ESPN’s Ryan Clark has received a ton of criticism this week for his unfair comments about Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
It all started on Monday when Clark made fun of Tagovailoa’s work ethic on “NFL Live.”
“Let me tell you what he wasn’t doing,” Clark said. “He wasn’t in the gym, I’ll bet you that. He might have spent a lot of time in the tattoo parlor. He was not at the dinner table eating what the nutritionist had advised. He looks happy. He is thick. He’s built like the girls working at Onyx in Atlanta right now on the bottom.”
Tagovailoa fired back at Clark this Wednesday, telling reporters, “I’d appreciate it if you kept my name out your mouth.” It was pretty evident that he didn’t like what the former Steelers safety had to say.
On Thursday morning, Clark issued a sincere apology to Tagovailoa.
“When I decided to do TV I had 2 main priorities. 1. Respect all NFL players, coaches, executives and staff members. 2. Earn and keep the respect of those very same people,” Clark said. “Those priorities are important to me, and when I miss that mark, I have to hold myself accountable. This game is difficult. Players sacrifice so much to be a part of the 1%. I have a responsibility to those players to be thoughtful in the way I present my opinions of them. In joking about Tua Tagovailoa, I didn’t meet that responsibility. It was never my intention to question Tua’s work ethic or commitment to the game, but I’m also aware enough to know that intent, doesn’t always match impact. How something is presented isn’t always how it’s received by everyone. I do my best to be honest when executing my job as well as being honest when I fall short. I fell short on Monday and for that, I genuinely apologize.”
When I decided to do TV I had 2 main priorities.
1. Respect all NFL players, coaches, executives and staff members.
2. Earn and keep the respect of those very same people.
Those priorities are important to me, and when I miss that mark, I have to hold myself accountable.… pic.twitter.com/YgZfcNPN8G
— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) August 24, 2023
An apology from Clark is a step in the right direction, but this may not solve all of his problems with Tagovailoa.
At the end of the day, Tagovailoa put on weight to help himself stay safe from big hits over the course of the season. He shouldn’t be mocked for that.