Skip Bayless' Claim Fans Won't Cheer for Robert Griffin III Lights Up Twitter

Skip Bayless thinks the majority of Redskins fans are going to root for Kirk Cousins over Robert Griffin III because of the color of his skin, and not so shockingly, this unneeded use of the race card did not go unnoticed on Twitter. 

Bayless made his comments on Monday's edition of ESPN's First Take. The Washington Post's Sarah Kogod captured his comments. Here is a sampling:

"

I’m going to throw it out there. You also have the black/white dynamic and the majority of Redskins fans are white and it’s just human nature if you’re white to root for the white guy. It just happens in sports. Just like the black community will root for the black quarterback.

"

Now, Bayless is no stranger to controversy. He has cultivated a villain persona with great care by pumping out sound bytes that are guaranteed to rile up the masses, but this is breaking new ground.

Anything touching on race and prejudice is going to receive an increased spotlight, and the fact that Bayless stretches to make here is putting him in the bullseye.  

For instance, the comment by Kotaku's Owen Good is a good representation of people calling out Skip.  

"

Skip Bayless strikes me as the kind of guy who thinks he isn't racist because he watched The Cosby Show.

— Owen Good (@owengood) August 20, 2012"

Meanwhile, the person behind the Twitter feed Awful Announcing realizes awful commentary when he sees it, and he has a not so subtle suggestion for Skip to stick to his main fixation. 

"

"It's human nature if you're white to root for the white guy." - Skip Bayless. #sticktotebow

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 20, 2012"

While Skip took care to try and point out that he was not among his theoretical throng of fans supporting Cousins by saying, "I’m for the black guy," this tweeter poses a question that has to be on more minds than just his. 

"

Are Skip Bayless's RGIII comments today really that much worse than what got Rush Limbaugh fired from ESPN? @richarddeitsch

— Andy Smith (@thatandysmith) August 20, 2012"

The biggest problem with Bayless' comments is that they are just wrong. Unfortunately, there is undoubtedly a small group of fans who will resort to rooting for Cousins based on race, but any true sports fan has only one prejudice when it comes to rooting on his or her team: to bow down to the almighty win column.

If Robert Griffin III produces, he is going to be a giant hit in Washington and across the country. If he struggles, he will quickly earn the fans' ire as he came in as a very costly No. 2 pick with giant expectations. Race will have nothing to do with this.

Self-professed fantasy football guru Darron Markwood has a perfect example to point this out. 

"

Once again, Skip Bayless proves he's a moron... maybe Doug Williams will give him a call to show him his SB MVP XXII ring?

— Darron Markwood (@darronm) August 20, 2012"

Black Sports Online founder Robert Littal puts the Skip Bayless situation in excellent perspective while pointing out that Bayless has ventured into a whole new territory of being hated. 

"

it is human nature for fans to want to win...normally I can deal with Skip's trolling, but he is crossing line unfair to RG3 & cousins

— Robert Littal (@BlkSportsOnline) August 20, 2012"

Most fans are aware of the role Bayless plays as an outlandish sound byte machine. This role makes his comments tolerable. However, that is not the case with something as immensely foolish regarding a subject as sensitive as race. 

Meanwhile, JoeBucsFan offered up this astute commentary.

"

Memo to those outraged over Skip Bayless. Quit being sheep and stop watching that pap. Ratings = job security. You guys just as guilty.

— JoeBucsFan (@JoeBucsFan) August 20, 2012"

I can't argue with JoeBucsFan here. Bayless has carved out a wildly successful career because his villain role brings in viewers.

Still, all of these tweets do not drive home the overriding point of this whole fiasco. Comcast SportsNet's Michael Jenkins illuminates that here. 

"

Human nature for me to hate Skip. MT @dcsportsbog Bayless: It's human nature for white Skins fans to root for Cousins goo.gl/saQQR

— Michael Jenkins (@michaeljenk) August 20, 2012"

Ah yes, it is so easy to hate Skip, and while that is exactly what has made him so successful, he obviously crossed a line here.

In a desperate attempt to push the envelope, Bayless went for the most controversial angle he could find, but he had to go well beyond the path of logic to arrive at this conclusion. 

Again, if RG3 performs, the clamoring for Cousins to play is going to be so silent it won't even be noticed. 

This has been proven over time. Bayless needlessly brought it up and touched on a nerve center that will lead to many fans not just dismissing his silly antics, but to turning him off, legitimately loathing him and even calling for his job.