Stephen A. Smith Flips Middle Finger To Skip Bayless: ESPN Analyst Denies Using Gesture On First Take (VIDEO)

ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith was certainly, um, expressive on First Take this morning.

The famously outspoken Smith was embroiled in yet another verbal confrontation with frequent rhetorical sparring partner Skip Bayless on Thursday morning when he appeared to have flashed his middle finger to emphasize his point.

"Hey Skip, why are you flicking your papers in your hand?" Smith asked, at which point he lifted his middle finger and continued, "You know all your notes by heart."

After the show, Smith went to Twitter and denied making the offensive gesture on air:

This isn't the first time that Smith has been accused of doing something questionable on air. In December, video emerged of Smith saying what sounded like a racial epithet out loud during First Take. He also denied those claims.

Bayless has not responded to the alleged incident, but we're assuming he wasn't too hurt, as this is hardly the meanest thing that has been heaved in his direction this month. In an interview with the Pioneer Post in Minnesota, Viking punter Chris Kluwe said of Bayless that "fall[s] down an elevator shaft onto a burning pile of rusted AIDS needles." Earlier, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs urged Bayless to be a journalist instead of a "douchebag" on the air.

We're assuming that Bayless has pretty thick skin at this point.