Skip Bayless criticizes ESPN for being ‘too fearful’

Skip Bayless has officially announced that he is moving from ESPN to Fox Sports 1, where he will host his own daily program starting on Sept. 6. Like many others who have left the World Wide Leader in recent months, Bayless is airing some of his grievances publicly on the way out the door.

In an interview with Marisa Guthrie of The Hollywood Reporter, Bayless said he is looking forward to no longer having to wear “handcuffs” while on the air.

“Too many people in charge at ESPN, for my taste, were a little too fearful,” Bayless said. “It’s a Disney network. There are just certain boundaries that you can’t even tiptoe along. Not that we won’t have boundaries at Fox, because we will. [But] they will trust me to go a little deeper. I can be completely honest on everything.”

Bayless said his decision to leave ESPN after 12 years was “extremely difficult.” The proverbial king of hot takes was constantly criticized for his strong opinions, but he was never disciplined by the network for anything he said on “First Take.” Skip would not mention any specific instances where ESPN silenced him.

“I’m not suggesting I’m going to become some sort of shock jock because that’s not me,” he told Guthrie. “I say what I say because I believe it from the bottom of my soul and I can back it up. Now I feel like I can be completely honest heart-and-soul with full support from the people above me.”

We find it hard to believe that Skip believes everything he says, as he has made millions of dollars by being an agitator. That always seems to be his No. 1 goal, regardless of whether his takes are based in fact or opinion.

Having said that, he certainly is not alone in his assessment of ESPN’s upper management. Bayless was kind in comparison with some of the things this former ESPN employee has said about the network, but the overall message was fairly similar.