Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless are back together on ESPN’s First Take for a special one-off episode — and the sports media world is letting them have it.
The reunion, set for Friday, marks the first time the two former co-hosts have shared the set since June 2016. But instead of universal excitement, the announcement has sparked a wave of criticism from colleagues, fans, and commentators who say the pair represent everything wrong with sports television.
Skip Bayless Returns to ESPN's First Take for Epic Reunion with Stephen A. Smith initially broke the news, but the response has been anything but celebratory.
Media Figures Unload on the ‘Buffoonery’
Jeff Goodman, a longtime college basketball insider, summed up the sentiment in two words: “No one needs this.” Others were far less diplomatic.
“Two of the biggest buffoons on the planet together doesn’t tempt me,” one fan wrote on social media. Another critic joked, “I wonder whether the subject of LeBron James will come up. Two biggest LeBron haters reuniting. Hmm.”
The criticism taps into a broader frustration with the hot take culture that Smith and Bayless helped popularize. Detractors argue their style — loud debates, manufactured outrage, and exaggerated stances — has degraded sports journalism into clickbait theater.
Bomani Jones Reveals Heartbreak Over Sports Media's Current State echoes that sentiment, as the longtime analyst has lamented the industry’s shift toward spectacle over substance.
Ratings Play or Genuine Nostalgia?
While ESPN is banking on nostalgia to draw viewers, many see the reunion as a transparent ratings grab. “Ratings that bad now?” one fan asked. Another wrote, “I can’t wait to not watch this.”
Even those who plan to tune in are approaching it with a mix of curiosity and cynicism. “Children born after 2016 are about to get their first taste of the MJ-LeBron debate,” one user noted, referencing the endless GOAT argument that Bayless and Smith have milked for years.
Not everyone is sour. Some fans are genuinely excited to see the duo back together. “I’ll be tuning in!” one supporter declared. But the overwhelming tone across sports media is one of exhaustion — a sense that the industry is tired of rewarding the very behavior it claims to despise.
A Legacy of Controversy
Smith and Bayless have long defended their approach as entertainment, not journalism. But critics argue that the line between opinion and fact has blurred dangerously, and that their reunion only reinforces the worst impulses of sports television.
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Whether Friday’s show will be a one-hit wonder or a prelude to a permanent return remains to be seen. But if the backlash is any indication, sports media is ready to move on from the era of manufactured outrage.
