Stephen A's Take: Ryan Clark claps back at Aaron Rodgers with his resume.

Summary

Summary of "Stephen A's Take: Ryan Clark claps back at Aaron Rodgers with his resume"

Introduction In this episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show, host Stephen A. Smith delves into a heated exchange between ESPN analyst Ryan Clark and NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Released on December 19, 2024, the episode provides an in-depth analysis of the conflict, exploring the backgrounds of both individuals, the nature of their dispute, and the broader implications for the NFL community.

Background on Ryan Clark and Aaron Rodgers Stephen A. Smith begins by introducing Ryan Clark, highlighting his prominent role within ESPN as a contributor to various shows such as First Take, NFL Live, and Monday Night Football. Clark is portrayed as an esteemed NFL analyst with a solid reputation. Smith emphasizes Clark's personal connection, referring to him as a "brother" from the Pivot podcast, underscoring their longstanding friendship and mutual respect.

Aaron Rodgers, a seasoned NFL quarterback, is noted for his impressive on-field performance, particularly in recent games where he has thrown for 628 yards and four touchdowns without any interceptions over the past seven games. Despite this success, Rodgers has faced criticism for his tenure with the New York Jets and has publicly criticized Ryan Clark.

The Conflict Unfolds The episode focuses on a recent incident where Aaron Rodgers publicly denounced Ryan Clark, labeling him a "fraud" and questioning his integrity. Rodgers' outspoken remarks on ESPN's Pat McAfee show sparked immediate tension. Smith shares Rodgers' exact words:

Aaron Rodgers [Timestamp: 02:15]: "Say whatever the expletive you want about me. I don't care. But just before you do it, whether you state your name, your accolades, pronouns, whatever it is, just state your vax status so that anything you say afterwards gets you put in the right light. Just get it out There."

Ryan Clark's Response Predicting that Ryan Clark would not let such allegations go unanswered, Smith presents Clark's robust response, which he aired on platform X (formerly Twitter). Clark's reply is both comprehensive and assertive:

Ryan Clark [Timestamp: 03:41]: "My name is Ryan Clark, played 13 years in the NFL, been to two Super Bowls. I have as many rings as you do. I was the captain of two separate football teams. I'm also an Emmy winner. ... Let me be very, very clear. My job is to analyze you. You've decided to analyze me. ... [He continues addressing Rodgers' performance and integrity.]"

Stephen A. Smith's Analysis Stephen A. offers a nuanced perspective on the situation. He acknowledges Aaron Rodgers' exceptional talent and contributions to the game, referencing Rodgers' four MVP honors and placing him among the greatest quarterbacks of all time. However, Smith criticizes Rodgers' recent performances and leadership, particularly pointing out his subpar Quarterback Rating (QBR) of 21 and the New York Jets' disappointing 4-10 record.

Smith defends Ryan Clark's integrity and professionalism, praising his ethical standards and dedication to honest analysis. He underscores that Clark's criticisms of Rodgers are grounded in firsthand observations from locker rooms and the NFL environment, giving them more weight than typical media punditry.

Stephen A. Smith [Timestamp: 06:51]: "Ryan Clark is one of the most brilliant football analysts we have in the business today. His ethics, his professionalism, his core nucleus of his soul is not to be questioned."

Smith also highlights the flawed nature of Rodgers' arguments, particularly his focus on vaccination status, which Clark effectively counters by emphasizing honesty and accountability over divisive rhetoric.

Broader Implications The episode explores the larger context of athlete-media relationships and the pressures of maintaining integrity in public discourse. Smith reflects on how Rodgers' approach contrasts with Clark's, suggesting that genuine professional respect and transparent communication are vital for constructive criticism and dialogue within the sports community.

Conclusion Stephen A. Smith wraps up the discussion by reaffirming Ryan Clark's stature as a respected analyst and former NFL player who upholds high ethical standards. He advises Aaron Rodgers to recalibrate his approach both on and off the field to restore his legacy and effectiveness as a leader. The episode concludes with Smith emphasizing the importance of integrity and mutual respect in navigating conflicts, especially in the high-stakes world of professional sports.

Notable Quotes

• Aaron Rodgers: "Say whatever the expletive you want about me. I don't care. But just before you do it, whether you state your name, your accolades, pronouns, whatever it is, just state your vax status so that anything you say afterwards gets you put in the right light." [02:15]
• Ryan Clark: "My job is to analyze you. You've decided to analyze me. ... I have as many rings as you do." [03:41]
• Stephen A. Smith: "Ryan Clark is one of the most brilliant football analysts we have in the business today." [06:51]

Final Thoughts This episode offers listeners a comprehensive examination of the clash between Ryan Clark and Aaron Rodgers, framed by Stephen A. Smith's insightful commentary and respect for professional integrity. It underscores the complexities of athlete-analyst relationships and the enduring importance of credibility and honesty in sports journalism.

Transcript

[Greg Rosenthal]

What's up everyone? It's Greg Rosenthal and I'm teaming up with the King of Spring, Daniel Jeremiah. He requires me to say that we're going to be bringing you 40s and free agents, the only podcast you'll need this NFL draft season. From DJs mock drafts to my top 101, free agents will have it covered for you with all new episodes every Thursday keeping you up to date as we head to the NFL Draft. Listen to 40s and free agents starting on March 6th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Julie Swearbinks]

What's up everyone? Julie Swerbinks here, along with former NHL player Nate Thompson.

[Nate Thompson]

We're doing a new podcast together. Here we go.

[Julie Swearbinks]

The name Energy Line with Nate and jsb.

[Nate Thompson]

Each week we'll get together and talk about hockey life. All topics are fair game, right?

[Julie Swearbinks]

Exactly. And you'll never know who will drop by to join us.

[Nate Thompson]

Julia's pretty well connected. She has text threads going that you wouldn't believe.

[Julie Swearbinks]

Listen to Energyline with Nate and jsb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I gotta get into something that's hitting a little close to home because there seems to be something percolating between one of my colleagues at espn. The one and only Ryan Clark. Rc, my brother from the Pivot podcast. Obviously an extraordinary NFL analyst for espn, a contributor to First Take, get up and other shows on ESPN like NFL Live, Monday Night Football, Monday Night, NFL Countdown, et cetera. This is who Ryan Clark is. He's an incredible asset to the ESPN family. He's a personal friend of mine. Brother got love for him and he was on First Take last week, really going at Aaron Rodgers even called him a fraud and just clapped at him big time for some of the things that he has said and done, particularly in his less than illustrious time with the New York jets. Even though over the last couple of weeks or so, Aaron Rodgers has been balling, throwing for 628 yards, four touchdowns, no picks at all over the last couple of games. Nevertheless, when he spoke and said what he said, Aaron Rodgers, who's a weekly guest on Pat McAfee's show on ESPN, had this to say about Ryan Clark. Quote, say whatever the expletive you want about me. I don't care. But just before you do it, whether you state your name, your accolades, pronouns, whatever it is, just state your vax status so that anything you say afterwards gets you put in the right light. Just get it out There, that was Aaron Rodgers. If you know anything about my man Ryan Clark, he ain't gonna take stuff like that. Sit down. That's just not how he rolls to anybody. Especially, I mean, he's a proud black man. So you're a white dude coming at him, he gonna, he's gonna raise his antennas even more. I'm just telling you who I know. I'm not saying he said anything like that. I just know him. Okay. And that we've known each other for years. So needless to say, I was, I was anticipating when I saw that quote from Aaron Rodgers that Ryan Clark would have a response. I didn't know it was going to be a four minute one on, on X, but Ryan Clark, that's what he does when he has something to say. So I decided to peel about two minutes from it to air for y'all and see yourselves. Here's Ryan Clark responding to Aaron Rodgers.

[Ryan Clark]

My name is Ryan Clark, played 13 years in the NFL, been to two Super Bowls. I have as many rings as you do. I was the captain of two separate football teams. I'm also an Emmy winner. I'm also the co, host, owner and partner of an Emmy nominated podcast called the Pivot. Now I know something else you were very interested in was my vaccination status. And yes, I'm vaxxed because I have no spleen, I have no gallbladder because of playing in Denver and being willing to go back honestly and play again. Because I've been in those locker rooms and I've talked to people that have been in the locker rooms with you. I have the stories, I have all the things that they said that informed my opinion of who you are and as far as your vaccination status. So you can stop trying to trick people into thinking that we want to talk about that above the stink of your film. I've never heard it one more time after your incident. And the only reason we spoke about it then was because based on your vaccination status, it was going to determine how long you were out. And also, people didn't care that you weren't vaccinated. They cared that you were slimy about it, they cared that you were deceitful about it, and they cared that you had this air of arrogance when answering the questions about it. And you've kind of only been the only person that's talked about it since. But let me be very, very clear. My job is to analyze you. You've decided to analyze me. And in analyzing you, what I know is your QBR is 21st. Also know that you're the quarterback of a 410 team who has to win the last three games of the season to even be equal to what last year's team was without you. Now I get it. You get on the show and you talk about my brooch and you curse and all this tough talk. I just need you to know don't none of that scare me. I'm gonna do my job the way I'm supposed to do it. I feel no way about not being able to talk about what the film says because of what my career was. And if you continue to be arrogant or smug or hypocritical and it pertains to my job, I'm gonna do it. And I want to remind you Again, I'm Ryan Clark, 13 years Emmy winner, host of an Emmy nominated podcast. And speaking of that jealousy and guest stuff, the Rock, Kevin Hart, Mike Tomlin, Devonte Adams, Joe Burrow, Shaq, just to name a few. No money, just relationships, conversations and respect. It's what I tried to give you and we'll keep it that way as long as you want it like that. Appreciate you.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Wow. Riveting words by my brother, Ryan Clark. I will doubt that by one second. Couple of things appeal from all of this. Number one, in the past, on many occasions I've been accused of having a man crush on Aaron Rodgers. I believe as a talent at his best, in his prime en route to four leg MVP honors, he's one of the greatest quarterbacks we've ever seen in our lives. He's still that way. I think that Aaron Rodgers, up until Patrick Mahomes came along, was the greatest talent at the quarterback position I'd ever seen with my two eyes. So there's nothing to debate about the greatness of Aaron Rodgers and the fact that he's destined for the hall of Fame because when you have his resume, it is what it is. But Ryan Clark, his words cannot be diluted or minimized because what he pointed out was accurate. Aaron Rodgers, QBR is 21. The New York jets are 4 10. Up until a couple of weeks ago, Aaron Rodgers looked horrid as a quarterback for the New York Jets. It's been years since he's thrown for over 300 yards in a game, and the precipitous drop off has been alarming over the last two weeks. 628 passing yards, four touchdowns, no picks over the last seven games, 13 touchdowns, just one interception, a passer rating of 100.4. Very impressive. But the reality is is that Aaron Rodgers looked as like a shell of himself. And one has no doubt that that must hurt him to hear from anybody. And what I like about this conversation, and I say like because I'm fascinated by it. See, this isn't Aaron Rodgers clapping at a reporter. This is Aaron Rodgers going at a former contemporary, a member of the club, a member of the clique. You remember, you're a National Football League player, you're a Super bowl champion. You apply, you qualify. So Aaron Rodgers can't come at Ryan Clark the way he would come at, say, somebody like me who's never played football, or a plethora of other pundits and commentators out there who have never played the game or any professional sport for that matter. That is not Ryan Clark. That is not Ryan Clark. And so when you tried to come at him that way, that was mistake number one. Mistake number two, you brought up the vax status because evidently Amar Rogers feels that anybody who took the vaccine, their opinions are to be dismissed. Because there's so much that we've learned about the whole COVID vaccine and everything that transpired during that time that conspiracy theorists at the time, the Aaron Rodgers, the Kyrie Irving and others, ended up looking a lot better later on. And in fairness, a lot better than the rest of us, myself included. Here's the flip side. Ryan Clark pointed out it wasn't that you took the vaccine or that you didn't take the vaccine. Is that he used the word slimy. I'm saying you were lying. You said you were immunized. You gave the impression that you were vaccinated and you didn't man up and state, no, I didn't take the vaccine. And guess what? As an NFL player, Aaron Rodgers didn't have to take the vaccine. You would have still been allowed to play. So there was no reason to give the impression that you were vaccinated when in fact you weren't. And you being seen as a stand up guy that called it like you saw it and was honest and forthcoming didn't come across like that when it came to the whole vaccination issue. That's what Ryan Clark was pointing to. And he's right about that. When it gets to the credentials of Ryan Clark, let me say this. Ryan Clark is a contributor to First Tape. Ryan Clark is one of the most brilliant football analysts we have in the business today. His ethics, his professionalism, his core nucleus of his soul is not to be questioned. Now me those brooches that he's got on his blazers, the big RC I don't think you need that, bro. Everybody know who you are. See, when you large rc, you. You don't need the rc, you know what I'm saying? We know who the hell you are. That's just my personal opinion. But that's his style. He doesn't believe he's better dressed than me. I disagree. But that's a different subject for another day. In all seriousness, the point is the brother has high integrity. High integrity. He's very principled, and he ain't backing up from anybody. And so when Aaron Rodgers wants to come at him, you can't come at him for his credentials as a football player other than he wasn't you. You can't come at him for his integrity or professionalism as somebody in the media, because he's pointed out the great work that he's been doing. And he's right on all fronts when he talks about what he hears in those locker rooms. Well, y'all are the ones that tell the media, we don't know. Y'all are the ones that know. Well, he's one of the y'alls, which means that people in locker rooms have told him those things that he ultimately has disseminated and conveyed about you, Aaron Rodgers, and that is inescapable. And the last part about his relationships, that was not a shot at Pat McAfee, nor should it be. Plenty of shows have had and will have guests that they pay. Pat McAfee has done it. I'm sure something I'll do in the future for people I paid guests before. You understand? Not. I'm talking about anybody that would come on weekly or whatever. Sure, I would. Okay. Along with many, many, many others who would do that. There are paid appearances in our business all the time. That was not a shot at Pat McAfee. It was a shot at Aaron Rodgers. It was Ryan Clark saying, you got to be paid to go on with your boy. Other people didn't charge me. That's not talking about Pat McAfee. That's talking about Aaron Rodgers. So I think it's something that needed to be said. In the end, it comes back to what I've said about Aaron Rodgers on many times. My Man Ball and win. Because the reality is you haven't won. As great as you are, you haven't won a Super bowl since 2010. You haven't been to the Super bowl since 2010. And now your career is going in the wrong direction based on wins and losses. They want you. Dial it back. Roll it back to next year. With you and devonte Adams here all next season and beyond. Do something about it, bro. Show us what you got left. Going after Ryan Clark. That ain't gonna do much for you. That ain't gonna do much for you. Ryan Clark and I have gone at each other in the past. You don't have a platform every day like I do. You don't want to go at Ryan Clark. That is not a winnable situation for you, Aaron Rogers. In fact, it's almost as bad of a situation as it has been. You going out on the field on Sundays in the jets uniform. You might want to think about that. Just friendly words of advice. That's all I want to say about that.

[Greg Rosenthal]

What's up, everyone? It's Greg Rosenthal and I'm teaming up with the King of Spring, Daniel Jeremiah. He requires me to say that we're going to be bringing you 40s and free agents, the only podcast you'll need this NFL draft season. From DJs mock drafts to my top 101, free agents will have it covered for you with all new episodes every Thursday keeping you up to date as we head to the NFL Draft. Listen to 40s and free agents starting on March 6th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Julie Swearbinks]

What's up, everyone? Julie Swearbinks here along with former NHL player Nate Thompson.

[Nate Thompson]

We're doing a new podcast together. Here we go.

[Julie Swearbinks]

The name Energy Line with Nate and jsb.

[Nate Thompson]

Each week we'll get together and talk about hockey life. All topics are fair game, right?

[Julie Swearbinks]

Exactly. And you'll never know who will drop by to join us.

[Nate Thompson]

Julie is pretty well connected. She has text threads going that you wouldn't believe.

[Julie Swearbinks]

Listen to Energy Line with Nate and jsb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.