Troy Aikman Attacks Skip Bayless Over Move From ESPN (Now an analyst at Fox Sports)

[AzzarTheGod]

This is interesting, considering Troy Aikman is one of the lead broadcasters for Fox Sports, and will be calling the Superbowl this year. As a Fox Sports loyalist and the network’s longtime top NFL analyst—Aikman will call his fifth Super Bowl for Fox on Feb. 5, 2017, in Houston.

Troy Aikman's reputation among staffers—especially those on his NFL production crew—is excellent. He is also known among sports media writers as being a particularly honest interview, and that was the case last week when Sports Illustrated contacted him about his network’s hiring of Skip Bayless.

“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 specific reasons to be unhappy with the Bayless hire, which was made by Horowitz but ultimately approved by Fox Sports president Eric Shanks.

Aikman was said to be very upset over gay accusations by Skip Bayless.

In an interview with TheStartingFive.com in 2009, Bayless was quoted as saying, “My only regret about the book is that it does not say that Aikman is gay. I had no idea and nor do I care to this day.” Media in Dallas have long covered this topic, and former Dallas Morning News sports editor Dave Smith told author Jeff Pearlman for his 2009 book on the Cowboys (Boys Will Be Boys) that Bayless’s “gay take on Aikman was the most unfair thing in my 45 years of journalism.”

Two years ago Aikman addressed his feelings on Bayless (Bayless covered Aikman as a columnist for the Morning News) in a long interview with this column. “I’m upset about it because it was made up and there was nothing accurate about anything that was insinuated,” Aikman said at the time. “And he did it, as he does everything, just for attention.”

http://www.si.com/tech-media/2016/09...s-fox-sports-1 Source is Sports Illustrated, same outlet that covering the gay story as its unfolded over the course of the past few years.

Thoughts?

Was Aikman right to be upset at Skip Bayless accusations on the radio, and insinuations in his book and other articles that Troy Aikman is gay?