Why Skip Bayless Is One of ESPN's Most Valuable Assets

The scene is familiar. Skip is rambling on and on over some ridiculous contrarian statement. Stephen A. Smith slumps his face in the palm of his hand, pondering why his life is so awful. First Take host Jay Crawford smiles and silently counts the seconds until the segment is over. And you, watching at home, wonder how and why such an incorrigible moron made it on television. 

ESPN’s programming director should be fired, right? Wrong. He actually deserves a raise. 

That’s right. The same man who stated Tim Tebow is a great quarterback, LeBron James can’t win under pressure, and many more abominations, is actually one of ESPN’s most valuable people. In fact, his presence on ESPN is nothing short of TV brilliance. 

ESPN watchers take time out of their day to hear Skip make a fool of himself, and later watch Stephen A. make a feeble attempt to convince him that he knows nothing about anything. There are few things in the sports world that are more entertaining.  

ESPN is, of course, a business, so it is absolutely in their best interest to have Skip on their program. The daily Skip vs. Stephen A. debate is a ratings machine, so firing Skip for lacking sports knowledge would be an awful business decision. Therefore, while Skip may be less qualified to analyze sports than you or me, his contribution to ESPN is enormous.

It’s also very possible that Skip does not even express his own opinions. He could simply be instructed to play the network’s devil’s advocate to boost ratings. After all, a 60-year-old man with a Vanderbilt education should display a little more intelligence. 

Then again, it’s just as likely that Skip genuinely knows nothing about anything. 

Skip Bayless, therefore, needs to be taken at face value. He’s obnoxious and is wrong almost all of the time. However, Skip’s presence needs to be enjoyed, as he is on ESPN for your entertainment. Although we refuse to admit it in the midst of one of his rants, we all love Skip deep inside. His dramatic and hilarious debates with Stephen A. are enough to brighten anyone's day.