ESPN's Ryan Clark Is A Coddled Hack

Ryan Clark is a coddled hack. Just look at how he continues to handle his employment at ESPN.

Earlier this month, Clark posted several self-pity videos on X bemoaning that ESPN didn't offer him as much money as he thought he deserved. Clark let his contract with ESPN expire for a few days, referred to himself as #FreeAgent, and tried to drum up sympathy from Black Twitter. 

Clark knew he had leverage by way of racial tensions within ESPN. His primarily white bosses still hallucinate at the thought of a sequel to the Maria Taylor contract negotiations, during which her team leaked to the New York Times that ESPN paid her less money than Stephen A. Smith because she is a black woman. 

(Whatever happened to Maria, by the way?)

Clark got his way. Sort of. 

He asked for around $4 million a year, several sources tell OutKick. ESPN ultimately signed him to a deal worth $2 million a year, still more than double what any other network would pay him. 

But now Clark says his antics and Mean Girl negotiation tactics were never about money. They were about "respect." He says money didn't matter to him, despite repeatedly telling ESPN that he would not re-sign unless the network paid him more money.

Nonetheless, he's back working at ESPN. And in one of the most self-absorbed post-contract celebrations we can find, Clark had a camera crew following him around the hallways at ESPN during his "return." 

He posted the footage on X.

Try to resist the inevitable second-hand embarrassment of the following clip:

Other ESPN employees saw a camera crew roaming the studios and likely assumed someone important was about to grace their presence – like a top-flight athlete, coach, or celebrity.

Nahh.

It was just Ryan Clark, a former-jock-turned-Howard-Cosell-wannabe. As if those are somehow unique. They aren't. There are about 25 of them on the roster of ESPN today. 

Clark says he deserves "respect." Intriguing. No one at ESPN disrespects their colleagues more than he does. 

Shall we reference Sage Steele?

According to Steele's lawsuit against ESPN and Disney, Clark told several executives on November 12, 2021, that he would no longer appear on-air with Steele. 

He told the heads of "SportsCenter" that he would not appear on the show again unless the network replaced Steele. 

When ESPN declined, Clark did not show up for a scheduled appearance. ESPN did not punish Clark for an obvious act of insubordination. 

What was Clark's gripe with Steele, you might ask? Her politics. Steele is center-right politically and publicly opposed – not vaccines but – vaccine mandates. Clark deemed her beliefs offensive. 

Ryan Clark is what Nick Adams (Alpha Male) would consider a beta:

Clark feared facing a conservative woman who's smarter, more singular, and more talented than he is.

Imagine Steele debating Clark over said political issues. She would embarrass him more than his self-produced videos on social media already do. 

If you can believe that … 

ESPN coddling Clark is already having a ripple effect inside ESPN. Other more talented people at the network will see his new above-market contract and expect to receive the same.

Dan Orlovsky already does.

Last week, Orlovsky posted "Noted" on X in response to Clark's details. Orlovsky is the premiere NFL analyst at ESPN. He's worth double Clark. 

ESPN is on the clock. 

What about Laura Rutledge?

"NFL Live" is one of the rare recent success stories in the ESPN lineup. ESPN re-upped Clark and Mina Kimes, who also received around $2 million a year, for their contributions to the show. 

But it's not Kimes or Clark who turned the show into a success, after years of turmoil. Laura Rutledge and Orlovsky are the reasons why. 

Clark's salary should only be a starting point for Rutledge and Orlovsky – despite the inherent white person discount ESPN expects them to take.

Maybe they should hire a camera crew, too?

Ryan Clark often talks about "white privilege" in American society. He claims to detest any type of privilege. Fair. So do we. But white privilege is a myth. Other privileges are far more prevalent in American society, particularly at ESPN.

Doubt me? See Ryan Clark.