Stephen A. Smith’s enthusiastic public celebration of Ryan Clark’s new Netflix deal has drawn sharp criticism from a lot of NFL fans. The streaming giant struck a multi-year deal with popular interview show “The Pivot,” which Clark hosts alongside Channing Crowder and Fred Taylor.
According to Boardroom, the new partnership will bring video episodes of the show to Netflix beginning Sept. 8. The full back catalog of the show will be available on the streaming platform while continuing to run on YouTube. New episodes, however, will stream exclusively on Netflix.
After the news of the deal broke, Stephen A. Smith took to social media with an emphatic message of support for Ryan Clark. The two had worked together at ESPN for more than a decade before the abrupt firing of Clark, who hosted “NFL Live,” by the network in late June.
“YYYEEESSSSSSSS!!!!!! Hell Yeah! That’s what I’m talking about, Fellas. So Happy for y’all. So proud of y’all. Congrats! @Realrclark25…..you already know, bro! Love ya!!!!” Smith wrote on X.
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However, the reaction from fans to Smith’s post was far less celebratory. This is particularly due to the manner in which Clark was laid off by ESPN in late July amid broader talent cuts. With Smith remaining a prominent face of the network, he felt the heat with a lot of backlash.
A host on online critics question whether Stephen A. Smith’s public backing during the initial firing had been matched by private influence. Others simply highlighted the speed with which the narrative shifted from disappointment over Clark’s exit to cheers for his show’s Netflix deal.
Here’s a look at some of the reactions online:
What Ryan Clark said about his firing on “The Pivot”
There was a lot of speculation in the media and among observers following the layoff of Ryan Clark by ESPN. Following a wave of opinion on the event, the former Pittsburgh Steelers safety set the record straight in the episode of “The Pivot” that followed his dismissal in June.
“Let me put this to bed,” Clark said. “I wasn’t laid off. I was fired. They’re using layoffs as a cover and a camouflage for what they already intended on doing, but there was no cause for it.
“So, because there was no cause for it, you couldn’t just fire me, so you had to wait to the layoff so you could camouflage it and veil it. But here’s the other thing: if I was laid off like everybody else that came out on Tuesday, mine came out on Friday.”
Ryan Clark’s firing gained a lot of attention and backlash because he was said to have been notified of it during a commercial break while he was airing “NFL Live.” Many criticize ESPN’s leadership for that, noting it wasn’t a worthy send-off for Clark after his effort on the show.
Edited by Farouk Yusuf
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