Stephen A. Smith remarked that his colleague at ESPN, Ryan Clark, “crossed the line” by mentioning Robert Griffin III’s wife amidst their public spat, but he didn’t view it as a “severe crime.”
It all started with Fox Sports analysts Clark and Griffin discussing the heated rivalry between WNBA players Angel Reese and Kate Linklark during a Saturday game, which escalated into a fiery exchange.
On Wednesday, during an episode of his YouTube show, Smith expressed disapproval over Clark raising “both Griffin’s marriage.”
“I don’t want to hear any talk about Ryan Clark being fired,” Smith stated. “Ryan’s my colleague, my friend, and, honestly, a good guy.”
“I’m not saying he was right. I’ll get into it. But this isn’t something that warrants firing… I generally keep ESPN business out of discussions, and I’m not making an exception here. Clark clearly stated he doesn’t have a favorable view of RGIII,” he added.
There have been calls for Clark’s dismissal due to his comments regarding race and Griffin’s wife, Grete.
Both Griffin and Clark are African American and were teammates in the NFL with Washington back in 2014.
Smith went on to say, “I appreciate my guy, RC. When he brought you up, I felt he overstepped. RGIII is married not once but twice to a white woman. There was no need to go there. But it’s clear he didn’t like you.”
“I don’t condone that kind of talk coming from him. If we had discussed it in detail, I would’ve advised him not to go there—I didn’t want to hear it,” he said.
Smith highlighted that Clark had mentioned Griffin’s two marriages “to a white woman.” Griffin’s first marriage to Liddycourt ended in divorce in 2016 after three years, while he married Grete in 2018, and they share four daughters together.
Smith conveyed that Clark opposed Griffin’s accusations about his remarks attacking Griffin’s family.
“But I need to stress an important point. RGIII, he never went after your wife. He never launched an attack on your family. He was focusing on you, and you know that,” Smith clarified.
“Now, while it doesn’t excuse the mention of your wife, I must acknowledge that he never spoke negatively about her directly. He didn’t say anything about your child.”
“He was addressing your actions. He pointed out how you seemed to emphasize her ethnicity. I can’t say whether that’s true or not—I’m not focused on that kind of detail. From what I gather, he mentioned that she is more than just her skin color.”
The public statements from Griffin and Clark received significant attention, especially as many criticized them for making the situation personal rather than maintaining a focus on the competitive aspects of their discussion.
Stephen A. Smith addresses those who are calling for Ryan Clark’s dismissal due to comments about RG3’s wife.
Stephen A. Smith remarked that his colleague at ESPN, Ryan Clark, “crossed the line” by mentioning Robert Griffin III’s wife amidst their public spat, but he didn’t view it as a “severe crime.”
It all started with Fox Sports analysts Clark and Griffin discussing the heated rivalry between WNBA players Angel Reese and Kate Linklark during a Saturday game, which escalated into a fiery exchange.
On Wednesday, during an episode of his YouTube show, Smith expressed disapproval over Clark raising “both Griffin’s marriage.”
“I don’t want to hear any talk about Ryan Clark being fired,” Smith stated. “Ryan’s my colleague, my friend, and, honestly, a good guy.”
“I’m not saying he was right. I’ll get into it. But this isn’t something that warrants firing… I generally keep ESPN business out of discussions, and I’m not making an exception here. Clark clearly stated he doesn’t have a favorable view of RGIII,” he added.
There have been calls for Clark’s dismissal due to his comments regarding race and Griffin’s wife, Grete.
Both Griffin and Clark are African American and were teammates in the NFL with Washington back in 2014.
Smith went on to say, “I appreciate my guy, RC. When he brought you up, I felt he overstepped. RGIII is married not once but twice to a white woman. There was no need to go there. But it’s clear he didn’t like you.”
“I don’t condone that kind of talk coming from him. If we had discussed it in detail, I would’ve advised him not to go there—I didn’t want to hear it,” he said.
Smith highlighted that Clark had mentioned Griffin’s two marriages “to a white woman.” Griffin’s first marriage to Liddycourt ended in divorce in 2016 after three years, while he married Grete in 2018, and they share four daughters together.
Smith conveyed that Clark opposed Griffin’s accusations about his remarks attacking Griffin’s family.
“But I need to stress an important point. RGIII, he never went after your wife. He never launched an attack on your family. He was focusing on you, and you know that,” Smith clarified.
“Now, while it doesn’t excuse the mention of your wife, I must acknowledge that he never spoke negatively about her directly. He didn’t say anything about your child.”
“He was addressing your actions. He pointed out how you seemed to emphasize her ethnicity. I can’t say whether that’s true or not—I’m not focused on that kind of detail. From what I gather, he mentioned that she is more than just her skin color.”
The public statements from Griffin and Clark received significant attention, especially as many criticized them for making the situation personal rather than maintaining a focus on the competitive aspects of their discussion.
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