<![CDATA[Deadspin: Skip Bayless]]> http://cache.gawker.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/deadspin.com.png <![CDATA[Deadspin: Skip Bayless]]> http://deadspin.com/tag/skip bayless http://deadspin.com/tag/skip bayless <![CDATA[ Media Approval Ratings: Skip Bayless ]]> It's kind of amazing to think that, at one point, Skip Bayless was one of the top up-and-coming sportswriters in the country. At the age of 25, Bayless was hired as lead columnist for the Dallas Morning News, an amazing opportunity. He embraced this job by constantly claiming Troy Aikman was gay. And they say bloggers are bad.

Now Bayless doesn't write at all, instead just playing fake contrarian on television. As we've put it, Tiger Woods could win every golf tournament for the next 10 years, and Skip Bayless would say, "yes, but why can't he fly?

We wonder if Bayless ever looks at what he's become and wondered how that could have possibly happened. We doubt it.

So: Do you like the Skip Bayless? Do you not like the Skip Bayless? Fire.

Gawker Media polls require Javascript; if you're viewing this in an RSS reader, click through to view in your Javascript-enabled web browser.

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Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:05:12 EDT Will Leitch http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5014547&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Honestly, if Skip Bayless isn't ridiculously ... ]]> Honestly, if Skip Bayless isn't ridiculously contrarian, but instead "passionate," well, then the man is worse off that we ever imagined. [The Fanhouse]

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Fri, 01 Feb 2008 14:50:38 EST Leitch http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=351607&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Behind The Scenes Of ESPN First Take ... Goin' Deep! ]]> jaycrawford2.jpgOur nation's educational system is in serious peril. How do we know? ESPN First Take's Jay Crawford is now showing up to massage our youth's tender young brains.

Crawford, who's a perfectly serviceable talking head who is a part of that whole sexual harassment lawsuit, ended up speaking to a group of college students last evening, and he claims that Skip Bayless is, of all things, an intense studier of game film.

At staff parties celebrating the show's anniversary, Bayless would often lock himself in a room by himself and watch games instead of hanging out with his co-workers, according to Crawford. Also, if Bayless came across a great game, he would TiVo it and watch the game, play-by-play, the next day.

This is a terrifying notion. We always assumed Bayless' histrionics were the result of ignorance. But if he actually has studied and believes all this crap ... Lord a heavens, his brain is an even scarier place that we imagined.

Jay Crawford: Skip Bayless Is Bizarre [Scott Proctor's Arm]
Propelled Forward, And Into The Air [Deadspin]

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Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:05:04 EST Leitch http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=319907&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ September 11: Perspectives From Bayless, Mariotti And Paige ]]> september11.jpgIt's the six-year anniversary of September 11 today, and we're not gonna make a huge thing about it, because everyone should grieve / remember in their own personal way. To commemorate the occasion, though, we thought it might be fun to step in the way back machine and see how three of our great political minds reacted to the situation in print at the time: Woody Paige, Jay Mariotti and Skip Bayless. Come with us.

All quotes are directly taken from columns written within the first four days after 9/11.

Woody Paige, Denver Post. "Miss Liberty bowed her head. From on high and nigh, she witnessed the horrifying cataclysm. There were tears in her eyes. And the nation cries with her. Denver was not torched, but it has been touched."

Jay Mariotti, Chicago Sun-Times. "Our local baseball managers have addressed the idea of a white-flag mentality and suggested players might not be inspired to resume the season, a folly when you consider firefighters and rescue teams are working around the clock and risking their lives."

Skip Bayless, San Jose Mercury News. "To my disgust, I spent Wednesday and Thursday hearing outrageously paid athletes tell us how irrelevant sports are and how they just didn't feel like playing. Will these eight-figure whiners tell us how 'truly unimportant' sports are before the next work stoppage? Do they think any of us felt like going to work Wednesday? Many in this country needed baseball and football to be played as soon as possible — baseball by Thursday or Friday, college football by Saturday, the NFL by today. This was the least sports could have done for us after all we've done for them."

Well played, guys: Words of which to be proud.

(To be fair, we all went a little overboard if we wrote too early after 9/11.)

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Tue, 11 Sep 2007 13:05:42 EDT Leitch http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=298532&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Skip Bayless Would Absolutely Tap That ]]>

Because "ESPN First Take" is a revolutionary step in the world of sports programming, Skip Bayless and whoever the other person forced to sit across from him was were discussing who should win ... the ESPYs. (Television at its finest!) Anyway, Bayless did little but drool over Arizona softball star Taryne Mowatt. Learning that Skip Bayless has sexual urges is terrifying, and caused the Futon Report to come up with this face-melting PhotoShop that we share with you, because, well, we don't want you to sleep tonight either.

Skip Bayless, Stop Talking About Taryne Mowatt Like That [The Futon Report]

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Thu, 28 Jun 2007 11:10:28 EDT Leitch http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=273148&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ ESPN Tries To Find Someone Who Can Match Skip Bayless' Intelligence ]]> stephenasmithearly.jpgSo you know how "Cold Pizza" is changing its name to "ESPN First Take" and moving from New York City to Bristol next month? You didn't know this? What's that you say? You don't care at all? Yeah. We can probably understand where you're coming from there.

Anyway, when the show "relaunches" May 7 — though it's staying in its oh-so-desirable 10 a.m. ET on ESPN2 time slot — it's going to try something "new." It's going to pit several different "personalities" in the unenviable position of facing off with Skip Bayless in an intellectual death match.

Patrick McEnroe, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith and ESPN.com columnist Jemele Hill will square off against Bayless, and each other, on the new ESPN First Take morning show, says Norby Williamson, ESPN's executive vice president of studio and remote production. Cold Pizza co-hosts Jay Crawford and Dana Jacobson will continue with the show. Bayless, McEnroe, Smith and Hill will headline a rotating group who'll debate during the 1st and 10 segments.

"We tried out a lot of people for the last three months or so," Williamson says. "The goal is to have a group the audience can identify with."

We appreciate what Norby — Norby! — is going for here; Jemele Hill is a new hire who needs to cut her TV teeth somewhere, Patrick McEnroe needs a job and Stephen A., well, they have to find something for him to do. Heck, 10 a.m. on a Tuesday afternoon is about to become can't-miss sports television, we are sure.

ESPN Shooting For Better A.M. Debates [USA Today]



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Mon, 16 Apr 2007 13:15:30 EDT Leitch http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=252525&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Cultural Oddsmaker: Who'll Be The Least Popular During ESPN The Weekend? ]]> espnwe1.jpgAJ Daulerio's Cultural Oddsmaker runs every Friday. Email him and let him know what you think.

It's prime time for Spring Break, and who deserves a wild weekend, meet-and-greet with some of its fans more than the staff of ESPN? That's right, Orlando, lock up your daughters: It's ESPN the Weekend. This is year four of the event that takes a bunch of current athletes, former athletes and ESPN personalities and unleashes them upon Disney's landscape. And, you, YOU, lucky fan and admirer of the WWL can interact with these people in a Magical Kingdom, within groping distance of all of these sports luminaries and dimly lit sports reporting personalities.

Notables from the sports world scheduled to appear include: Ben Roethlisberger, David Robinson, Drew Brees, Roger Clemens, Devin Hester, Roy Oswalt and, amazingly, former Dodgers manager Swirly Lasorda. Mangia!

The ESPNers scheduled include: Peter Gammons, Mike Golic, Dan Patrick, Lemme Know, Linda Cohn, Karl Ravech and El Wingo.

Noticeably absent from the ESPN promo team? Salisbury and Berman. Salisbury, well, he knows Orlando is Cougar central, and he likes them a bit younger, so he's probably going lone wolf in Bristol this weekend, maybe taking in a matinee of Wild Hogs. But Berman? He's emceed a bunch of these things, but you're telling me that the man who is arguably the most recognizable face on the Network is unavailable to attend a meet-and-greet with a delirious family-friendly fan base? Really. He's not into that sort of thing? Weekender in Florida with all of his buddies and hanging out doing the New Year's Eve countdown at Pleasure Island every night? Yeah, I'm sure he voluntarily sat that one out.

As most of us know, any kind of work trip or class trip usually has its own little cliques. And most of the fans this week who've plunked down their hard-earned cash to, hopefully, ride Space Mountain with Chris McKendry (not a euphemism — well, maybe it is) will naturally gravitate toward the athletes/ESPN personalities they find most recognizable and appealing. That'll result in very lonely moments for some of the lesser known, lesser liked personalities who will find themselves sitting in the Mad Teacups all by themselves this weekend as Stu Scott fights off the boo-yahing hordes and Dan Patrick tries to close the deal with Snow White.

So I'm putting on my Captain Neo glasses, maxing out my Dick's Sporting Goods gift cards and placing odds on the ESPN personalities who'll be the least popular at the WWL's Disney Weekend.

Let's pants Mike Greenberg in the Hall of Presidents, after this jump ...

karabell45.jpg

Eric Karabell: 2/1

When he's not being mistaken for John Clayton's son, Karabell will most likely be spending a lot of his time trapped in his hotel room because, unfortunately, he's got his Northeast Regional 5x5 Elite baseball draft this weekend and he's determined not to let Howie Kendrick slip past round six this time. So, he might catch up with some of the guys later on Saturday night, but he has to get up at the crack of dawn Sunday morning to drive down to Clearwater because Cole Hamels is supposed to be throwing BP. And how could he possibly miss that?

destrade-1.jpg

Orestes Destrade: 3/1

Even though he's become a major contributor to "Baseball Tonight," Destrade is kind of caught in the middle between unmemorable major league baseball player and not-so-recognizable ESPN personality. Plus, it doesn't help that he's probably the nerdiest looking Cuban ex-baseball player on the planet. So, in order to not feel out of place all weekend, he'll most likely spend a lot of time with his family, standing in line at EPCOT Center and spending thousands of dollars to get his wife and children matching leather Universal Studios jackets. You're a stud, Orestes. A big fucking Cuban stud.

siebelasdfa.jpg

John Seibel: 2/1

You may not recognize John Seibel, but you'll be able to pick him out by the "I'm sorry, who are you again?" responses he gets when he attempts to get special treatment at all Disney events this weekend. It won't help that Steve Phillips still think he's the summer intern and keeps asking him to call the front desk at his hotel to make sure he's got enough pillows.

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Skip Bayless: 1/1

"Hi. My name's Skip. I work for Cold Pizza. Do you want a picture with me?" His enormous ego will get the best of him, and Bayless will find it unconscionable that some of the fans down here for The Weekend wouldn't want him to accompany them in the Haunted House. Look for Skip to follow around a bunch of the better known ESPNers, inserting himself into pictures and chastising people who don't know who he is. I'm Skip. Skip Bayless. Cold Pizza?

schawb23.jpg

Howie Schwab: 1/4

Ugh. Is there ever a situation in life where this guy would ever be a welcome addition to your social circle? I'm sure Stu Scott will be trying to shake Howie all weekend, or else he'll spend his after hours at 8 Trax trying to lasso Orlando ponies with a wingman who'll try to seduce women with his ability to name every Hartford Whaler from the 80s in alphabetical order — backwards. If you're heading down to Orlando, expect to find Schwab spending a lot of his downtime wandering around Tomorrowland by himself after he was told that "everybody was meeting up there around 9 p.m." Plus, when he does get recognized, it'll be by a bunch of meatheads, grabbing their crotches and yelling "Hey Schwab! Stump this!".

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Fri, 02 Mar 2007 14:30:26 EST Leitch http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=241142&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ I Smell A Buddy Cop Movie ]]> duncanbayless.jpgThere are certain sentences that you just never imagined yourself typing, and here's one of them. Yesterday on Cold Pizza, Michael Clarke Duncan accused Skip Bayless of "putting him on front street."

In the most exciting bit of pregame Super Bowl XLI hype yet, Duncan and Bayless got into it after Duncan accused Bayless of being a poor analyst, and then Bayless accused Duncan of being a bandwagon jumper. Then, Duncan put his hand on Bayless's junk and cured a bladder infection.

You can download the audio right here. That last part might not have really happened.

While you're trying to process the visual image of Skip Bayless and Michael Clarke Duncan hanging out together at the pool ... it's hard to call a winner in this one. In Bayless's favor, it really didn't seem like Duncan could name a non-Grossman or non-Urlacher Bear. In Duncan's favor, Skip Bayless is Skip Bayless.

But then again, if that "Ron Grossman" thing is true ... well, game, set, match to Skip Bayless. If it's not true, though, then Skip Bayless is just a gigantic asshole.

"Cold Pizza" Fight [Online Sports Guys]
Michael Clarke Duncan's "Cold Pizza" Rant [OSG Sports Radio]

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Sat, 27 Jan 2007 12:30:00 EST mjdeadspin http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=231986&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Don't Forget That Skip's Leaving Too! ]]> deadspinabylessend.jpgAs the Daily Quickie goes to that big Internet scrap heap in the sky, we remind you that a truly joyous occasion is also happening this week: Skip Bayless is leaving Page 2 for good.

We were hoping someone would do this, and Awful Announcing has obliged us: A (mostly) complete rundown of the most ridiculous statements Bayless has made, by year. Frankly, there are so many to choose from — we're reminded of the great "if Skip Bayless covered the crucifixion" parody — that any list is going to seem incomplete. You can pretty much pick any Bayless column at any time, choose a line and wonder if this human is actually made of the same bile and blood and piss and shit as the rest of us.

So yeah: Fun game.

Best/Worst Of Skip Bayless: 2004 [Awful Announcing]
It's The End Of A Cranky, Twerpy Era At Page 2 [Deadspin]
If Skip Bayless Covered The Crucifixion [Deadspin]

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Thu, 31 Aug 2006 15:45:05 EDT Leitch http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=197922&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ It's The End Of A Cranky, Twerpy Era At Page 2 ]]> deadspinabylessend.jpgIt appears that Dan Shanoff isn't the only Page 2 writer leaving this week. And though you may or may not think Shanoff's departure is a good thing, we're pretty sure you will be happy about this one.

According to several sources, and now backed up by The Big Lead, this is the final week for everybody's favorite Big Bag of Douche Skip Bayless. He is leaving Page 2 after an ill-considered term there, where his brand of, uh, Contrarian Assholianess never seemed to fit in with jokes about reality shows and "24 College Avenue." No official statement has been made, but don't expe

Alas, Bayless is not leaving the network entirely; he will continue his nasal diatribes at "Cold Pizza," though unless you're the type of person who likes to watch your morning shows at 11 a.m., that shouldn't affect your lives too much.

Bayless schtick, of course, has always been to play a role as "villain," as if taking ridiculous, nonsensical stances on topics and having readers justifiably call him an idiot somehow constituted "debate." We're sure someone will miss him, somewhere. Maybe.

Have We Finally Seen the Last of Skip Bayless on ESPN.com's Page 2? [The Big Lead]
Why Your Hometown Columnist Sucks [Deadspin]

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Mon, 28 Aug 2006 15:00:02 EDT Leitch http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=197058&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Clipping Coupons At "Cold Pizza" ]]> coldpizzaohno.jpgWe know we pick on "Cold Pizza" a little more than we should around here; it's kind of an easy target sometimes, and besides, since we're here by ourselves all day, it's the only thing on. It's not as bad a show as, say, "Quite Frankly" or "Teammates," which is not to say it will ever be confused with anything good.

And perhaps we should enjoy "Cold Pizza" as much as we can, while we can, because if a recent memo from a "Cold Pizza" coordinating producer fired around the office can be believed, times are even tougher over there than we thought.

Please be judicious with your use of the Cold Pizza index cards. We have used twice as many of these cards in the last couple of months as we have in the past ... and they are expensive. These cards are essentially for on-air talent questions/scripts items and they look good on camera. Please use regular index cards for off-air research, bullet points and production needs.
Thanks.

The memo fails to include: "Also, the post-it notes Woody Paige uses for his slapstick predictions segment are specifically chosen for how well they reflect off Paige's face on camera. They are very expensive. Please use the generic brand Post-It notes ... and try to limit yourself to one. Oh, and all staffers attempting to speak with Mr. Bayless off camera should stop. You are upsetting his concentration."

"Cold Pizza" [ESPN]


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Thu, 23 Mar 2006 12:30:19 EST Leitch http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=162474&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ If Skip Bayless Covered The Crucifixion ]]> deadspinmorebayless.jpgWhat kind of columns would Skip Bayless write if he had been covering world events throughout history? Lord knows, we'd never thought to ask that question, but fortunately, someone has. And it's a riot. Some highlights:

Posted on June 7, 1944.
"...Let me get this straight, we sent how many tanks and planes over there, it s already been one full day and they still haven t made it off of those beaches. Give me a break. How much money is being spent on that army again? Well, I know I won t be cheering for the abolition of fascism in Europe if this continues..."
Posted on June 8, 36 AD
"...I think people should settle down about this whole resurrection thing. Even if he did rise from his tomb to the heavens, it's not like that makes him Moses all of a sudden. ... Trust me, this is no sacrifice on C's part...."

There are more. Hopefully, later on, they'll make even more.

Columns About Important Events In History By Alternate Universe Skip Bayless [Van Dusen Speaks]

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Wed, 15 Feb 2006 14:45:58 EST Leitch http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=155029&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ We Have To Ask ... ]]> Suggested questions for today's ESPN SportsNation chatters ...
11 a.m. NBA with Marc Stein: We can't help it — we wait for an NBA player to get injured just so we can hear you say "plantar fasciitis." Hee hee.
2 p.m. Scouts Inc.'s Todd McShay: Pitchers and catchers have already reported, we don't want to talk about the Senior Bowl. Beat it!
3:30 p.m. Cold Pizza's Skip Bayless: If your career were a Winter Olympic sport, we're pretty sure it would be curling.

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Tue, 14 Feb 2006 10:30:46 EST Rick Chandler http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=154619&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ It's Not Just Seattle That Hates The Refs ]]> skipbaylessyaryaryar.jpgA lot of what we've pointed out to you this morning has implied that the only people frustrated by the repeatedly terrible calls in last night's Super Bowl were angry Seahawks fans. We want to make clear that's hardly the case.

The most damning compilation of complaints is brought to us by Football Outsiders, in their big post-game wrapup. It got so bad that even Skip Bayless, who, as FO puts it, "would rather rip his own balls off with his teeth than say something nice about the city of Seattle," has trashed the officials.

We think the game was poorly officiated too, and it did seem to consistently go against the Seahawks, and though we don't think it was any kind of "fix," it's clear that the "bad officials" storyline is going to stick for a while. Some have said the outcry could lead to changes in the way the NFL structures its officiating, but they said that after the American League Championship Series in baseball too, and everyone's already forgotten about that.

What will be the lasting image of the game? Sadly, you know the NFL Films highlights will burn Jerome Bettis into our brain. We'll forget about the officials, because we'll forget about the game. Penalty flags, they just don't resonate through the decades, you know?

Audibles At The Line: Super Bowl [Football Outsiders]

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Mon, 06 Feb 2006 13:00:05 EST Leitch http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=152935&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ We Have To Ask ... ]]> Suggested questions for today's ESPN SportsNation chatters ...
11 a.m. MLB with Jerry Crasnick: Cuba should be allowed in the World Baseball Classic, because I would really like to see Castro be annoyed by a costumed mascot.
Live From the Super Bowl:
2 p.m. The Football Scientist KC Joyner: Can you measure my bewilderment at a site that uses "football" and "scientist" in the same sentence?
4 p.m. "Cold Pizza"'s Skip Bayless: Oh yes, your parents once had dreams. "Senator" Bayless. "Dr." Bayless. "Professor" Bayless. And what did you give them? "Cold Pizza's" Skip Bayless. Sad really. So very sad.

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Thu, 02 Feb 2006 10:40:41 EST Leitch http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=152280&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Why Your Hometown Columnist Sucks: Skip Bayless ]]> skipbaylessshot.jpgWe've been doing this feature for a while now, but this is the first time we've dressed in a tux to write it. Featuring Skip Bayless on Why Your Hometown Columnist Sucks is like having a play open on Broadway. Which play? Springtime For Hitler comes to mind — a subject so rancid, it can't help but bomb. And yet people flock to see it. You are repulsed, yet you cannot look away; like Nazis in a chorus line, or the New York Jets.

A while back we solicited your help in describing the phenomenon that is Skip Bayless, and you came through in grand style. We'll share several of your choicest comments a little later. But first, the vital statistics:

Name: Skip Bayless
Writes For: ESPN Page2.
Formerly Wrote For: Dallas Times, Dallas Morning News, Miami Herald, Chicago Tribune, San Jose Mercury News.
Born: Oklahoma City.
Attended: Vanderbilt.
Most Often Seen On: "Cold Pizza," "1st & 10," "The Jim Rome Show."
Nicknames: Skipper, Old Man Skippy, A1 Toolbox, Fish Hack, Scoop Brainless, The 40-Year-Old Virgin.
Best Description On A Message Board: "The man is pure evil and would boo at the Special Olympics." — Alex R.
Most Resembles: Beavis.
Best Moment: Eat it, Bayless.

You're a mean, one, Mr. Skip. We imagine Skip Bayless crouched over his laptop in the dark recess of his drafty cave-office high atop Mt. Crumpet, pondering the next Who down in Whoville which he will eviscerate with his terrible, pointy wit. Will it be Tom Landry? Steve Young? Black college basketball players? Place kickers? Innocent little kids? The list is endless — no one is safe. That's because Bayless is one of the founding members of the Cult of Shock Journalism, in which sportswriters, devoid of any real depth or insight or particular talent, instead rely on venomous attacks. Skip Bayless is the journalistic equivalent of a "Your Mother Is So Fat" joke. He's never actually met your mother, and chances are he stole the joke. But saying it loudly enough gets him noticed on the playground. Or, just think a slightly less masculine version of Ann Coulter.

Our favorite Skip Bayless story involves former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman. In his 1996 book "Hell-Bent," Bayless groundlessly speculates that Aikman might be gay. (We hate it when people do this.) Aikman, as rumor has it, went straight to his attorney to find out how much it would cost to beat the crap out of Bayless. Oh, what might have been. But Bayless knows this drill; he's perfected the whack-a-mole art of becoming a moving target. Dallas, Miami, Chicago, San Jose (?), he never stays in one place long enough for someone to pin him down and administer the thrashing he deserves. And now he's hidden in the matrix of ESPN.com, more elusive, and sensationalistic, than ever. It's sad, really. But what can one expect from a writer whose heart is three sizes too small?

But then, you knew all this. Excerpts from your Bayless stylings after the jump.

Skip Bayless must have been doing lines off the blackjack table in Vegas this week because I couldn't believe what he said. He said that Jay Cutler, from Vanderbilt, should be the #1 pick in the NFL draft. I just shook my head. I wonder if he's just an idiot who honestly thinks that or he just tries to be different from everyone else. I think he's just an idiot.

See, picking a Bayless column that stands out as the worst is hard to do. Considering he makes himself a constant spectacle of stupidity, it was hard. Still, here are the worst of the worst. His inability to understand any movie not presented in utterly linear fashion. His desire to limit the NCAA basketball tournament to major-conference teams. His ridiculous promotion of Mike Williams after the draft. His utterly impractical suggestion to eliminate kickers from the NFL. Of course, nothing will compare to his absolutely hemhorrage-inducing "feuds" with Barry Bonds and Terrell Owens.

If you can find it, look around at the Chicago Tribune archives for the letters to the editor about Skip leaving back in 2001. It's amazing how much hatred there was. Columns about how Sammy Sosa was a fraud and a jerk compared to the upstanding and friendly Barry Bonds, demeaning most of the other sports figures there...I believe it was taking on Joey Meyer that got him run out of town though.

Skip, I;d like to bash you over the head with this flaming crowbar covered in wasps.

You should ask Troy Aikman for his take on this talentless controversy making for controversy sake dickhead. After Bayless suggested Aikman may bat for the other team, Aikman reportedly asked his agent or lawyer what it would cost to punch Bayless. I hated every waking moment he was in my city of Chicago.

I can't even look at (his) picture. It burns. BURNS.

Bayless is as lazy as Woody Paige looks.

Skip Bayless Archive [ESPN]

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Tue, 13 Dec 2005 14:00:19 EST Leitch http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=142809&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Give Us Your Best Skip Bayless Stories ]]> skipbaylessshot.jpgWe've received a lot of feedback about our selection of The Boston Globe's Bob Ryan as today's bad hometown columnist, which can be broken down into the following percentages:

30 percent: Great pick. Deadspin is my number one choice for all my sports news. Is there anyway we can meet you sometime, so that we might hug you for bringing such joy into our lives?
35 percent: You're morons. Bob Ryan has more talent in his left nut than you dolts. You've probably never been laid.
35 percent: We can't believe you didn't do Dan Shaughnessy.

So, to support (for a week, anyway) solidarity among our readers, we'd like to solicit your opinion. We have already selected next week's winner: The infamous Skip Bayless, the guy who seems like everybody's least favorite columnist. (Even if his "hometown" is now Page 2.) We encourage you to send us your best Skip Bayless rants, either in the comments or at tips@deadspin.com. And you can also nominate future hometown columnists. But for now ... enjoy digging into Bayless. Sharpen those talons.

Why Your Hometown Columnist Sucks: Bob Ryan [Deadspin]
Skip Bayless Archive [Page 2]

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Tue, 06 Dec 2005 16:33:36 EST Leitch http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=141358&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Meet Our New Favorite Person ]]> morebaylessdeadspinstuffs.jpgHis name is William Hocutt, he's a law student at the University of Alabama, his blog can be found at Legalacidity.diaryland.com and he is our favorite person on earth. Mr. Hocutt is the sainted soul responsible for putting together and carrying the "Deadspin Says Cold Pizza Tastes Good!" sign on ESPN2's "Cold Pizza" this morning.

Needless to say, we think this guy is the greatest person we've ever known. We happily pass the mic to the man to tell the tale of his morning.

Getting up at 5:30 a.m. in mid 30s weather is usually not my idea of a good time, but it was well worth it. We hit a snag when we first got there as they wouldn't let you into the little fenced-off area behind the set if you had a sign on a stick — no worries, though, because we were able to stake out the sweet spot just over Skip's right shoulder.

After seeing Skip & Woody up close and in person, I'm completely convinced that Woody is mentally challenged. Seriously. The guy has problems that require professional help. I don't know if you caught my buddy's "SKIP BEATS HIS WOODY" sign, but when Woody came down to shake hands and sign autographs (total of one), he saw the sign, shook his head and said, "Skip's a dick!" Quite funny. When Woody got back up on the set, he tapped Skip on the shoulder and pointed at our sign; Skip just shrugged his shoulders and said, "It's true." You can't make up that kind of comedy.

I don't know if you caught the other side of my sign — the "Roll Tide" with the Deadspin link below it. I just watched back a little on Tivo and you could make it out pretty good, but not as good as the one you've got up on the site. Please show the rest of the country that yes, the South does have the Internet, and yes, we are a bunch of idiots who get up before sunrise to go watch Cold Pizza live.

We salute William Hocutt, University of Alabama law student and a True American Hero. We heretofore promise that any other reader who gets the name "Deadspin" on national television will be given a similar forum to this one. And beer. We'll send you some beer.

What a fun day this has been; it almost makes up for "Arrested Development" getting cancelled. Thanks, William!

Earlier: Yeah, Eat It, Bayless [Deadspin]

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Fri, 11 Nov 2005 15:30:07 EST Leitch http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=136846&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Yeah, Eat It, Bayless ]]>
We love all of our readers, but this morning ... we have our favorite. For today, at least.

"Cold Pizza" [Official Site]
Cold Pizza Archive [Deadspin]

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Fri, 11 Nov 2005 09:08:19 EST Leitch http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=136689&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Well, We Suppose It Was Inevitable ]]> This morning, ESPN2's "Cold Pizza" featured several mock "battles" between the "actors" from the Medieval Times "restaurant" chain. Afterwards, sports "analysts" Skip Bayless and Woody Paige gave them all hugs. And that's all we have to say about that.

"Cold Pizza" [Official Site]
Medieval Times [Official Site]

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Thu, 13 Oct 2005 11:52:44 EDT Leitch http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=130781&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ The Legacy Of Shapiro ]]> markshapiroatdesk.jpgWe've looked at what departing ESPN big momma Mark Shapiro did right during his reign atop the network and at what he did wrong. The real question is what the network will do now that the man responsible for its radical facelift over the last few years has gone. There will be no real "replacement" for Shapiro; the network is said to be spreading his job among several top executives, considered the only possible short-term solution. ESPN continues to post positive growth quarters, after all, even if many think its dominance of online is slipping.

But what of ESPN's culture? Will the programming continue to skew toward VH-1's? Will there be more "reality" shows — a strange notion for a television station based around live events with no predetermined outcome — like the upcoming Bob Knight walk-on show be the new linchpin? Will the building-up of ESPN2-exclusive programming continue? Will someone please do something about Mario Lopez?

The future of those known to have Shapiro-favored status is also in question, including Skip Bayless, Stuart Scott and, most notoriously, Stephen A. Smith. How long can money be spent on a show with lower ratings than informercials? ESPN will remain the major force on the sports landscape, thanks in very large part to Shapiro's leadership, but there's still a mindset that, in leaving to work for Daniel Snyder (of all people), Shapiro is bolting just in time. After all, the only way to go, at this point, is down.

The Doc Is Not In [NY Post] (second item)

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Fri, 30 Sep 2005 17:04:06 EDT Leitch http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=128546&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Mark Shapiro's Many Missteps ]]> shapiromug.jpgAs we continue to glance backward at ESPN alpha dog Mark Shapiro's tenure, we take a look back at some of the more serious missteps during his reign.

MISSES

"Quite Frankly With Stephen A. Smith". Whatever your thoughts on Stephen A. — though we suspect we know which direction most of you lean — this whole enterprise has been an unmitigated disaster. Launched with unprecedented fanfare (they were running ads for this on Salon), the show is a ratings black hole, Smith clearly struggles with sports that aren't the NBA and the show's awkward transitions are proof he desperately needs a Greg Anthony-type to play off. Scariest part about this: He has a four-year contract for the show, an albatross if there ever were one.
Everything PTI Hath Wrought. Once the formula was established by Kornheiser and Wilbon, Shapiro and company proceeded to run it into the ground, turning every bit of "original programming" into something from VH-1's "Best Week Ever." The worst is "Around the Horn," which encourages former journalists to make idiots out of themselves. More on this in a bit.
"ESPN Hollywood" and "Teammates." The former is the television equivalent of Page 3, and it's pretty clear how that has turned out. "Teammates" more often looks like it belongs on Logo than on ESPN.
All The Futzing With "Baseball Tonight." Once, "Baseball Tonight" was the end-all-be-all for baseball fans, a place where Peter Gammons, Jayson Stark and Harold Reynolds broke down the games' details with wit and precision. Now John Kruk and Larry Bowa compare wads of chewing tobacco.
Skip Bayless. We suspect even Skip is confused by Shapiro's dogged loyalty.
The General Degrading Of The Profession Of Sports Journalism. Writers whose work readers and fans had admired for years were put on television and instructed to act like chimps. Credits were given for confrontation and volume of one's voice rather than reporting skills or even grasp of the issues. To stay on the air and earn their nice TV paychecks, longtime sportswriters were forced to keep upping the ante just to make sure the golden goose stayed alive. The logical outcome of this was realized yesterday on "Cold Pizza" — another Shapiro misstep — when Woody Paige ate dogfood live on the air.

(Later: The close of our series, a look at the future without Shapiro.)

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Fri, 30 Sep 2005 14:35:21 EDT Leitch http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=128482&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ We Have To Ask ... ]]> Suggested questions for today's ESPN SportsNation chatters ...
11 a.m. Skip Bayless on NFL kickers: Who better to discuss kickers than a little man whom everyone seems to want to beat to a pulp?
Noon. Boxing with Dan Rafael: So, Michael Buffer. Don't you just want to pop him in the snout?
4 p.m. NFL with Craig James: We'll never forget the '98 Winter Olympics, when you so deftly explained the difference between bobsled and luge. We need you in Iraq, man.

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Fri, 30 Sep 2005 09:48:52 EDT Leitch http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=128386&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ How Much For That Bayless Column In The Window? ]]> skipbaylessmugo.jpgSo we hadn't visited our old friends at The New York Times on the Web in a while, so we thought we'd log in. We're kind fond of George Vecsey, and we find Selena Roberts quite hot.

But on our way inside, we were stopped at the door by a large, sweaty, metaphorical security guard. "May I see your invitation?" he asked politely. We tried to talk our way in, but got the bum's rush, ending up in a heap on the sidewalk. Yes, the Times now has subscription-based content. Called Times Select, they offer features and columns by Vecsey, Roberts, Harvey Araton and a few others for $49.95 per year, or $7.95 month-to-month. It's not the money — just all the typing involved.

But it's only the beginning. The online trend, say most analysts (and by "analysts" we mean "a guy we know who fixes our computer"), is going to soon lead to micropayments. So instead of paying a flat fee for Times Select, or ESPN Insider, you will pay a fee per article — say, 29 cents for William C. Rhoden's latest column. This will be done through micropayment companies such as Peppercoin or PayPal.

This of course will end the debate, once and for all, as to what writers are worth. We'd pay 99 cents for Tom Boswell, sure. Scott Ostler's column, a bargain at 49 cents. SI.com has a special today on Rick Reilly, three columns for $1. The Around the Horn guys are a steal; we've got a large backlog of Woody Paige columns and they're priced to go at 5 cents each, like those giant cardboard pallets of Arrowhead water you see at the supermarket.

The New York Times [Official Site]

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Wed, 28 Sep 2005 11:46:41 EDT Leitch http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=127897&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Page 2's Collective Award Winners ]]> page2screengrabaward.jpgWe would like to congratulate ESPN's Page 2 on its Online Journalism Awards nomination for the Best Online Commentary (Large), which, at first glance, appears to be for the most outstanding columnist who uses very big letters on a computer. The site's fellow nominees, impressively, are not whole sections of a major network's news site but, in fact, mere human beings, including Slate's Mickey Kaus and BeliefNet's David Kuo.

Since they didn't give us any individual nominees for the best "commentary" on Page 2, we're just gonna go ahead and guess:

• Rachel Nichols' interview with tennis star James Blake on what gifts to give your girlfriend.
• Nick Bakay's gripping and daring comparison between Darth Vader and George Steinbrenner. (Apparently they're both bad guys.)
• Bristol Bob's achingly beautiful song parody "Are You Strong Enough To Beat My Lance?"
Skip. Freaking. Bayless.

We were gonna count 24 College Avenue, but we figured that only qualifies for a National Book Award. To clarify.

Congrats, Page 2!

Page 2 [ESPN]
Best Online Commentary (Large) [CyberJournalist]

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Mon, 26 Sep 2005 17:30:58 EDT Leitch http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=127554&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Football Outsiders Poo On Skip Bayless Some More ]]> skipbaylesscoldpizza.jpgEvery successful enterprise needs a villain, and as Football Outsiders becomes more and more popular — their book just arrived at Deadspin World Headquarters and is being devoured with much haste, even as we type — their glee at picking apart ESPN "Cold Pizza" wax automaton Skip Bayless becomes more and more entertaining. This week's rant is about Bayless' typically thunderously vapid proclamation that the Patriots won't win the Super Bowl, and as much fun as the Outsiders have with Bayless, the educated message boards posters are having even more.

The sad thing is, even if the Pats are the clear favorites at, say, 25% chance to win it, there s still a 75% chance that he ll be right and be able to point at this pile of crap as a great accomplishment and brilliant foresight.

And "crap" is one of the nice terms.

Extra Points [Football Outsiders]
The Pats Will Be Deposed Somehow [ESPN Page 2]
Pro Football Prospectus [Amazon]

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Fri, 09 Sep 2005 16:51:18 EDT Leitch http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=124848&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ The Most Loathsome Talking Head of Them All ]]> stuartscottatunc.jpgAn enterprising young Atlanta Braves blogger, truly a guy after our own hearts, had become exhausted with screaming at his television set every time he turned on ESPN. As a way to rage against the machine, he set up The Road From Bristol, a 64-person bracket meant to resolve, once and for all, who the most loathsome ESPN personality was. His readers voted on each matchup, and the winner turned out to be ... Stuart Scott! Everyone's favorite boo-yaher sneaked past Stephen A. Smith in the Final Four and Skip Bayless in the finals. We only wish Stuart could give Stuart the trophy himself.

Anyway, now that that's done, our intrepid blogger is continuing to tilt at the proverbial windmill: He's set up a bracket for the most loathsome non-ESPN sports personalities. Currently, Steve "Psycho" Lyons is hammering Craig Sager; earlier, Tim McCarver — an early favorite — drilled hapless Dan Marino. Go vote!

The Road From Bristol (NIT Version) [BravesBeat]
The Road From Bristol (Final ESPN Bracket) [Braves Beat] (PDF)

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Fri, 09 Sep 2005 11:53:18 EDT Leitch http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=124770&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Skip Bayless vs. Stuart Scott: Whom Do You Hate More? ]]> skipbaylessmugshot.gifWe have reached the finals of The Road To Bristol, the ongoing, months-long battle to discover, once and for all, the most loathsome ESPN "personality."

The final two? You can probably guess. Stuart Scott vs. Skip Bayless. Bayless just hung on to defeat Stephen A. Smith in the Final Four, while Scott cruised past "Around the Horn"'s Tony Reali. We'd do a handicapping post on this, but, honestly, in a contest like this, everyone's a winner.

This One's For All The Marbles [Braves Beat]

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Tue, 30 Aug 2005 13:43:34 EDT Leitch http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=122949&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Road From Bristol Enters Final Four ]]> tonreali.jpgTime for an update from The Road From Bristol, the 64-"team" tournament allowing voters to choose the most loathsome ESPN personality. We're still awaiting results of Dan LeBatard vs. Tony Reali matchup to select the last of the Final Four. But the winners so far:

· Skip Bayless. Hammered Larry Bowa, Kirk Herbstreit and Chris Fowler. In the Final Four, faces ...
· Stephen A. Smith. Destroyed Michael Irvin. No small feat.
· Jay Mariotti. Somehow beat Dick Vitale.

Vote now, vote often!

The Road From Bristol [BravesBeat]

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Thu, 18 Aug 2005 12:55:15 EDT Leitch http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=118008&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ More Net Nerds Hit It "Big" Time ]]> footballoutsiderscover.jpg
We were impressed to see the folks from on ESPN2's Cold Pizza this morning, as much as we can be impressed to see anyone on Cold Pizza. We still don't think Football Outsiders is ever going to quite hit the levels of Baseball Prospectus, if just because people who watch baseball are just bigger computer nerds than those who watch football. But they're getting there: We mean, they shared a stage with Skip Bayless! They're huge!

Football Outsiders [Official Site]

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Wed, 10 Aug 2005 12:45:42 EDT Leitch http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=116688&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ The Bitch-Slapping Of Skip Bayless ]]> Considering that Charles Barkley has openly said that ESPN talking head doofus Skip Bayless is "evil" and "one of the two people [he'd] like to kill," it's not that surprising that Bayless would have plenty of enemies in the world of sport. (A number that pales, of course, to the number of enemies he has in the world of "people with a television.")

Bayless details some of his big ones on Page 2 today. Highlights include almost getting impaled by White Sox outfielder Frank Thomas — Bayless confesses using a "word he only uses when [he loses] his temper," which we're guessing is "Makeup!" — being spit on by MLB.com technology expert Tommy Lasorda and being bitch-slapped by Cowboys lineman Mark Tuinei. We will almost always side with journalists when intimidated by larger men angry about their stories. But with Bayless, we might make an exception.

One Sportswriter's Classic Clashes [Page 2]
Justifable Homicide [Deadspin]

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Fri, 08 Jul 2005 12:28:15 EDT Leitch http://deadspin.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=111763&view=rss&microfeed=true