By Brendan Garrity Hate Mail. Death Threats. Labeled As “The Most Hated
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By Brendan Garrity Hate mail. Death threats. Labeled as “the most hated man in sports.” Skip Bayless has seen it all. The hatred may come with the territory. And he may bring it upon himself with his nonsensical and preposterous claims. But animosity has had a strong presence in Bayless’ life dating back to his childhood days. He doesn’t shy from it either, though. A simple YouTube search of Bayless’ name is sure to bring up a lengthy list of heated arguments between the outspoken analyst and professional athletes. What the world doesn’t understand, though, is the background that has shaped Bayless and led to his persona seen on-air. A man with a childhood filled with abuse. A man disconnected from his only two siblings. A man who eats the same damn thing for lunch and dinner five days a week. Bayless is quite an enigma. The 61-year-old’s rigorous exercise schedule, which features two daily workouts, could put most 20-year-olds to shame. His dietary habits are bizarre as well. Bayless orders five days worth of chicken and broccoli from his favorite Chinese restaurant each Monday to get him through a week’s worth of dinners, and five sandwiches from a deli in Manhattan for a week’s lunches. There are few people in this world more dedicated to their work than Bayless. His girlfriend, Ernestine Sclafani, told the Washington Post that Bayless once admitted, “You will never be more important than my job.” From praising Tim Tebow to bashing LeBron James, his theories have driven sports fans insane for years. According to the Washington Post, Bayless swears everything he says on ESPN’s “First Take” is truthful “from the bottom of my heart and my soul.” But Bayless doesn’t mind being the villain in sports media. It’s what has brought him success. According to the Washington Post, he reminds himself of this with a quote on his refrigerator from former Supreme Court justice Felix Frankfurter that says, “Anybody who is any good is different from anybody else.” Whether or not Bayless truly believes the claims he makes, they, along with his fiery personality, are what have made “First Take” a hit. Even his counterpart Stephen A. Smith told the Washington Post Bayless’ beliefs are sincere. “I think he’s insane — and he knows that — with half the things that come out of his mouth, particularly Tim Tebow,” Smith said. “But I know he means it. He means everything he says.” Interesting enough, however, those close to Bayless say he is far from obnoxious off the air. Friends of Bayless interviewed by the Washington Post explained how he’s a “quiet guy.” “When we see him on TV, my wife says, ‘I can’t believe that’s Skip,’” said Perry Littlepage, a friend of Bayless. While the sports world tends to think Bayless possesses a trait of dishonesty that he projects through his sometimes-absurd claims, what he might actually be hiding deep down is anger. Family life in Oklahoma City was rough for Bayless from early on. His father, John Bayless, was an abusive drunk who Skip refers to as “an evil man.” His mother, Levita, was also an alcoholic. John used the preschool-aged Bayless as a form of entertainment, pouring alcohol down the child’s throat to the amusement of customers at his barbeque restaurant. Years later, around the age of eighteen, the abuse hadn’t stopped. Bayless revealed to Men’s Journal that his dad’s treatment finally came to fists between the two. After his father publicly humiliated him in front of the restaurant by throwing “scalding hot- cookers” at him, the teenaged Bayless challenged his dad to a fight. The relationship, along with their communication, essentially ended after the younger Bayless “creamed him with a right.” While alcohol played a big part in the life of Bayless’ parents, it’s had virtually no presence in his own. Bayless told the Washington Post that the only time he’s ever gotten drunk was on accident over two glasses of wine while interviewing Joe Namath. With mom an alcoholic mess and dad an abusive drunk, Bayless and his siblings were left for doom. That was until one day, when sports journalism saved Bayless’ life. His chance to get out of his alcoholic-filled household came when he was offered a full ride to Vanderbilt University through the Grantland Rice scholarship, an award given to the nation’s top high school sportswriter. His decision to leave home cost him his relationships with his brother and sister. The two never forgave him for abandoning them in Oklahoma City. Even time and fame haven’t allowed world-renowned chef Rick Bayless to forgive his older brother. A somber Skip Bayless explained to Men’s Journal that his attempts to reconnect with the two have failed. Bayless’ father passed away from cirrhosis of the liver roughly five years after their fight. In the wake of his father’s death, Bayless possessed no remorse. Not only did he refuse to carry his father’s casket, he also legally changed his name from John Edward Bayless II to his nickname of Skip in order to get rid of his dad’s name. Bayless’ refusal to honor his father even after death shows the stubbornness he projects in sports media is genuine. His rough childhood and estranged family relationships are what could cause the irreverent Bayless to act so maliciously from time to time. In fact, he told the Washington Post that his dark childhood shaped the man he is today. “I was on my own from the start,” Bayless said. “You have to become self- sufficient and emotionally tough. I wouldn’t have been as good growing up under different circumstances.” If there’s anyone who has to be emotionally tough in sports media, it’s Bayless. Few people in the sports world deal with the hatred he receives on a daily basis. And Bayless is emotionally tough, but he’s also tough on the athletes he criticizes for a living. His coined, witty nicknames that he consistently uses to describe athletes such as “Russell Westbrick” or “Joe Fluke-o” are perfect examples of his relentlessness to credit star athletes. His outlandish comments have often angered athletes to the point where players like Terrell Suggs have referred to him as “a douche bag.” But Bayless is no stranger to hard feelings. From Charles Barkley claiming he hates Bayless “more than any person in the world” or Richard Sherman claiming he’s “better at life” than Bayless, the insults have never run short. Bayless embraces the hatred, but it’d be hard to say it doesn’t ever bother him. Sport media, particularly “First Take,” seems to be a site for Bayless to release anger. It may not be a coincidence that Bayless frequently tweets at night how he is ready to “unleash” on Stephen A. Smith the following day. And when he unleashes, his intensity and short-fused temper are unmatched in sports media. His exercise routine also seems to be a place for him to release his anger. Not many 61- year-olds have the energy for one workout a day, never mind two. Whether the anger is constituted from his disconnect with his siblings, his abusive father, or his alcoholic mother, there seems to be something triggering Bayless’ need to blow off steam through his on-air rants and intense exercise routine. Here, sport and society combine. They can reveal victims of abuse and emotional stress who we don’t personally see struggling, such as Jonathan Martin. With Bayless, the question then becomes: could the sports media platform become a place for journalists to release emotions? As he showed in his interview with the Washington Post, though, Bayless does his best to not let the hateful words get to him. Ignoring his Twitter responses from fans is one strategy he uses to maintain his sanity. But just like Bayless has been forced to leave his family’s past behind him, he continues to adapt to the hard feelings. Keep hating the man, but you’re only adding fuel to his fire. .