Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith were a dynamic duo on First Take back in the day. Over the course of five years, these two built the show into what it is today. However, back in 2016, Bayless infamously left the show to build FS1's Undisputed with Shannon Sharpe.
Since that time, Smith has had a rotating cast of co-hosts. Skip's direct replacement was Max Kellerman, although Kellerman eventually got kicked to the curb. Since that time, Smith has completely taken over the show, with no concrete replacement in sight.
With Bayless' exit from FS1, there has been all sorts of speculation that Skip would return to ESPN and First Take. According to Front Office Sports, that reunion is now official, although there is a catch.
Bayless and Smith will reunite on Friday for what has been called a "one-time show." Don't expect this to happen ever again.
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Skip Bayless Returns To First Take
Smith and Bayless recently reunited on an episode of Gil's Arena, but it simply wasn't the same. Their chemistry wasn't there, especially since there were other members of the panel.
However, a reunion on ESPN's First Take could very well be a great opportunity for these two to connect with the longtime ESPN viewers. While Smith and Bayless were a controversial duo, they were the forefathers of the sports-talk debate format.
To this day, their clips go viral on social media. Everyone has this nostalgia for Miami Heat era LeBron James, who was a frequent target of Bayless and the show at large. We can only imagine what kind of LeBron debates are going to be had on Friday.
Unfortunately, Cari Champion and Molly Qerim will not be around for the show. They were the OG moderators of First Take and would be a welcome addition to Friday's reunion special.
If you are a sports fan, you can't help but want to tune in on Friday, regardless of how you may feel about Smith, Bayless, and their influence.
