.
Fast-forward to 2024, and now, according to the New York Post, Bayless is set to leave his role as co-host of Undisputed. His final show will be later this summer.
“It is the end of an era at FS1. Skip Bayless is leaving his role as co-host of “Undisputed” at the network after eight years, The Post has learned. His final show will be later this summer,” Ryan Glasspiegel wrote for the outlet. “Bayless referred The Post to Fox Sports PR, which declined to comment.”
BREAKING: Skip Bayless is leaving FS1, per @nypost
His last show will be later this summer. pic.twitter.com/Jm62C8cNwf
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) July 15, 2024
His decision comes one year after Undisputed’s long-time co-host Shannon Sharpe left the show and took his talents to ESPN to be on First Take with Stephen A. Smith.
Once Undisputed returned from its hiatus, the struggles to keep the show afloat continued month after month.
Not even the NFL Draft and NBA playoffs could give Undisputed a boost as they earned its second-worst ratings since returning from hiatus in April.
It was reported on April 25th that the Skip Bayless talk show averaged just 45,000 viewers on the morning of the first round of the NFL Draft.
On the morning of the NFL Draft and a Lakers playoff game, the FS1 talk show “Undisputed” averaged 45,000 viewers — its second-smallest audience since returning from hiatus last fall.
— Sports Media Watch (@paulsen_smw) April 29, 2024
Skip Bayless Learned Nothing From Past Experience As He And Richard Sherman Got Heated on Undisputed
Richard Sherman was one of many faces that showed up on the revamped Undisputed show after Shannon Sharpe left.
Sherman and Bayless have had issues in the past, but things seemed to be fine until one episode, when Sherman appeared visibly frustrated with Bayless.
In November, the two of them, along with Keyshawn Johnson, were debating hip-drop tackles.
Sherman defended the practice during the debate and took a jab at Bayless, saying, “You’re not speaking from experience, so stop raising your voice, Skip.”
Bayless fired back by bringing up covering the league longer than Sherman played in it.
Sherman wasn’t having it.
“You’re speaking on something you have no experience doing,” Sherman told Bayless. “You’ve covered the game? I’ve actually played the game longer than you ever played! What we’re talking about is something that actually happens in the game that you can’t experience unless you play it.”
