Skip Bayless Disagrees With Wife Ernestine Sclafani after She Picks Joe Namath in Her Mt. Rushmore of Athletes

The Mt. Rushmore debate for the greatest athletes is one of the most talked-about—and endlessly debated—topics in the world of sports. No one can seem to agree on the same four names, largely because there’s no universal criterion. Who makes the cut and why? The answer is always subjective, which means everyone has their own version.

Skip Bayless, who stepped away from the bright lights of Fox studios, now speaks freely on his YouTube show, often joined by his wife, Ernestine Sclafani, and their beloved dog, Hazel. In a recent episode, the couple dove into the Mt. Rushmore conversation, with Ernestine offering her own, very personal take.

Her list wasn’t filled with the usual suspects or the most statistically dominant athletes. Instead, her choices came from a place of nostalgia and emotional connection—figures who shaped her memories and meant something deeper to her.

One of the names she dropped? Former New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath. A proud New Yorker, Ernestine admitted that to her, Namath was and always will be Broadway Joe. Skip, however, wasn’t sold. While he acknowledged Namath’s iconic status and his Super Bowl win, Skip argued he didn’t belong on an all-time great list, let alone a Mt. Rushmore of athletes.

But Ernestine held firm. For her, Namath was larger than life—an unforgettable presence in the New York sports scene. He had charisma, charm, and carried himself like a superstar. She even called him “one of the sexiest men ever” and one of the most talked-about athletes in the Big Apple.

“Joe Namath, because Joe Namath was Broadway Joe. He is iconic. Joe Namath, I can visualise that picture of him in that fur coat. His hair is long. He was just iconic. He was on every variety show and became just a household name. So to me Joe Namath,” she explained.

Skip Bayless didn’t hold back when discussing Joe Namath’s place in football history. He pointed out that many people don’t consider Namath worthy of the Pro Football Hall of Fame due to his high number of interceptions. While Namath threw a beautiful ball and had undeniable flair, he was often reckless with it, something that critics have long held against him.

Still, there’s a strong sense of nostalgia surrounding Broadway Joe. He played during a pivotal era in football history, starting his career before the AFL-NFL merger. Some of his best seasons came in that pre-merger period. Namath spent 13 seasons in professional football, 12 of them with the New York Jets.

During his AFL run, he was the MVP of the league twice, made the All-AFL First Team once, and made the Second Team four times. After the merger, he made the NFL’s Second Team All-Pro and earned a Pro Bowl nod in the same year.

The pinnacle of Namath’s career came in 1969, when he led the underdog Jets to a stunning Super Bowl victory over the heavily favored Baltimore Colts. Facing a feared defense anchored by Bubba Smith, Namath not only won the game—he earned the Super Bowl MVP honors. He finished his career with over 27,000 passing yards, 173 touchdown passes, and 220 interceptions.

So, who else made Ernestine’s Mt. Rushmore of athletes?

As a proud Celtics fan, she picked Paul Pierce—a nod to the Boston icon’s clutch performances and legacy. She also included Mike Piazza, the Hall of Fame catcher, who spent a large chunk of his 16-year MLB career with the New York Mets. Piazza’s emotional home run—the first in New York after 9/11—cemented his place in her heart.

Her final choice? Michael Jordan, the six-time NBA champion. Skip Bayless called that her “only correct choice.” However, Ernestine hesitated to crown Jordan outright over LeBron James. She acknowledged that LeBron is a tremendous role model and a man with a good heart, even if he didn’t quite make the cut on her personal.