A look at 7 of the worst and most ridiculous takes from Ryan Clark during his time at ESPN

Unless you live under a rock, you’re aware that race-baiting Ryan Clark is no longer with ESPN. Outkick was in the process of breaking the news of his ouster on Monday when ESPN PR pulled him during a commercial break in the midst of NFL Live, while not so slyly trying to get The Athletic to break the story instead. It was a total mess, but nowhere near as bad as some of the things Clark said on air during his tenure at the network.

Buckle your seatbelts and get ready for some of the most unhinged, reckless, divisive, racially-obsessed, and delusional takes you’ll ever hear from a mainstream sports media personality.

As eventual Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders fell all the way to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, sports personalities started crying and claiming racism was the reason for the fall.

Mel Kiper had epic meltdowns on air in defense of Sanders. Skip Bayless made outlandish claims. Then Clark jumped on ESPN and spewed more unfounded claims, focused predominantly on the color of Sanders’ skin, which was a classic move by Clark throughout his time at the "Worldwide Leader in Sports."

"It's not just about him being Deion Sanders' son," Clark stated. "It's about the bravado he carries. It's about the fact that he looks a certain way. It is about the fact that the color of his skin sometimes at the position can be questioned."

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Following the news that then-University of Michigan head football coach Sherrone Moore was fired for having an affair with a female staffer, Clark made the situation about race, as he almost always did.

While on "First Take," Clark made the asinine claim that black coaching candidates would not get hired, or at least have an extremely difficult time being hired, because of Moore’s actions.

"Sherrone Moore was the first African American head coach at Michigan. Now there's a community of coaches who will be judged because of his actions."

In case you forgot, the day Moore was fired, police detained him following an incident at the apartment of his 32-year-old assistant with whom he had an affair, where he allegedly entered, used a telecommunications device maliciously, and threatened self-harm with butter knives.

Suggesting that the actions of one black coach would be used to discriminate in hiring practices in the NCAA, is quite literally saying that the powers that be in these schools are racist, in my opinion. That is a divisive, unfounded claim, rooted in the race obsession.

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New England Patriots’ legend Tom Brady is the GOAT. There’s no debating he isn’t the best quarterback in the history of the NFL. That didn’t stop Ryan Clark from diminishing his career accomplishments.

While discussing if Arch Manning was a "generational talent" on First Take, Clark said:

"I don't think Tom Brady, I don't think Drew Brees, I don't think Peyton Manning are generational talents."

Fellow host and former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky pressed Clark on the definition of "generational talent" when Stephen A. Smith chimed in with a definitive, "Production."

Clark wasn’t debating whether Brady was a "generational talent" in college, he stated clearly and plainly that he believed John Elway and Andrew Luck were "generational talents" but refused to give Brady that title.

Clark said many insane things, but outside of the racially-infused talking points he propagated, this may be the worst take of all.

While on NFL Live, with a kyron that read, "Robert Saleh was the only minority to fill any of the 10 head coach openings," Clark invoked the idea that America’s history of prejudice and slavery of black individuals played a factor in no black head coach being hired during the 2026 NFL offseason.

Standing next to former NFL defensive lineman, Marcus Spears, Clark stated, "This isn’t about racism in football, but the history of this country does play a part in [black coaches not being hired]."

Clark went on to discuss how blacks "couldn’t get generational wealth to own a team," which means that owners could only be white, leading to blacks being set back in coaching, because there was a lack of understanding of the "leadership qualities" they possess.

Whether Ryan Clark was overtly talking about slavery, insinuating "systemic racism" as Emmanuel Acho did on his podcast, and/or Jim Crow, Clark was talking out of both sides of his mouth.

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He can’t say "racism isn’t a part of this", but our country’s "history of racism" is a part of this.

It’s a ridiculous take, while also claiming "white privilege" and nepotism of white coaches.

Clark has not shied away from being political on air, as many of these examples prove. One of his more unsavory comments came in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s murder, though.

While on "First Take" in October of 2025, Clark responded to Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry vowing to keep the LSU Athletic Director from hiring the next coach, by first trying to shame him for suggesting the school honor Kirk with a statue on campus.

"First off, it’s the second most ridiculous thing he said this week," Clark said smugly. "The first was standing on campus and saying he wanted to put a statue of somebody (Charlie Kirk) that doesn’t represent the people of Louisiana"

Clark went on to claim that Kirk didn’t represent the athletes at LSU, which seemed to promote the idea that he is talking specifically about the black athletes, insinuating that Kirk was either prejudiced or just plain racist. Either way, it was another insensitive, unfounded claim, invoking race where the conversation didn’t call for it.

One specific incident on air that reportedly played a major factor in Clark’s demise at ESPN, was invoking the idea that one of the networks newest personalities, Peter Schrager should not be taken seriously as an NFL analyst because he’s a "non-player."

Clark prefaced his ridiculous comment on "Get Up" while debating the performance of Dallas Cowboys Wide Receiver Ceedee Lamb vs Philadelphia Eagles Wide Receiver AJ Brown, seated at a studio desk with former players Teddy Bruschi and Dan Orlovsky, as well as Schrager and host, Mike Greenberg stating, "We shouldn’t do this on TV, so I apologize if people think this is rude, that’s the non-player in you."

Schrager immediately responded with, "Oh, stop!" He followed by saying, "Ryan, don’t belittle me like that. I can come and say as three ex-players are saying one thing, and give an alternative perspective."

Clark then doubled down and gaslit Schrager stating, "Peter, what I need for you to do is not get mad and let me finish."

This was Clark’s arrogance on full display. It was a characteristic that drove viewers away and showcased a clear double standard. Clark would NEVER say the same thing to Mina Kimes. Never.

Following Monday Night Football, as he was seated next to Scott Van Pelt, Clark responding to the news that former LSU wide receiver Kyren Lacy committed suicide on April 12, 2025, after being charged with negligent homicide, felony hit-and-run, and reckless operation of a vehicle, accused police of "doctoring" and "manipulating" statements regarding the crash, in order to frame him.

Clark claimed, "Kyren Lacy was being accused and investigated for something he didn’t do," and following up that initial claim, Clark said Lacy died an innocent man.

"Kyren Lacy was innocent. Kyren Lacy should be here with us." Clark stated definitively.

"There were so many stations that ran the fact that he was being investigated, so I wanted to make sure here with Scott [Van Pelt], we could say that he was an innocent man."

Clark eventually had to apologize live on air after footage was released by the Louisiana State Police showing Lacy speeding in the opposing traffic lane, passing multiple cars on the wrong side of the road just seconds before the crash.

LSP, which released footage of the incident, said Lacy caused a woman to veer into oncoming traffic to avoid hitting him.

Lacy was the "primary cause of the chain of events leading to the fatal crash," LSP said.

In his apology, Clark said, "I knew Kyren Lacy personally."

"It's always important to me that I gather all factual and important information to provide the complete story, and when discussed in real time on Monday evening, I failed to do so. And for that, I apologize," Clark said while on "First Take."

It was a bold, unwise, and unfounded declaration, but something Clark had become accustomed to doing. That’s who he was. Putting his foot in his mouth was second nature to him.

Ryan Clark was also causing immense amounts of controversy and unnecessary drama on his podcast, which was promoted on ESPN’s kyron regularly.

Clark started a feud with former Heisman winner and former ESPN personality Robert Griffin III telling him that he is not allowed to discuss perceived hatred Angel Reese has for Caitlin Clark, following a match-up between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky in 2025, because Griffin III is married to a white woman.

"The one thing we know about RGIII is he's not having conversations at his home about what Black women have to endure in this country. About what young Black women and athletes like Angel Reese have had to deal with being on the opposite side of Caitlin Clark's rise and ascension into stardom," said Clark.

"If you're RG3, when is the last time within your household you've had a conversation about what [Reese] is dealing with? You haven't been able to do that because in both of your marriages, you've been married to white women," he continued. "The whole time that he's mimicking Angel Reese and bobbing his head and moving his neck while he's doing this whole piece, his wife is in the back amending and clapping."

Like he did many times on and off air while working for ESPN, Clark eventually apologized for his comments after RGIII rightfully called him out for bringing his wife and family into a sports discussion.

I could write a book about all of the dumb things Ryan Clark said and did during his time at ESPN. It would make you laugh at it’s absurdity, make your blood boil at the audacity of his false claims, and make you put your palm to your face as you’ve undoubtedly done while reading this piece.

Overall, ESPN will be better off without Clark. He was a distraction, a nuisance, and a divisive figure.

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He was a posterboy of how to divide sports fans upon racial and political lines.

Hopefully Clark is the last of those who have done nothing but frustrate fans who just want to hear guys talk about sports on ESPN.

I’m not holding out hope, though.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).