Ryan Clark expressed regret last week over the way he handled a sports debate with former teammate and colleague Robert Griffin III, and the ESPN analyst has since issued another apology.
Clark and Griffin engaged in a war of words after RG3 shared his opinion that Angel Reese “hates” Caitlin Clark. Ryan Clark said he feels that Griffin is unqualified to say that about Reese because Griffin is married to a white woman and therefore does not understand black women like Reese.
Many people felt Clark’s comments crossed the line. In an episode of his “The Pivot” podcast that was released last Monday, Clark apologized for bringing up Griffin’s wife and admitted that he let his personal feelings about RG3 influence him.
In a more recent episode of his podcast, Clark apologized to his own wife Yonka and his three children.
“When I look back at this, I think a larger thing that has now happened is people who I love and people who know me have now had to come to my defense, because they know my heart, they know my actions, they know the intent of my words,” Clark said. “By speaking about RG’s wife, it’s now brought my family into the equation, brought Yonka into the equation, brought my children — Jordan, Loghan, Jaden — into the equation. I certainly didn’t want them to have to be sort of the casualties of my Twitter or my media wars.
“Yonka, in particular, has taken a lot of heat, has taken a lot of hate. All she’s ever done is give her life to her family. All she’s ever done is make sure all of our kids — yes, that includes Jaden and Jordan and Loghan — had the best home life, the most present mother, the best provider, the best support system that they possibly could. … She does not deserve the hate that she got because of me. To her, to my children, I am sorry. I have to start to think about how my words impact, who they impact, and the effect of the fallout on you guys.”
Clark’s daughter Jaden is from a previous relationship. One of Clark’s former teammates essentially called Clark a hypocrite for talking about how Griffin is married to a white woman and having a child with a white woman himself.
There was a report that some of Clark’s ESPN co-workers want to see the network discipline him, but there has been no indication that will happen. Perhaps the multiple apologies from Clark will be enough for his bosses to agree to move on.
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