When I talked with Stephen A. Smith at ESPN HQ a couple of years ago, he told me he had a zero-sum mentality toward TV competitors. “My objective is annihilation. Whoever goes up against me, I’m taking down,” he said. “That’s what I’m trying to do every day, every week, every month of every year.”
Smith has accomplished that goal, annihilating every competitor in his weekday morning time slot. But just as importantly, he’s consolidated power inside of ESPN, where he’s an executive producer on First Take. With influential ESPN executive Dave Roberts retiring in August, it’s Smith’s show more than ever.
The best evidence of Smith’s influence? ESPN previously said Skip Bayless wouldn’t be returning to the network. But as first reported by Front Office Sports, Smith has invited his former partner to a “one-time” reunion on Friday.
Could Shannon Sharpe be next?
While a source tells Front Office Sports that ESPN bringing back the Hall of Fame tight end is “not currently under consideration,” that’s also what the network previously said about Bayless. And yet, look at the way the former sparring partners have been hyping Friday’s mano-a-mano rematch like the Thrilla in Manila.
“I hope he’s ready. Because I’m not going to take any pity on him,” promised Smith on Tuesday’s edition of First Take.
For his part, the bombastic Bayless leaned into WWE-style hype on X/Twitter, writing in all caps: “COUNTING DOWN TOWARD 10 A.M. EASTERN THIS FRIDAY ON ESPN. IT WILL BE EPIC. IT WILL BE LEGENDARY. IT WILL BE GREAT FUN. CAN’T WAIT.”
OK, they’re showmen having fun. But the bottom line is Smith and Bayless know that nobody has equaled their combustible chemistry when it comes to Embracing Debate.
Bayless has been wandering in the TV wilderness since FS1 dropped him and his Undisputed show in 2024. It’s a perfect opportunity for Smith to repay the personal and professional favor that Bayless did him by picking him off the scrap heap for First Take in 2012. That sent Smith on a rocket ride that turned him into the biggest star at ESPN with a new five-year, $100 million contract extension in 2025.
Smith previously helped Sharpe get off the mat after the Pro Football Hall of Famer’s six-year TV partnership with Bayless on Undisputed imploded in 2023. With Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay and Nightcap podcasts exploding, the Super Bowl champion joined Smith as a semi-regular on First Take. Sharpe was fantastic on the show too, adding more humor.
When Sharpe said Dan Orlovsky looked like a fast food manager with his short-sleeved, checkered shirt, I’ve never seen Smith laugh so hard. Sharpe was so effective that he earned a multi-year contract extension from ESPN in June 2024 that effectively made him Smith’s successor if Stephen A. left for politics, late-night TV, or Hollywood.
Such returns, however, would hardly be seamless. Bayless and Sharpe are each trying to rebuild their images after being accused of sexual battery and rape, respectively. Both civil lawsuits were settled. But the charges were so lurid, and the media coverage so intense, there’s a legit question whether they can ever be mainstream TV stars again. Especially for family-friendly Walt Disney Co., which owns the majority of ESPN.
ESPN’s willingness to put Bayless back on its airwaves—even if it’s just being framed as a one-off appearance—however, indicates that such allegations aren’t necessarily a dealbreaker for the network. During Super Bowl week this year, Sharpe told me he was open to a reunion with Smith and ESPN following his July 2025 exit.
“That’s not my call. I would love to go back if they were to call. Burke [Magnus], Jimmy [Pitaro], Dave Roberts. That is their call. But obviously, I’m more than willing, I’m more than capable. They see what we do here on Nightcap. They see the numbers that we generate, “ Sharpe said.
Putting the 58-year-old Smith, the 74-year old Bayless and 57-year-old Sharpe together with 66-year old Chris “Mad Dog” Russo, and talented new moderator Shae Cornette, could create a murder’s row of embrace debate talent on First Take. TV viewers would once again be able to enjoy Stephen A. vs. Skip. And could you imagine the electricity of watching Skip and Shannon go at it after their bitter blow-ups on-air at FS1?
Yes, First Take has been No. 1 in its time slot for 15 years. But Smith has always been savvy about his show getting stale and resting on its laurels. That’s why he pushed out partner Max Kellerman in 2021.
In April, First Take averaged 491,000 viewers, up 6%, according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel. Notably, the ESPN shows that air before and after First Take posted double-digit viewership increases last month. Mike Greenberg’s Get Up averaged 447,000 viewers, up 24%. The Pat McAfee Show averaged 430,00 on linear/digital and was up 29% on linear-only.
Good has never been good enough for Smith. If he wants Bayless and Sharpe to join his rotating cast of guests, it’s hard to see ESPN saying no.
Meanwhile, anticipation is building for Bayless’s first appearance on First Take in a decade on Friday. I’d like for Stephen A. and Skip to play some of the oldies, such as debating whether LeBron James has a “clutch” gene. Or if “gamer and baller” Tim Tebow got a fair shot in the NFL.
As Cornette tweeted: “Looking forward to having a front row seat to this! First Take takes LA on Friday… I’ll bring my A game”
