Skip Bayless, the host of FS1’s Undisputed, loves talking trash. He’s made an entire career out of it. Even back when he was a regular columnist for The Dallas Morning News, he relied on a trademark combination of sneering derision and exasperation to color his stories. He is a classic newspaper troll.

That’s why I was almost surprised when I saw that he is now upset about Charles Barkley threatening to murder him. On his podcast: “The Skip Bayless Show,” Skip spent a recent episode whining about how Sir Charles wants to beat him into an unrecognizable pulp.

Charles Barkley, like most sane people, can’t stand Skip Bayless. He’s also one of the few people with a platform as big as Skip’s who has no qualms about saying how he feels. I’d imagine most of us have thought, “Man, it would be great if Skip Bayless got shoved into a meat grinder?” The only difference is that Charles Barkley says that to an audience of several million people with regularity.

Of course, Skip Bayless isn’t some wide-eyed innocent. He knows Barkley is doing a bit. He knows it’s hilarious. He also knows that there is a genuine disdain at the heart of the insults. This bugs the hell out of him. He wants to chuckle with Barkley behind the scenes. He wants a wink to the camera. Charles Barkley isn’t giving him one.

So what does Skip Bayless do?

Like any true coward, he used his wife, Ernestine, as a human shield. The crux of his entire segment about the stuff Charles Barkley has said was that he didn’t care… but boy oh boy did it scare the heck out of poor Mrs. Bayless!

And of course, the media dipshits lapped it up. How could we ever doubt the sincerity of what an honest man like Skip Bayless is saying about his wife’s feelings?

Skip Bayless spent his entire time in Dallas haranguing the Cowboys franchise. He publicly aired rumors that Troy Aikman was gay. We all know how emotionally balanced Cowboys fans are around here. I’m sure he never got a death threat before! Oh wait, he’s bragged about getting death threats on his podcast already? Just earlier this year?

Skip Bayless went off about how OKC Thunder fans scared him so badly he needed extra security back in 2012. Has he ever needed extra security to protect him from Barkley?

Skip Bayless is annoying. Have fun watching this YouTube video of Charles Barkley talking about all the creative ways he’d like to put him in a body bag.

Mandatory Credit: Screengrab Undisputed Source Brobible.com