what purpose does skip bayless serve?

[rocket surgeon]

  the guy is nothing but a professional contrarian provocateur.  a paid troll.  a modern day sports "baghdad bob".  he throws out some of the most outrageous crap that cannot be defended and he has a national following???  i mean, what purpose does he serve?  he's like the drunk guy at the end of the bar who thinks he's always right.  the guy you just want to punch in the mouth.  ok ok i'm playing right in to what he wants, but how did he get here? 

   the thing about bayless is that he truly believes what he is spewing and he gets paid for it

 http://www.techtimes.com/articles/153941/20160427/skip-bayless-craziest-five-arguments-espns-first-take.htm


http://www.complex.com/sports/2017/01/aaron-rodgers-trolls-skip-bayless-espn-interview

[🏀]

He doesn't truly believe it, but he's made himself a very rich man taking the hard hot takes. Smart.

[GGGG]

He's a paid troll who generates better daytime numbers on FS1 than anything else they have put on to date - except for live sporting events. 

But he doesn't really have a huge audience.  Richard Deitsch, SI's sports media columnist, puts out tweets like this one a couple times a week and it makes me smile.

https://twitter.com/richarddeitsch/status/820845105552719873

[MerrittsMustache]

He doesn't truly believe it, but he's made himself a very rich man taking the hard hot takes. Smart.

Exactly what I was going to post. He basically plays the role of the wrestling heel.

[cheebs09]

But he doesn't really have a huge audience.  Richard Deitsch, SI's sports media columnist, puts out tweets like this one a couple times a week and it makes me smile.

https://twitter.com/richarddeitsch/status/820845105552719873

I do enjoy those tweets. I think this topic shows why FS1 pays him.

I go back and forth whether he believes what he says. I read a few articles about how his life is dedicated to these debates and he feels he's never lost one. Granted, he may have just been putting on a show. Him making up stuff for attention goes back to him speculating about Aikman's sexuality in his book.

[TallTitan34]

I've often wondered why anyone would watch him as well.

He doesn't believe anything he says and just says stuff for attention.

Those viewer numbers please me.

[Tugg Speedman]

Skip serves no purpose at all

Next question

[MU82]

I know Bayless a little bit, just as I knew Mariotti. Hated Jay, got along fine with Skip (though he's a strange dude).

Both saw/see their jobs as getting reader/viewer to emote. You might hate him, you might disagree vehemently with him, but he gets your blood boiling and you form an opinion. Those who can't stand him so much they don't bother reading or watching at all ... that's their choice. Obviously, guys like that bring enough eyeballs to justify their salaries.

rocket's description of "provocateur" certainly is correct.

Mostly, though, Skip is a capitalist. He is very good at marketing his Skipness and profiting from it. He's like any successful entertainer, including the newly inaugurated Comrade Twitler.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I don't get it. Though I have to admit, I did tune in to see his reaction to the packers beating his precious cowboys. He was surprisingly muted.

[tower912]

His purpose is to draw eyeballs and stir debate.      So he is successful.   

[warriorchick]

I don't get it. Though I have to admit, I did tune in to see his reaction to the packers beating his precious cowboys. He was surprisingly muted.

You mean, other than the fact that he tweeted out that he would rather have Tim Tebow as quarterback at the end of a game than Aaron Rodgers?

[mu03eng]

Little known fact, anytime Skip's name is mentioned on the internet or one of his insane tweets is retweeted...an angel loses it's wings.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

You mean, other than the fact that he tweeted out that he would rather have Tim Tebow as quarterback at the end of a game than Aaron Rodgers?

I was expecting more theatrics during the broadcast. Honestly don't follow him on twitter.

But that tweet is egregious

[Skitch]

You mean, other than the fact that he tweeted out that he would rather have Tim Tebow as quarterback at the end of a game than Aaron Rodgers?

He's still an idiot but that tweet about Tebow that was circulating during/after the game was from 6 years ago.

[GooooMarquette]

He's still an idiot but that tweet about Tebow that was circulating during/after the game was from 6 years ago.

So he's been dumb for years....

[mu03eng]

So he's been dumb for years....

[Dr. Blackheart]

His brother is a damn good chef.

[rocket surgeon]

I completely agree that skip is dumb like a fox. But I also believe that he believes most everything he says.  It's just weird that he never takes off the mask.  What you see is what you get. He does get people to peak behind the curtain when he is trying his darndest to tell ya'll-don't peak behind the curtain.

The thing is, there are a million skip b's out there, so why him?  I know I know, b/c he's good at what he does-next question, ehyn'a?  Can only take him in small doses or my tv would go through this:

http://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2017/01/15/cowboys-fan-freaks-out-packers-loss-destroys-tv

[Lennys Tap]

I know Bayless a little bit, just as I knew Mariotti. Hated Jay, got along fine with Skip (though he's a strange dude).

This confirms my faith in your judgement - Jay Mariotti is a world class douche.

[dgies9156]

Cash flow.

Skip will be on television as long as he maximizes cash flow.

When he doesn't, I promise Fox will see him the way we do!

[Jay Bee]

People love mindless dumb sheeet.

[MU82]

His brother is a damn good chef.

This is true. Rick is a culinary genius. In addition to Topolobompo and Fronterra, both upscale, he has Xoco, a fantastic and affordable "torta" sandwich shop. Mmmm.

Also true: Rick and Skip don't very much like each other. Skip, especially, is EXTREMELY jealous of Rick for the international acclaim he receives.

[KipsBayEagle]

I know Bayless a little bit, just as I knew Mariotti. Hated Jay, got along fine with Skip (though he's a strange dude).

I'm genuinely curious, how is he a strange dude?

[rocket surgeon]

according to Steven a.  Skippy believes 110% in the stuff he spews

[Vander Blue Man Group]

according to Steven a.  Skippy believes 110% in the stuff he spews

Stephen A is just as atrocious. The channel gets changed immediately when either of them are on.

[MU82]

I'm genuinely curious, how is he a strange dude?

I knew him mostly just to have short conversations with him, mostly about the Bears. But I played a couple of rounds of golf with him, and just some of the stuff he said and the way he said it made me think, "Wow, this guy is odd." But he was always nice to me, so I'm not going to go into details trashing him here.

As I said, he has done a fantastic job of building the Skip Bayless brand and turning it into money. He is a good American capitalist.

[JD]

Anyone else really like Colin Cowherd?  I never really used to care for him much, but the more i listen, the more i agree.

[rocket surgeon]

I knew him mostly just to have short conversations with him, mostly about the Bears. But I played a couple of rounds of golf with him, and just some of the stuff he said and the way he said it made me think, "Wow, this guy is odd." But he was always nice to me, so I'm not going to go into details trashing him here.

As I said, he has done a fantastic job of building the Skip Bayless brand and turning it into money. He is a good American capitalist.

i can imagine skip is a bit different and probably a lotoffun away from the mic and probably a riot to golf with, but don't bring up rodgers vs dak with him.  you'll be shanking, duffing your way thru 18 and buying him lunch

[bradley center bat]

Anyone else really like Colin Cowherd?  I never really used to care for him much, but the more i listen, the more i agree.

Anyone who can troll the Alabama fans is great to me. After Alabama's loss to Oklahoma couple years ago in the Sugar Bowl. "You can spell Phillis without two L's."

++If you know Finebaum callers you will be on the ground laughing, if not you might not have a clue on this.