Ryan Clark is a polarizing character when it comes his TV career, and football fans have this week found a novel new reason to dislike him: his fashion choices.
The ESPN star was once again front and center on Monday Night Football this week, opting for a smart gray suit, complete with waistcoat and tie.
But it wasn’t the suit itself getting viewers riled up, but instead the personalized ‘RC’ brooch on his chest.
The bold jewelry choice has become a regular occurrence for Clark, who appears to be trying to grow his own personal brand while starring on the major network.
Taking to social media, fans quickly made their feelings clear on the shiny silver pennant, which many claimed was taking their enjoyment away from the broadcast.
‘I’d love to shove Ryan Clark’s stupid logo suit pin up his a**,’ one wrote, not holding back, while another added: ‘There is no way to avoid Ryan Clark’s custom brooch every Monday night. Sends me into fight or flight.’
Ryan Clark once again wore his personalized ‘RC’ brooch for Monday Night Football on ESPN
Fans took issue with it and claimed it was ‘corny’ that he was promoting himself so heavily
A third wrote, ‘Ryan Clark sporting an even cornier “RC” lapel than I thought was possible,’ while a fourth was even more furious.
‘Ryan Clark is such a f***ing loser dude,’ he said. ‘Wearing a shiny “RC” pendant on national tv is next level pathetic bulls**t. unreal. he shoulda walked in that victoria secret pageant with angel reese since he can’t ever shut his damn mouth about her.’
Others compared Clark’s pin to something out of ‘Clash Royale’ and called it ‘ridiculous’.
Clark has been a divisive figure for fans in recent weeks, last month becoming embroiled in an ugly on-air argument with fellow host Peter Schrager.
Clark – in his RC brooch, of course – took issue with Schrager – a new ESPN hire with extensive reporting experience at Fox Sports and NFL Network – because he didn’t play college or professional football.
During a heated debate on ESPN’s ‘Get Up’ about Dallas’ CeeDee Lamb and Philadelphia’s AJ Brown, Clark silenced his co-hosts and addressed Schrager.
Prior to his ESPN appearance, the TV analyst also made an appearance on WXYZ Detroit
Clark has been very divisive in recent months, angering fans on multiple occasions
‘We shouldn’t do this on TV,’ Clark said. ‘I apologize if people think this is rude — that’s the non-player in you.’
Schrager immediately rejected that argument. ‘Stop,’ he said. ‘I’m not looking at fantasy football. Ryan, don’t belittle me like that. I can come and say as three ex-players are saying one thing, and give an alternative perspective.’
Clark later revealed that the argument continued off-air and he issued a full public apology for his words.
The ESPN star was also slammed by fans days earlier for claiming that Tom Brady was ‘not a generational talent’ in a wild on-air take.
It was back in May that Clark was involved in his most high-profile controversy, though, making a shocking insult to fellow ex-pro Robert Griffin III about his interracial marriage.
Clark took issue with Griffin’s comments about Angel Reese in a debate about her ongoing rivalry with Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, and went on to claim that Griffin doesn’t know the struggles of black women because the former Washington Commanders quarterback is married to a white woman.
His recent argument with Robert Griffin III over his interracial marriage caused fury online
Clark claimed Griffin ‘is not having conversations at his home about what black women have to endure in this country’ because Griffin’s wife, Estonian heptathlete Grete Griffin, is Caucasian.
Days later, Clark issued an apology to the Griffin family for his words and said that he made a mistake involving Grete.
‘Let me say this before getting into reasoning, before getting into thought process: She should not have been brought up in me trying to make a point about how having black women close to you and the things that you learn from them can help you in the way that you approach and speak to and about them,’ Clark said on an episode of ‘The Pivot’ podcast that he co-hosts.
‘She didn’t need to be the illustration of that. I could speak positively about what they are without making the insinuation that it’s something that non-Black women don’t do well.’
