‘Gotten Some Heads Up’ — Ryan Clark Reveals Stephen A. Smith Warned Him About 1 ESPN Executive
· Yahoo Sports
Ryan Clark spent more than a decade at ESPN, taking on several television roles, including regular appearances on “First Take.” That’s why his firing from the network came as a surprise to him, but fellow ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith had previously given him subtle indications that something might be coming.
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Ryan Clark Says Stephen A. Smith Saw His ESPN Exit Coming
Clark was caught off guard when he learned of his firing during a live taping of “NFL Live” this past week. While some viewers supported the decision due to past allegations surrounding racially charged comments, others, like Smith, publicly expressed disappointment over ESPN’s decision to part ways with one of its most respected football analysts.
Smith later revealed on his podcast that ESPN executives know he is unhappy about Clark’s firing. He also admitted that he wished he had been in a position of greater influence within the company to stop the decision from being made.
As for Clark, he addressed his departure for the first time on “The Pivot Podcast” on Friday, where he disclosed that Smith had previously warned him about internal tensions at the network.
“I gotten some heads up,” Clark said. “I mean, a summer ago, Stephen A. Smith sat with me. (He) took me to lunch in Los Angeles, and he told me, he said, ‘You know, there’s a particular executive that doesn’t like you.”
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Clark became one of ESPN’s most recognizable NFL analysts after transitioning into broadcasting in 2015 and earned a Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Personality/Studio Analyst in 2023. Throughout his media career, he also became known for advocating for the Black community and participating in various community initiatives.
Clark said he had been hearing rumors about his possible dismissal for years, even before Smith’s warning.
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“It had gotten to me so many times, and so having that dinner or that lunch with Stephen A. was just confirmation of it,” Clark said. “He’s like, ‘You need to go set a meeting.’ But so many times when I heard about this particular person, it was, ‘He doesn’t like you, or he’s said this negatively,’ so, I’d heard it a ton of times.
“And I got a call this offseason from someone within the building, and they said the way I stand up for our community is commendable. They respected that in my position I had a passion for that, but they also said it had created enemies for me at the executive level.”
Clark became emotional while discussing the end of his more than one-decade career at ESPN. He said that he believes the decision reflected the views of a small group of executives rather than his work or his relationships with colleagues. He also made sure that he would never sacrifice his principles or silence his voice simply to keep a job.
Clark’s firing was part of a broader round of layoffs that also included longtime ESPN personalities Karl Ravech and David Lloyd.