Skip Bayless

About

Skip Bayless (born John Edward Bayless II; born December 4, 1951) is an American sports columnist, commentator, and television personality. He is well-known for his work as a commentator on the ESPN2 show First Take with Stephen A. Smith, a show which he left in June 2016. Bayless debuted his show Skip and Shannon: Undisputed with Shannon Sharpe on Fox Sports 1 in September 2016, which he led for eight years until he left in August 2024.

John Edward Bayless II was born and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. His father, John Sr., immediately began calling him Skip—his father also had called his mother “Skip”, as in “skipper of the ship”. The name instantly stuck, and Bayless was never called John by his parents, to the point that he eventually had his name legally changed to Skip. His parents owned and operated the Hickory House restaurant in Oklahoma City, which specialized in barbecue. Bayless worked in the restaurant in his youth, but never considered it as a career path. His younger brother Rick Bayless carried on the family tradition and became a chef, restaurateur and television personality. He also had a younger sister.
Bayless’s interest in sports began at…