Christopher Capozziello/For The Washington Post via Getty Images
I know this may come as a shock to you, but being married to Skip Bayless sounds less like a fulfilling matrimony than it does a prison sentence.
Skip has been married to PR executive Ernestine Sclafani Bayless, who is not a sports fan and has never been to a game, for three years after the two met on the set of ESPN’s Cold Pizza 14 years ago. It’s a damn miracle Skip was able to maintain a relationship for nearly a decade without putting a ring on it. Especially considering the lifestyle he leads…
In an interview with the New York Post to promote her new titled “Balls: How to Keep Your Relationship Alive When You Live with a Sports-Obsessed Guy,” Ernestine describes life with a self-described “complete psycho.”
Details on Ernestine Bayless Writing a Whole Book on What’s It’s Like Being With Skip Bayless; How Skip Told Her Nothing Comes Before His Hot Takes, Not Even Sex & How LeBron Stans Scared to Approach Skip on The Streets (Tweets-Video) https://t.co/zetsT7kKzu via @Drnkjarrad pic.twitter.com/Ht7HPiOpfe
— Robert Littal BSO (@BSO) September 12, 2019
The two share a 5,000-square foot-condo (located just two minutes from Fox Sports 1’s Los Angeles studios) that has three rooms, SEVEN televisions, including two 70-inchers in his bedroom. You notice how I said ‘his’ bedroom and not ‘theirs.’ That’s because the couple sleep in separate rooms during the week, but Ernestine is often woken up by Skips incessant treadmill workouts during and his 2 a.m. weekly wakeup calls.
Skip also won’t allow his wife anywhere near him when he’s watching his games, as to not poke the karma gods.
“She can’t be in my force field when I’m watching these games,” Skip said.
“I lose it,” said Skip, 67. “I’m a psycho. I vent. I say words that I can’t repeat — that I’m ashamed I say.”
…
“I believe in God, but I also believe in jinxes,” said Bayless, answering a question that did not include God in it.
It turns out last year during the AFC Championship game when Tom Brady was intercepted in the end zone by the Chiefs’ Reggie Ragland, it was caused by Ernestine ruining Skip’s zen.
“[Brady] did that because she stuck her head in to ask me about something that was completely irrelevant,” Skip said of Ernestine asking about a letter he had received.
“Her fuse can be shorter than mine and we had a battle all night long. We kissed and made up at the end of the night. I said, ‘I’m sorry, but it is just a jinx rule that you have to honor.’”
To Skip’s credit, the dude did not make any false promises upon meeting his wife. He may have been even too honest about his obsession.
“I told her I’m married to my job,” Skip said. “I always have been. I had this weird feeling this could go somewhere. I told her, ‘If it ever does, you’ll always be 1A to my job.’ She hates me telling that story, but it is the God’s truth. At least I divulged myself up front, which I think she grudgingly appreciated.”
Skip’s $6.5 million annual salary has to be the only reason Ernestine is sticking around. That or Skip Bayless is packing a hammer.
[h/t New York Post]