Chris Bosh Confronts Skip Bayless: Heat Big Man Meets With Talking Head On First Take (VIDEO)

Chris Bosh has had his fair share of detractors since he joined the Miami Heat last summer.

Kevin Durant referred to him as a "fake tough guy." Shaquille O'Neal downplayed his worth by referring to the Heat as possessing "The Big 2." Even satirical news outlet The Onion has taken shots at Bosh's futility and irrelevance with the Heat by publishing headlines such as, "Chris Bosh Left In Hot Car For Hours By Teammates."

On Wednesday morning, Bosh went on ESPN's "First Take" to confront one of his biggest detractors, ESPN analyst Skip Bayless.

(Click HERE for a video compilation of Bayless criticizing Bosh)

To his credit, Bosh was reserved and diplomatic during the showdown. The six-time All-Star never spoke out of turn and only chimed in when Bayless yielded the floor, which wasn't often.

Bosh's problem with Bayless stems from the mocking nickname the antagonistic host had developed for him: Bosh Spice.

"I don't have a problem with you at all. We're both professionals, we both do our jobs," Bosh said. "My whole problem is the misuse of the name... My family, we take a lot of pride in our name. We're very prideful of the Bosh name. I don't like it being made fun of and I don't think they appreciate it either... The Bosh name, that's all we have."

Appearing uncharacteristically reserved at first, Bayless defended his use of the nickname, but he grew more strident as he kept talking.

"I respect the Bosh name, but I have no regrets with referring to you occasionally, especially early and at midseason, as 'Bosh Spice,'" Bayless said. "I thought your performance with the Miami Heat warranted an occasional use of that nickname. You chose to join LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in Miami for $110 million. And you chose to enter the harshest, toughest, roughest spotlight in all of sports."

Bosh respectfully listened to Bayless' numerous critiques before delivering the most constructive response possible, "I would like to thank you because you've given me a lot of motivation."

The Miami big man isn't the first athlete to confront a talking head on his home court. In 1994, NFL quarterback Jim Everett went on the ESPN program Talk2 to speak with Jim Rome after the television host continually called Everett "Chris" in reference to female tennis star Chris Evert. Eventually this sent Everett over the edge and led to him famously attacking Rome on camera.

Bosh was far more civil during his conversation with Bayless, but we're willing to bet that there's a large contingent of sports fans -- and pro athletes -- who wouldn't have minded if Miami's third wheel decided to pull a Jim Everett on the controversial host.

WATCH VIDEO AT TOP

Comments

[darrienramp]

07:07 PM on 11/01/2011

Skip Gayness really needs to shut his mouth.. He Never won a championship, Never played sports, Never experienced pressure on such a high level in sports, Never experienced the physical tole sports take on the body, Never dribbled a Basketball. And yet he has the Nerve to call a Pro Athlete Soft.. Wow he really needs to look in the Mirror cuz he hasnt done anything athletic or contributed to any sports team

[darrienramp]

06:52 PM on 11/01/2011

Im glad Bosh kept his cool.. cuz jus one little spurt of anger would of ruined the heats image even more.. i applaud u Chris BOSH

[FloridaLAW]

11:52 PM on 09/18/2011

the fact that Bosh didn't defend his manhood a little more forcefully just confirms that Bayless was right. In fact Bosh says he was right. Miami still needs a center as far as I'm concerned.

[Tater Salad]

09:35 PM on 09/17/2011

Skip Bayless needs to be fired. He is worthless and nobody likes him.

[Jason Wolfe]

06:51 PM on 09/17/2011

He got them to the finals!!!!

ESPN BS!!!

[Kriol Kidd]

01:07 PM on 09/17/2011

I'm not a Bosh fan, but if some one basically calls you a Spice GIRL on national television, you have to smack them directly in the mouth.

ESPN is a joke, its becoming the Faux News of the sports world, if it wasn't for Monday Night Football and Mike and Mike, I would have no use for the channel.

[SonnyBono]

04:13 AM on 09/17/2011

Those who can, do - those who can't, teach and those that can do neither are Skip Bayless.

[Absolute]

04:21 PM on 09/16/2011

Bosh shouldn't give this hack any credibility. He's not worth talking to.

[AdamONeill]

10:16 PM on 09/15/2011

Shaq had crappy games too, and would have ripped Skip Bayless' head off. Chris Bosh is a finesse player, a class act and a polite, considerate man (at least from my read). Questioning someone's manhood is a bit out of line, considering he was playing outside his game, and adjusting to a new system and tow future hall of fame players on his new team. Bosh was pretty darn magnanimous about the whole thing considering some of the things Bayless said. That's the difference between a class act and a paid talking head who says outrageous things to make up for his lack of actual basketball knowledge.

[Aprama]

09:26 PM on 09/15/2011

I personally think that due to the instant communication we have today, people don't use that part of their brain that would censor the stupid. So when an athlete gets upset over some long winded sports media mouth, they give into their own insecurities and react.

It's all entertainment, the louder & obnoxious you are, the better your ratings are. Everyone knows that many of these sports pundits have never been an actual athlete and the ones who were, need the gig because they can't do anything else. They will say what they have to to justify their weekly paycheck.

Networks want conflict, it's good television, but poor journalism.

Join The Facebook Page | https://www.facebook.com/APostRacialAmericaMyAss

[goodmandown]

08:12 PM on 09/15/2011

Bayless is crossing the line here, imo. It's totally acceptable for a journalist to criticize an athlete for a poor performance using language appropriate to the sport. But attacking his manhood by calling him "soft" and giving him the nickname of a woman? In the real world the retaliation to a taunt like this would be violence or the threat of it, which Bayless knows if Bosh or any other high-profile athlete were to do would likely end their careers while magnifying his own. This is not the tactic of an honorable man.

[phantom power]

06:10 PM on 09/15/2011

just when i thought i couldn't have any less respect for chris bosh, he bends over and takes it from a joke half his size. man up bosh!!

[kandlefly]

05:45 PM on 09/15/2011

ESPN should now be showing programs like, The Real House Wives of Atlanta, they have become such a joke that there is no way for any real Sport Fan to look at them.
I use to watch them back in the day with Robin Roberts and Company, but now there are some loud, over the top MORONs who honestly believe the show is about them, pleeeeaaase.
Skip Bayless is one of these Sportcasters who wanted to be, but could not, so he spends his time trying to belittle Athletes. It is such a waste of listening that people should just flat out stop listening to them.

[ctubbs70]

01:48 PM on 09/16/2011

Yep, started right off the bat when he leaned over to shake Bosh's hand to say "I respect you for coming on to face/debate ME". Skip "its all about me" Bayless is a joke - who listens to what he has to say and takes it at face value anyway?

[OooZzzzz]

04:57 PM on 09/15/2011

Chris Bosh fell into the sports media trap set up by ESPN.

He's allowed himself to be so emotional, sensitive & thin-skinned regarding the media criticisms thrown at him that he publically got taken advantage of by a bunch of professional wannabees: predatory media types whose sole purpose in life is to stay unbias and not be your friend..... get inside your head with all their positive/negative opinions in order to try and change or influence professional outcomes and personal motives.

Remember, the majority of these media types have never been athletes at any level. They are journalism majors in college who happens to love sports and chose sports journalism as a college major & career choice....They are only hyped up, glorified sports fans.

Sports critics just like regular news critics, think that they have the voice & mental ability via continious discussion regarding athletes to change people's opinions and get you to thinking in their terms regarding athletes and Chris Bosh fell right into that trap.

Chris Bosh made Skip Bayless significant when he wasn't. He gave Bayless street cred he doesn't deserve when all Bosh had to do was take the criticism, work on his game, play basketball and prove the doubters wrong..instead he went into the den of the doubters and fed them raw meat when he shoudn't have.

Bosh thinks that they kissed his ass. No Chris, you kissed theirs.

Bad move Chris Bosh. You just increased your wuss factor.

[flyers]

04:35 PM on 09/15/2011

Skip Bayless is exhibit A why I don't watch ESPN anymore. They hire every loudmouth in the industry, and the channel is all about being outrageous.

[Believein2012]

08:54 AM on 09/16/2011

I agree, bayless knows even less about sports than the loudmouth lupica.