James D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Bayless, left, and Aikman

Troy Aikman is still mad that sportswriter Skip Bayless speculated 16 years ago in a book that the then Dallas Cowboys quarterback might be gay. So mad that he said he might get physical if he saw Bayless. And, by the way, Aikman said Bayless himself might be gay.

Aikman made his remarks on Dallas radio station The Ticket (1310 AM), as reported by the Dallas Morning News:

“When a guy like that comes out and, whether it’s intimated or stated, and there’s no substance to that claim, and he’s doing it purely to gain interest in a book, that’s a problem,” [Aikman] said.

Aikman then added:

“I will tell you this. I’ve not seen — I’ve not physically seen Skip Bayless since that time. That was in ’95. And I still kind of wonder what I might do to him when I do see him.”

Troy Aikman is still mad that sportswriter Skip Bayless speculated 16 years ago in a book that the then Dallas Cowboys quarterback might be gay. So mad that he said he might get physical if he saw Bayless. And, by the way, Aikman said Bayless himself might be gay.

Aikman made his remarks on Dallas radio station The Ticket (1310 AM), as reported by the Dallas Morning News:

“When a guy like that comes out and, whether it’s intimated or stated, and there’s no substance to that claim, and he’s doing it purely to gain interest in a book, that’s a problem,” [Aikman] said.

Aikman then added:

“I will tell you this. I’ve not seen — I’ve not physically seen Skip Bayless since that time. That was in ’95. And I still kind of wonder what I might do to him when I do see him.”

Dan McDowell, the co-host of BaD Radio, pressed him on the point.

“You certainly will say something,” McDowell said.

“Oh, yeah. Yeah,” Aikman replied.

“But you don’t think it will get physical, do you?” McDowell said.

“Well, I mean, I don’t know. I don’t know,” Aikman said.

Aikman also tossed in this: “I’m not so sure Skip’s not gay.” Snap!

Aikman should just STF up about this. These rumors have been around for 20 years and Bayless is not the only one who has mentioned them. Prof. Eric Anderson, who has researched gay athletes for years, told Cyd and I that the question he got most from students when he taught a class in Southern California in the 1990s was “Is Troy Aikman gay?”

Bayless’ book was written 16 years ago and there is not one shred of evidence that these rumors hurt Aikman’s career in the slightest. He won three Super Bowls, was inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and has been the lead NFL analyst on Fox for years.

So why is Aikman (who is divorced and has children) still bothered by this? It sounds like a classic case of someone protesting too much. It’s also offensive — to Aikman, being said to be gay is something so heinous that he would hold a grudge for 16 years and threaten to physically attack the person saying it. That’s sad and says a lot more about Aikman than it does about Bayless.

Hat tip to Pro Football Talk.

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