Former ESPN college football analyst Robert Griffin III sparked some controversy that caught the ear of Ryan Clark surrounding the incident this weekend following a hard foul call between Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark. The Fever’s superstar was called for a hard foul to dislodge the basketball from Reese as she drove to the basket on Saturday afternoon in Indianapolis.
As a result, Reese fell to the floor and then charged at Clark as she walked away from the incident. Subsequently, Griffin shared his thoughts on the matter as he posted to his personal X account that Angel Reese “hates” Caitlin Clark, despite Reese never saying as much. Meanwhile, current ESPN NFL Analyst Ryan Clark shared his own perspective on Griffin’s use of the word “hate” on The Pivot with Channing Crowder and Fred Taylor.
“When RG3 jumps onto the hate train or the angry train, it now follows what we saw from Keith Olbermann. What we saw from Dave Portnoy as they poured onto Angel Reese to make her the villain, and Caitlin Clark heroic or hero story,” said Clark. “The one thing we know about RG3 is he’s not having conversations at his home about what black women have to endure in this country.”
It’s worth noting that Griffin is married to Grete Griffin, who is an Estonian heptathlete and white. Furthermore, Clark referenced that Griffin, in both of his marriages, has been married to white women and doesn’t understand the challenges young black women face because he hasn’t educated himself on the matter.
“The whole time that he’s mimicking Angel Reese; bobbing his head and moving his neck while he’s doing this whole piece, his wife is in the back amening and clapping,” said Clark. “To me, it’s another situation that now this young lady (Reese) has to deal with.”
Moreover, the former Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro then delved into his previous working relationship with Griffin and pointed out things he noticed in their off-air conversations.
“When I worked with RG3 he would make all these corny jokes about milk, and how much he loved milk,” noted Clark. “He always points out on social media the color of his wife’s skin, as if the color of her skin is what makes her special. As if the color of her skin is what makes her a good wife.”
Clark also discussed that he has met Grete Griffin. However, he noted that Griffin’s marriage—and the way he props it up—leads to issues black women face, because Griffin is, in Clark’s view, denigrating black women while celebrating being married to a white woman.
Turning the focus back to the criticism of Reese and Caitlin Clark, the ESPN personality emphasized that the ongoing hype surrounding potential hate between the two needs to end.
“There’s no need to pin those two against each other and paint them based on stereotypical tropes,” said Clark. “This is what I’d like RG3 to know. No matter how much he continues to echo the micro-aggressions of racists, he’ll be no less black than me.”
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
