Cris Carter did not hold back during the latest episode of his Fully Loaded podcast this week. Carter, a Hall of Fame wide receiver during his years in the NFL, joined Fox Sports in 2016 as a football analyst. That move came shortly after Skip Bayless moved to the network and started co-hosting Undisputed with Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe. Sharpe became one of the most successful athletes-turned-media personalities in recent memory. In 2023, he left FS1 to join ESPN, taking Undisputed's ratings with him. Carter did not follow in Sharpe's footsteps, departing FS1 in 2019. However, he knows both well, having worked with them for a few years and also being a frequent contributor to Bayless' previous show, First Take. On the latest podcast episode, he ripped Bayless.
Cris Carter criticized Skip Bayless for what he believes was exploitation of Black culture. He points to how Bayless moved to Fox Sports and started wearing Jordan brand sneakers. He talks about Bayless wearing gold chains, which was not something he did often during his time with ESPN. Carter even remarked about the relationship Bayless has with Lil Wayne, stating that he does not believe there was no way the two of them could be close. Wayne did both theme songs for Undisputed while Bayless was with FS1.
Cris Carter Rips Skip Bayless
Cris Carter also talked about how fans perceived Skip Bayless, and that what Bayless did was take advantage of Black support for his co-hosts. "People show up to support Shannon, people show up to support Stephen A., and then they had to tolerate him. And he knew that," said Carter. He also talked about the staged nature of sports debate shows, likening Bayless to a heel (a bad guy) in professional wrestling, one who does not really believe what he's saying.
Carter's comments are unsurprising. Many athletes dislike Skip Bayless for how he talks about them on television, as Bayless often gets personal for no reason but to draw engagement. Part of the reason Shannon Sharpe left FS1 was because Bayless repeatedly downplayed his Hall of Fame athletic career in disrespectful ways. When Sharpe finished up with Undisputed, FS1 attempted to relaunch the show centered around Bayless, but it was unsuccessful. The lack of success and inability for the show's ratings to rebound following Sharpe's departure almost certainly contributed to his own departure from the network on August 2. What Bayless does next remains to be seen, but his next venture will definitely not involve Cris Carter.
