Reggie Bush vs. Skip Bayless & the 5 Most Entertaining Athlete-Media Showdowns

With all the twittering, tweeting, facebooking, digging and flikring its comes as no surprise that athletes and members of the media would get into "tiffs."

And while I believe a majority of the info that is sprayed into the ethos via these new media methods should be ignored, some still seems to inflame and instigate various feuds between those paid to play and those paid to watch.

Reggie Bush's "Challenge" to Skip Bayless is harmless in general and only seems to be a media draw as the slow sports summer comes upon us. Feuding of this type has become a summer past time of sorts as Football, and Basketball analysts need something to poor over during the offseason.

We are not quite to the dog days of summer yet but these entertaining "events" seem to merely be at the beginning.

Besides Bush vs. Bayless there are a few showdowns in memory that that must be mentioned for their entertainment value.

Bush vs. Bayless

Allen Kee/Getty Images

Cold Pizza host Skip Bayless on the ESPN set in Miami, Florida on February 1, 2007. (Photo by Allen Kee/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***

Let's start with the most recent.

Reggie Bush vs Skip Bayless

It started with Bush tweeting he was enjoying the lockout. Skip Bayless in his infinite wisdom declared that Bush's lackluster on field performance didn't give him the right to enjoy the lockout.

Bayless' comment drew the response from Bush:

"Skippy Skipper Skip Bayless said my performance on the field doesn’t give me a right to speak my mind! But his performance does! MY BAD!"

He went on to tweet:

This is an Official Challenge to one on one full gear and full contact with Skip Bayless! Plus a full conditioning drill and weight lifting!

If I win he wears a No. 25 jersey and a dress plus makeup on his show, he wins he gets a full game check! I bet he won’t accept my challenge!!!

While Bush's challenge borders on childish, it would be pretty entertaining to see the two go head to head. Assuming Bush would win, I wonder how much complaining Bayless would do that the challenge was unfair. Or would Skip challenge Bush in a complain-off on ESPN?

Jim Rome vs. Jim Everett

Everyone knows Jim Rome is a fire starter. He lives to instigate.

It's kinda amazing that Jim Everett didn't know/couldn't handle how Jim Rome operates on his show.

Watch the video but for the quick synopsis Rome continued to refer to Everett as Chris Everett (the female Tennis player). Everett warned Rome to stop and Rome, of course, continued to bate Everett until he attacked Rome.

Rome deserved it, but he does know how to instigate.

It's just a very funny incident that only boosted Jim Rome's image. I suppose you could call it "shock sports jock."

Have we heard from Jim Everett since?

Joe Namath vs. Suzy Kolbert

I don't know if showdown is the proper word to describe this incident.

Proposition?

Yes.

Funny?

Certainly.

Entertaining?

Definitely

Joe Namath was drunk, shocking. Instead of providing valid interview material to Suzy Kolbert, Joe decide to make an ever to tactful pass at Suzy. He is not a master of discretion but rather Joe just goes for the touchdown "I wanna kiss you."

All props to Kolbert, who handled it like pro and took it in stride.

For Namath, not a Hall of Fame performance.

Lebron James and the Decision vs. the Media, the Fans and Humanity

I know we're all sick of hearing about Lebron and the Decision.

But it is a pretty entertaining subject. Talk about narcissism. Lebron needed an entire hour to deliver a single sentence "Takin my talents to South Beach."

It would have been more entertaining if he'd said that in the first three minutes and then had 57 minutes of commercials to get more money for the Boys and Girls Club.

We've all seen it and now we're currently seeing the results. It is overplayed and over mentioned? Certainly, but it seems the media still can't get enough of it.

Steroids, Barry Bonds and Balco vs. Everyone Else

David Paul Morris/Getty Images

SAN FRANCISCO, CA -APRIL 8: Former major league baseball player Barry Bonds leaves the Phillip Burton Federal Building and United States Court House April 8, 2011 in San Francisco, California. The jury is deliberating the case in which Barry Bonds is acc

I'm not a fan of Barry Bonds, but he does make good TV.

This saga began back in 2001 when he overtook Mark McGwire's single-season home run record.

Ever since that year, Bonds has been embroiled in various controversies regarding alleged steroid use. His first trial recently came and went, but with a number more sure to follow. The entertainment value may be waning but the quantity of material produced from Barry Bonds, and steroids and everything in between is something that the media will continue to exploit.

As long of course as the public keeps watching.

Be entertained, just don't go challenging Skip Bayless to an argument,

No one finds that entertaining anymore.