The abrupt news that ESPN has cut ties with NFL analyst Ryan Clark was a surprise. The details are surreal.
Via Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, Clark was informed of the move during Monday’s NFL Live. A show on which he was appearing.
Per the report, ESPN told Clark during the show because ESPN was receiving media inquiries and the company feared the news would leak before ESPN could tell him. Some would say that’s still better than telling someone they were being let go, you know, while they were on the air.
ESPN had planned, per Marchand, to tell Clark on Tuesday morning.
Marchand also explains that ESPN soured on Clark after last year’s televised interaction with Peter Schrager, during which Clark dismissed Schrager’s opinion as the viewpoint of a non-player. Clark later apologized for his “on and off the air” interactions with Schrager.
Clark reportedly was making more than $2 million per year. ESPN will owe him the balance of his contract, but there’s some sort of write-off stuff (which I don’t understand) that becomes an accounting benefit of some kind by making the move now and owing him the rest of the money.
Regardless, it was a bush-league move to fire Clark on the air. And if they were concerned the news was going to break before they could tell Clark, ESPN has deeper issues when it comes to loose lips.
