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ESPN isn’t laying off Stephen A. Smith, but he has been hurt by the layoffs, losing Ryan Clark from the network and First Take.
After Shannon Sharpe and Molly Qerim departed last year, Smith will be forced to navigate more massive changes on First Take for the upcoming NFL season. During the latest round of ESPN layoffs, Smith lost two of his most prominent NFL analysts in Cam Newton and Ryan Clark. And Tuesday morning, Smith went on his YouTube channel to give his honest reaction to Clark’s departure.
“Ryan Clark, a person that I consider to be arguably the best NFL analyst in America, is no longer a member of ESPN. I can’t even tell y’all how much that hurts….I am not happy about this decision one bit,” Smith ranted. “The bosses know I’m not happy about this decision; I’ve made that very, very clear. But it’s also important that myself and anybody else in the world of business be grown-ups and understand that these are the kinds of things that happen when layoffs happen.”
While Smith doesn’t agree with the decision, he accepted that the business has changed. The business no longer allows ESPN to spend freely without cutting costs. And the business now requires those at the top, such as Stephen A. Smith and Pat McAfee, to command more money than ESPN is used to spending.
“When we think about ESPN, first of all, let me be very, very clear. I can disagree with my employers; what you’re not going to get me to do is insult my employers. Business is business,” Smith said. “And whether we like it or not, those people who made the decisions, whether it’s a Ryan Clark or a host of other people, are paid to make those decisions. It’s an unenviable position to be in. This ain’t the days when ESPN could just hire and hire and hire some more without ever having to let go or lay off anybody. Those days are long gone.”
Smith won’t insult his employers, but he did insist the network suffered a “devastating loss” by laying off Clark. And even though Smith acknowledged ESPN shared numbers explaining why they needed to make cuts, he still pushed back on their decision to cut Clark, who he believes is the best NFL analyst in the game.
“There’s nobody that’s going to be let go that was more of a friend and a brother to me than Ryan Clark,” Smith continued. “I don’t care whether people agree or disagree. This is why I believe I’ve never lost a debate because I’m either right or I’m edified because I’ve learned from somebody who was more right than me, and I walk away from the debate and the conversation more education, more informed, more edified than I ever thought possible.
“Working with Ryan Clark, anytime I talked about the NFL, anytime I talked about life, I walked away feeling that way about him…Because the brother is that smart, he’s that conscientious, he’s that thoughtful, he’s that sincere, he’s that real, he’s that authentic.”
Smith taped the above video on Ryan Clark prior to the news of Cam Newton’s exit going public. Although it’s fair to assume Smith was already aware of Newton’s fate, considering he admitted ESPN spoke to him about Clark and their need to make cuts. Like Clark, Newton played a pivotal role on First Take last NFL season.
Smith has similarly defended Shannon Sharpe in the wake of his exit from ESPN. Sharpe, however, left ESPN on much different terms, parting ways amid a sexual assault lawsuit against him that has since been settled. But Smith has continued to preach wanting Sharpe back on First Take. Despite Smith expressing loyalty for the people who join him on First Take, ESPN has shown a willingness to make its own decisions on talent, with or without his approval, and Clark is just the latest example.
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