Troy Aikman is not happy Fox Sports hired Skip Bayless
If Fox Sports ever has the occasion to get all of its personalities together, you may need a blowtorch to thaw the ice between one of its most visible employees and one of its newest.
Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman has been an analyst for Fox’s NFL broadcasts since 2001, and its lead analyst since 2002. Earlier this year, Fox Sports 1 hired professional hot-take artist Skip Bayless away from ESPN, and Bayless’ new show on the network debuts Tuesday.
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Sports Illustrated media reporter Richard Deitsch reached out to Aikman to get his opinion on Fox Sports’ hiring of Bayless, and let’s just say, he’s not thrilled.
“To say I’m disappointed in the hiring of Skip Bayless would be an enormous understatement,” Aikman said. “Clearly, [Fox Sports president of national networks] Jamie Horowitz and I have a difference of opinion when it comes to building a successful organization. I believe success is achieved by acquiring and developing talented, respected and credible individuals, none of which applies to Skip Bayless.”
Aikman has reason to dislike Bayless, personally and professionally: Bayless was a Dallas Morning News columnist during Aikman’s days with the Cowboys, and claimed, without actual proof, that Aikman is gay.
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In a 2015 interview with Deitsch, Aikman talked about Bayless’ claim: “I’m upset about it because it was made up and there was nothing accurate about anything that was insinuated. And he did it, as he does everything, just for attention.”
Based on something Deitsch wrote, that Aikman opted to stay with Fox after Bayless was signed (he has several years left on his contract) and something ProFootballTalk tweeted, it sounds as if Aikman gave real thought to leaving Fox in protest after Bayless was hired. He chose to stay, but had he left, it’s unlikely he would have been on the market for long.
It doesn’t seem like Aikman and Bayless will cross paths very often, if at all, in their respective roles, but Fox Sports 1 is making a play for ratings by hiring Bayless, and it may have damaged its relationship with one of Fox’s most talented employees in the process.
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