Tag: Racially

Marcellus Wiley and Ryan Clark have brought their gridiron tactics to the media world, as the former NFL players-turned-sports pundits have tackled their longstanding beefs with one another online.

Tensions between the two, which have bubbled beneath the surface for years, boiled over earlier this week, when Wiley called out Clark for seemingly having differing standards and commentary when discussing white quarterbacks, as opposed to Black quarterbacks.

On Sunday, (Jan. 19), Clark, an analyst for ESPN, reacted to Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson losing to Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs.

In a post on X, The Pivot podcast host seemingly absolved Jackson of responsibility for the Ravens falling short of a conference championship game.

“You fought 8! Gave your team the chance,” Clark, who won a Super Bowl during his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers, wrote in reference of the two-time league MVP.

“Had adversity in the first half & kept pushing. Did everything you had to in the 2nd half to earn extra minutes. That’s the way it goes when it’s good on good. This ain’t on you, you showed up in the most important moments @Lj_era8!”

The following day, during an episode on his Never Shut Up podcast and YouTube show, Wiley compared Clark’s remarks in reaction to Jackson’s defeat to his more biting words following Allen’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in last year’s NFL Divisional Playoff Round.

“Do you all see the difference in tone and intention of RC after a Lamar Jackson loss with good numbers, versus a Josh Allen when he loses with good numbers?”

Wiley, who played in the NFL for ten seasons before transitioning into media, noted, “This is to point out the hypocrisy, the race-baiting of Ryan Clark.”

The Compton native then seemingly grouped Clark with other sports talking heads he feels allows their personal and sociopolitical biases to cloud their judgement and delivery of the facts.

“Just to let you know, when you’re watching these guys — for those who are not informed — just know you need to go to a purer source than them,” he continued. “Because they have agendas. They will take you off the rails. They will take you into their own worlds, and their own worlds are personal.”

Clark responded to Wiley’s criticisms on social media, tagging the former Buffalo Bills draftee’s own X account in the post, in which he deemed Wiley an obsessed “liar” while offering to speak with him in person.

“@marcelluswiley I let you talk about me constantly because I refused to give you life,” the former Pro Bowl defensive back, wrote.

“You just lie bro, & play to people that want somebody they think speaks for us to side with them! So, let me know when you want to ask me face to face about anything! I’ll even do your show!”

Clark then referred to an encounter in which Wiley allegedly backed down from a confrontation with him as proof of Wiley’s seeming cowardice.

“You’re full of it & you clearly need me since you talk about me so dang much. I gave you the chance at Catch eye to eye, but you weren’t as talkative that day!”

Wiley clapped back at Clark on social media with his own response, sharing a picture of himself and Clark that seemingly tells a different story.

“I’m confused by your tone…. Ain’t this you with my drink on your shoulder @Realrclark25 when I see you out?” Wiley wrote, urging Clark to stop talking aggressively on social media while refusing his offer to fight.

The former pro athletes continued to go back and forth on social media, as Clark revealed that he attempted to call Wiley amid the war of words, but that Wiley immediately hung up and refused to speak with him.

Wiley would argue that he doesn’t owe Clark a conversation, despite his criticism of Clark being a race-baiter, as Clark doesn’t speak with every athlete he discusses on various platforms.

See Marcellus Wiley and Ryan Clark’s war of words below.

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