Video: Skip Bayless Suggests Kobe’s Rape Case Added “Sizzle” To His Brand

Another day, another bone-headed comment by Skip Bayless on ESPN’s WHO CAN TALK LOUDERFirst Take.” When discussing Cowboys running back Joseph Randle and the endorsement contract he signed after geting arrested for shoplifting women’s underwear, Skip made a dumb, and inaccurate, comparison to Kobe Bryant selling more sneakers after his Eagle, Colorado rape trial in 2003.

Here’s the inflammatory — deliberately so, we’re guessing — segment from the show, by way of Chris Yuscavage.

And, in case you can’t hear the audio so well, here’s a transcript of what Bayless farted out of his mouth:

“Remember Kobe pre-Eagle, Colorado? He failed in his first sneaker deal because he was just too clean cut and I think it was Adidas that had him first, correct me if I’m wrong, but he couldn’t sell sneakers because he didn’t have enough edge. But then post-Eagle, Colorado it brought a little attention to him, like it gave him a little bit of sizzle.”

The reaction of co-host, Cari Champion, says what most of us are thinking: Skip is a fool.

Skip asks us to correct him if he’s wrong, so, you’re wrong Skip and all it took was a cursory google search to find out why.

Kobe lost a multitude of sponsors, including McDonald’s after he was accused of rape, and Nike didn’t use his image for almost two years before slowly re-introducing him to the public.

Only Skip would make this point, and it could only happen with First Take’s early-morning armchair sociologists disguised as expert analysts.

Is it kick Kobe week? After Henry Abbott’s long treatise on Kobe, quoting a number of detractors who say he’s been the primary culprit for the Lakers’ recent slide, now Skip Bayless is claiming his rape trial somehow elevated his brand and brought him “sizzle.”

We can file this under the growing file of idiocy emanating from the coiffed head of a loathsome media personality who lost all journalistic credility long ago. But Skip’s on television and people, sadly, listen to his opinions. There isn’t an iota of truth to what Skip claims about Kobe, and Mamba would probably be the first one to admit as much.

Maybe Mark Cuban can go on and set him straight again.

(H/T AwfulAnnouncing)

What do you think?

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