I've never had a problem with Skip. I agree with him sometimes, and other times I don't. His job is to do a daily TV show where he has to make predictions and have opinions about a bunch of different stuff across multiple sports while also keeping the audience engaged so that people actually watch the show. He has a solid delivery and camera presence, and he mixes up the types of comments/opinions he gives so that people don't get bored. He also masterfully acts like he genuinely cares and is vested in the topics he discusses or debates. That's what people like when it comes to TV programs...emotion, drama, tension, etc. So overall, I'd say he's really damn good at his job.
To be honest, I never really understood all the hate for Skip. Hell-Bent, a book he wrote in the 1990s about the Cowboys is an often cited reason for disliking him, more specifically the section about the rumor that Troy Aikman was gay, which had been floating around for years and was not initiated by Skip. But the only thing the book talks about is Skip's efforts in trying to research that rumor...efforts that led to a stronger affirmation that Troy Aikman is in fact not gay at all. So I dunno about that one, either.
Also, I re-watched the episode of First Take with Richard Sherman arguing with Skip. I love Sherman, and I loved his cantankerous attitude toward opponents and people in the media. But now that the emotions of that Super Bowl year are worn off, and we have the benefit of hindsight, it seems like Skip was a lot more accurate in his opinion of Sherman than many were willing to believe. He mentioned that Sherman had the benefit of good pass rushers, safeties, etc, which helped his individual stats as a corner. I don't think he ever had as good of a year statistically as he did in 2013, a year in which we fielded an all time great NFL defense.
Okay, so I think that's enough Skip Bayless worshiping for one afternoon. I'll give it a rest. I'm not necessarily a fan, but the hate he gets is very baffling to me, so I gotta try and make things right.
