Stephen A. Smith sends Skip Bayless clear message

Stephen A. Smith says he knows many people are expecting him to say something bad about Skip Bayless given what’s happened this week.

Instead, Smith spent the final 12 minutes of his Stephen A. Smith Show podcast Wednesday paying tribute to his former ESPN partner.

The New York Post reported Monday that Bayless is leaving FS1’s Undisputed later this summer. He’s served as co-host the past eight years since leaving his post opposite Smith on ESPN’s First Take.

Smith said he bears no ill will toward his former colleague.

“As the reports have said, they’ve had some ratings struggles. I’m not about to get into that,” Smith said. “I’m not going to play that game. Skip Bayless and I have not spoken in a long time. He’s on that side of the fence, I’m on this side of the fences.

“But as I’ve stated on many occasions … I don’t root against my colleagues and contemporaries and certainly not my friends. … Being on First Take and wanting to be No. 1 doesn’t mean I wanted Skip Bayless to fail, doesn’t mean that I want to see him out of the business.”

Smith said he’s not sure what the future holds for Bayless, but he did not mention any prospect of the two working together again. In fact, he said the two haven’t talked.

“I have not called him, I’m not going to because I know what this moment must be like for him,” Smith said.

Smith thanked Bayless for boosting his career in 2012, when Bayless added Smith to First Take .

“There’s a lot of positive things going on in my career and the place that I’m in,” Smith said. “Skip Bayless has a lot to do with that. Who knows where I’d be had he not put me on First Take .”

That opportunity has opened doors for Smith, who is now arguably the biggest star in the sports talk world and negotiating a huge new contract . Smith even credited Bayless with boosting the popularity of that format.

“Yes, he was a bit obsessive with Tim Tebow, and clearly obsessive with LeBron James … you’re forgetting what that bred,” Smith said. “You’re forgetting the fact that opened the floodgates for others to get their equal opportunities to provide their perspective.

“…Ultimately, it was able to breed a new line of work … and create business opportunities for all of us. Think about the podcasts. Think about television. Think about sports talk radio. Think about Mike and the Mad Dog. Think about Jim Rome. Think about all of these folks.”

Given all that, Smith said he doesn’t want to hear people talk about Bayless as though he somehow failed.

“I’m listening to people talk, and it’s like, ‘Oh my God, he’s fallen on his face … because of ratings or whatever,” Smith said. “I think he’s 73. He ain’t some 30 year old that flopped after one year. He’s been doing it for over 40 years, and he’s transitioned and transcended throughout the years … Is he always right? Hell no. … But what I’m not going to do, ever, is talk about him like he’s failed.”

Again, Smith knows people expected him to say something snide or boastful this week about Bayless. He’s not playing that game.

“I know a lot of people were expecting to hear something from me, celebrating it,” Smith said. “I’m not celebrating it. … I hope, in the end, when it’s all said and done, my career will be as long as Skip Bayless’ has been.”

“Where I am, where I’ve been, and especially where the hell I’m going with the stuff I’ve got coming down the pike in a matter of months … none of it’s possible if Skip Bayless doesn’t extend that helping hand and bring me on First Take . I’ll never forget that. I never have, I never will. You want to hold on to something that I have to say about Skip Bayless, hold on to that.”

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