ESPN’s decision to cut ties with Ryan Clark last week has turned into a loud public dispute, and Breiden Fehoko made sure his voice was heard on Monday.
Clark was among several names let go by the network, including Karl Ravech, Cam Newton, and Tom Pelissero. Days later, the Emmy-winning analyst spoke about the move on "The Pivot" podcast, saying he did not view it as a routine layoff. During that conversation, he became emotional and cried while discussing what happened.
That reaction drew sharp criticism from Joe Burrow’s former teammate Breiden Fehoko, who took aim at Clark on X.
"I go to therapy with grown men and watch them go through struggles and real problems," Fehoko said. "If there’s a camera in sight and live recording going on, you’ll get an Emmy-nominated performance from RC. That’s how he moves, and the world is starting to see it.
"This is exactly how he moved when he wanted Coach O fired from LSU 6 years ago. He doesn’t care.
He cares about who is watching and how he can maximize from it. Shout out to @CutonDime25 for calling this BS out."
Fehoko’s comments also pointed back to Clark’s role around LSU after the Tigers’ 2019 National Championship run with Joe Burrow. Clark addressed the team during a difficult 2020 season, and his messaging inside the program reportedly affected the locker room and turned players against Ed Orgeron before Orgeron was eventually ousted.
On "The Pivot," Clark said he had been fired and argued ESPN was using layoffs as cover for a decision it had already made. He also said he tried to adjust and become more of what certain people wanted, but the network still moved on from him.
The backlash has not stopped there. Clark has also faced criticism from LeSean McCoy and Sage Steele over his comments and conduct following the ESPN split.
The situation has even sparked talk of a possible legal fight. Analyst Bobby Burack said Clark’s public criticism of ESPN could create problems for him, tweeting on Saturday: "Note on Ryan Clark: ESPN owes him a lot of money still," Burack tweeted on Saturday.
"However, by dissing the company and posting IGs naming Burke Magnus, Disney will almost certainly have a legal claim to claw back that money in the form of disparagement. It's why fired people never comment until their deal expires."
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