Ex-NFL player Ryan Clark says he will never respect President Trump but praises Obama administration for 'no scandals'



Former NFL player Ryan Clark released a video claiming President Donald Trump had a divisive and bigotry-filled term, while President Barack Obama was graceful and without scandal.

Clark's video, posted on his X page, seemingly served as an explainer for the statement he released after Trump won the election, in which he said, "The majority has spoken & Donald Trump is OUR President. I will respect him & his office as such."

The former ESPN host and now host for Fanatics said he got a lot of pushback from his "community" regarding his post and proceeded to explain in detail why he doesn't like President Trump.

— (@)

Clark claimed in his video that after Trump's election, his oldest daughter got up at 7 a.m. and lay in bed with her grandmother and cried. He likened this to many Kamala Harris supporters who felt "sadness" and "depression" because Trump won.

He then compared Trump's tenure to that of Obama, stating that Obama represented the United States "with class, and with grace, and with elegance, and with decency."

He added that Obama had "no scandals" and no felony charges, while Trump ran a campaign and a presidency based in bigotry and hate.

Clark finished by saying that he doesn't "and won't" respect Trump but will respect the office of the president.

Many commenters found Clark's own video to be divisive despite his stated intent not to be, specifically since the former athlete hammered home in his caption that when Trump came into office he "empowered" bigotry.

"After 8 years of being represented with class by President Obama the country decided it needed to be 'Great Again.'" "Bigotry was now empowered straight from the Oval Office," Clark added.

However, the former Pittsburgh Steeler revealed that "Trump supporters of all colors" have told him he is wrong about the president.

He noted that while he is not optimistic, he will also attempt not tobe divisive. Many readers took issue with this.

"I can't stress this enough but Obama was the most divisive president of all time. The worst of the worst," one reply stated.

I can’t stress this enough but Obama was the most divisive president of all time. The worst of the worst.
— Mighty Matt 💪🏼 (@HskrsStarsBucs) November 11, 2024

Another reader attempted to point out Clark's hypocrisy for making derogatory claims about Trump while also saying he wasn't going to be divisive himself.

“Bigotry was now empowered straight from the Oval Office”

“Since, I want good for us all I won’t be divisive.”

🤦♂️
— Nick Dreyer (@nrdreyer0) November 12, 2024

Clark's tactic of rattling off claims about the president without context or rebuttal has become a go-to for many of his detractors.

Noting his felony charges and impeachments in such a manner appears to be more of a signal by Clark to his supporters that he is is with them rather than a sign that he is truly open to understanding his political opponents.

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ESPN blacks out volleyball ‘cis rights movement’ to protect Kamala Harris



The “BOYcott” will not be televised. Not on ESPN anyway.

As it relates to a growing list of women’s volleyball teams refusing to compete against a team led by a man, the “Worldwide Leader in Sports” is channeling its inner Gil Scott-Heron.

Scott-Heron, a 1970s jazz poet, famously stated over conga drums that “the revolution will not be televised.” Scott-Heron’s song referred to an overthrow of the government and the so-called liberation of black Americans.

You will not be able to stay home, brother
You will not be able to plug in, turn on, and cop out
You will not be able to lose yourself on skag and
Skip out for beer during commercials
Because the revolution will not be televised ...

On Monday, a fifth collegiate volleyball team — the University of Nevada, Reno — announced its intention to forfeit a match against San Jose State University, a Division I member of the Mountain West Conference. The Spartans’ best player is a young man, Brayden Fleming, who changed his name to Blaire. He played the previous two years on the San Jose State team while the university concealed his biological sex.

In March, one of his teammates, Brooke Slusser, joined a lawsuit suing the NCAA for violating Title IX by allowing biological men to compete against women. Slusser, at one point, was one of Fleming’s roommates.

“It was a really hard pill to swallow, because I couldn’t comprehend the fact that there was a man on the team, and it was almost as if I was in denial for a really long time that this was happening,” Slusser told OutKick.com in an exclusive interview. “So it was just really hard for me to wrap my head around. And then, it still being a topic we weren’t really allowed to talk about. It was just kind of whispers behind closed doors that this is what’s happening, but no one’s really talked about it or addressed it.”

This is an amazing moment. Teammates are pitted against each other. Universities are pitted against their athletes.

Slusser’s experience sounds exactly like what’s going on at ESPN, a mature media institution born in 1979. Slusser is a child. She’s supposed to be confused and wishy-washy. A genuine worldwide leader would be exploring this controversial topic and providing Slusser and others the information and insight to make an informed decision on gender identity.

Forty-five-year-old ESPN is a scared child. Disney won’t allow its broadcasters to address the most important issue in all of sports. I’m sure they whisper about it behind closed doors.

But in front of cameras, Stephen A. Smith, Pat McAfee, Ryan Clark, Shannon Sharpe, and all the other talking heads are silent. It’s quite the contrast, the difference between how ESPN handles racial conflict and gender conflict.

Two years ago, a black Duke volleyball player claimed a BYU fan called her a racial slur during a match. Smith and Sharpe launched loud, on-camera defenses of Rachel Richardson. Dawn Staley, the head basketball coach at South Carolina, canceled a basketball game at BYU, claiming her players wouldn’t feel safe. ESPN.com ran several front-page stories about the incident and Staley’s reaction.

BYU conducted an extensive investigation, trying to identify the alleged perpetrator. The investigation concluded the alleged verbal attack did not happen. The allegation never made sense. A group of college kids in a closed environment shouting the “N-word” with smartphones everywhere? Come on.

But here is something real, important, and traumatic happening in the world of volleyball and sports. ESPN has nothing to say.

Nevada, Southern Utah, Boise State, Wyoming, and Utah State have all announced they won’t play against “Blaire” Fleming and San Jose State. Hours after the Nevada team made its announcement, the administration at the school contradicted the young women on its team.

“The players’ decision and statement were made independently, and without consultation with the University or athletic department. The players’ decision also does not represent the position of the University,” the administration said in a statement.

The statement concluded: “The University intends to move forward with the match as scheduled, and the players may choose not to participate in the match on the day of the contest. No players will be subject to any disciplinary action for their decision not to participate in the match.”

This is an amazing moment, an incredible story highlighting a consequential inflection point in this nation’s history and culture. Teammates are pitted against each other. Universities are pitted against their athletes.

Is gender a state of mind or a state of body?

The answer is obvious. The confusion is a byproduct of a lack of public debate. It’s not debated because the people who prefer “state of mind” realize they would be slaughtered in public debate. Their public silence and not-so-private bullying have sparked an un-televised revolution.

I call it the "cis rights movement." It’s led by former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines. She publicly complained three years ago when William “Lia” Thomas invaded women’s swimming and stole an NCAA medal from a woman. Gaines is the Rosa Parks for female athletes. Her courage has spawned the courage we’re seeing from volleyball players at Nevada, Wyoming, Boise State, Southern Utah, and Utah State.

This week, the women at Utah State started wearing “BOYcott” T-shirts. They want boys out of their locker rooms and out of their sports. They understand that women excel in athletic competition when they’re left to compete among themselves.

That’s a message progressives don’t want to spread. Leftists believe in androgyny. They believe men and women are the same. They reject the word of God written in the book of Genesis. They reject common sense.

Defending their positions publicly would expose their hostility to God and common sense.

Disney and ESPN will not televise this revolution — especially not in an election year when the Democratic nominee hails from San Francisco, parties with drag queens, and believes children should be surgically castrated on demand.

Meet the four titans spearheading the 'cis rights movement' that just might 'save America'



Some of the biggest names in the sports industry are leading a movement to protect female athletes against men competing in women’s sports, and yet the story is getting a shocking lack of coverage.

While he’s appalled that this revolution isn’t making headlines, Jason Whitlock is thrilled that the movement is gaining momentum anyway.

“[Riley Gaines] is the leader of the cis rights movement. She is the Rosa Parks, the first woman to take a major stand,” he says.

As for Caitlin Clark, Jason says, she “isn’t outspoken” but is nonetheless “unintentionally being a leader.”

“Caitlin Clark has stood her ground, taken the blow, the arrows, the smearing of her and her fan base” in a league that is “hostile ... to cisgender women.”

“She's dealt with all the racist comments from Sheryl Swoopes ... she hasn’t bowed to A’ja Wilson and all the people that [say], ‘Admit your white privilege,”’ says Jason, adding, “I don't know where Caitlin Clark stands ... but I know what she represents.”

“Caitlin Clark is the Jackie Robinson of the cis rights movement,” he says.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

According to Jason, the other two women spearheading the movement are Sage Steele and Samantha Ponder.

“Sage Steele and Samantha Ponder [are] two titans of the media, two heavyweights at ESPN. They sacrificed their jobs and their careers to stand up for women,” Jason praises, adding that these two women were let go “because they wouldn't bow to the LGBTQIA+ transgender insanity.”

“Sage Steele, Samantha Ponder — they're John Carlos and Tommie Smith,” he adds, referencing two Olympic athletes who competed at the 1968 Summer Olympics and used their platforms to stand against racism.

While the cis rights movement is geared toward preventing biological men from competing in women’s athletic divisions, Jason says, “It is so much bigger than sports.”

“I do think that this is the movement that could save America,” he says.

To hear more, watch the episode above.

Want more from Jason Whitlock?

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'No one cares!' Jason Whitlock mocks ESPN as network announces a 'black quarterback' era ahead of NFL season



ESPN's Andscape website made a hard push for racial identity politics to kick off the NFL season, focusing on the apparent importance of race among NFL quarterbacks.

Andscape, an ESPN-owned site, is self-described as "a Black-led media platform" that is purposely pushing "the diverse stories of Black identity."

It's about page also cites its stated goal of pursuing the "shared mission of illuminating the culture and experience of Blackness."

To start the NFL regular season, Andscape lived up to its mantra and delivered overwhelmingly racially fueled content focusing on black NFL quarterbacks. The ESPN outlet declared that not only is the sport in the "era of the black quarterback" but that black quarterbacks need to work harder to get the same respect as white quarterbacks.

'Quit writing about it, quit talking about it, quit shoving it in everyone's face.'

Jason Whitlock of "Fearless" called out the strange reporting and declared that "the media is actually destroying sports," not the actual competitors. "It's the media."

"They're doing a story, 'half of quarterbacks are black.' Black. Black. Black. The blackity blacks are doing blackity black," Whitlock hilariously continued. "No one cares!"

Whitlock then downplayed the narrative that glass ceilings are continuously being broken.

"[They've] won Super Bowls, played in Super Bowls, inducted into the Hall of Fame, MVPs, first-round draft picks ... but ESPN and Andscape can't find anything else compelling to do than tell everybody 'hey half the quarterbacks in the NFL are black.' Black. Black."

The host added that the angle being taken by ESPN diminishes the sport, their platform, and the accomplishments of the players.

— (@)

Whitlock recited the beginning of one of Andscape's two leading articles titled, "The Era of the Black Quarterback."

The piece claimed that for years sportswriters contacted black quarterbacks for commentary whenever another black quarterback would accomplish a feat.

"Then, suddenly, reporters stopped calling," Whitlock mockingly read. "Quit writing about it, quit talking about it, quit shoving it in everyone's face," he continued.

The "Fearless" commentator then assured ESPN that Americans, including black Americans, are not as obsessed with race as they are.

"They don't tune into sports thinking they are going to get a replay of 'Roots' and '12 Years a Slave,'" he said.

Another leading article on the ESPN site included an interview with Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts; the article mentioned his race nearly two dozen times.

This included commentary on apparent unequal treatment of black quarterbacks, an alleged "black quarterback fraternity," and that black quarterbacks have inherently learned not to "remind the audience that [they're] black."

In terms of any potential racial disparity, it doesn't actually seem like the NFL has any at the quarterback position. As of the start of the 2024 NFL season, 15 of the 32 starting quarterbacks in the league are black, while 16 are white. Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is of Samoan descent.

Fritz Pollard was the first black man to play in the NFL in 1920 and also the first coach in 1921.

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'Never in my life': College football host Kirk Herbstreit says ESPN has never told him what he can or can't say



ESPN host Kirk Herbstreit said he has never received directives from employers at ESPN regarding what he can or can't say on the network.

Herbstreit is the top analyst on ESPN's "College Gameday" and recently spoke out against men competing against women in their sports.

He called the idea ridiculous and said he was done "biting my tongue" on certain subjects.

'I've never had anybody say to me, "Be careful" or "You better not say that," ever.'

Herbstreit appeared on Episode 510 of the Sports Illustrated podcast "SI Media with Jimmy Traina," where he was asked if he receives any input from his network about what he should say:

"This will be my 29th year," Herbstreit began. "I can say with 1,000% certainty I have never in my life had a producer tell me what I need to say or 'we like the SEC, you need to fake' — never in my life," he said.

The host then addressed whether any of his comments, which likely included his recent comments on transgender athletes, caused reprimand from ESPN.

"Never happened. Now, 29 years later, I've never had anybody say to me, 'Be careful' or 'You better not say that,' ever. Maybe other people that’s happened with. I’ve never experienced that in my entire career.”

'I am an introverted guy, but when you push my buttons, you can light a fuse.'

Herbstreit inspired headlines when he was asked online by a fan if "men belong in women's sports."

He responded by saying, "Of course not. Ridiculous question."

Herbstreit was then pressed on the subject by OutKick's Dan Dakich, who pushed the idea that Herbstreit must have known that he would cause a firestorm by responding to the fan question.

"I didn't give a s**t. I don't really give a s**t, at all. I'm done giving any s**ts, at all, about any of it," the 54-year-old said.

"It's almost like there are two different sets of rules, and if you have a view that is a little bit more traditional, and you know I'm a Christian guy, it's like there's a different set of rules from that viewpoint. It's hard to turn the cheek time after time after time, so yeah, I didn't really care and don't care at all," Herbstreit added.

— (@)

Sports Illustrated host Traina asked Herbstreit if ESPN has a hand in his social media posts and referred to the recent firings by ESPN of hosts Sam Ponder and Robert Griffin III who are very opinionated on their social channels.

"People are trying to say ESPN is anti-religious or anti-people speaking out,” the host theorized.

Herbstreit then referred back to his interview with Dakich:

"The stuff that happened last week, I got kind of caught up [when] I was talking with Dan [Dakich]."

"I am an introverted guy, but when you push my buttons, you can light a fuse and kind of get me excited about the things I'm passionate about," Herbstreit continued.

The college football host then seemingly softened his reasoning for his comments, saying that he was frustrated over the division in the country:

"I think the reason I said I don’t give a s**t is just, I get so frustrated with the country and being so divided and not liking each other — and people just not getting along and people are lashing out. And in the college football community, people creating conspiracy theories that aren't true or people attacking me."

Despite claims that ESPN's recent firings, at least for Ponder, were in part due to her religious views and comments on keeping men out of women's sports, ESPN said its moves were made as part of budget cuts.

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ESPN Axes Host Days After She Voiced Opposition To Men Competing In Women’s Sports

ESPN has fired a host who recently voiced opposition to female-identifying men competing in women’s sports. On Thursday, The Athletic reported that ESPN has terminated the contract of “Sunday NFL Countdown” host Samantha Ponder, a longtime reporter for the network who previously covered college football. Former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III was also fired by […]

ESPN reportedly axes Sam Ponder in surprise move — but many believe her criticism of men in women's sports played role



ESPN has reportedly let go of two its most recognizable on-air personalities: Samantha Ponder and Robert Griffin III.

On Thursday afternoon, Andrew Marchand of the Athletic reported on X that ESPN had fired Ponder and RGIII to cut costs.

ESPN has fired hundreds of employees in the past several years as part of larger restructuring efforts. However, this fiscal year, Ponder and Griffin appear to be the only ones getting the boot, Marchand noted.

Griffin, a former Heisman winner who spent several seasons in the NFL, most notably with the Washington Redskins, joined the network in 2021 and still had two years left on his contract.

He had also recently been demoted from his role on "Monday Night Countdown," according to the New York Post.

Griffin also appears to be taking the news in stride, posting to X a short, humorous clip from the movie "Friday" in which character Willie Jones asks his son Craig: "How the hell you gonna get fired on your day off?"

'She had the wrong politics and dumping her salary frees up cap space for ESPN to overpay Stephen A Smith.'

Ponder's apparent firing is more surprising. She has been with the network since 2011 working as a sideline reporter. She made frequent appearances on the hit show "College GameDay" and eventually become the host of "Sunday Night Countdown."

However, she has also repeatedly criticized male infiltration into sports and teams reserved for women and girls.

"What's happening to women in sports is insane," Ponder tweeted in April 2023, "and any reasonable person knows it."

A month later, she expressed support for those cowed into silence on the topic out of "fear of lost employment/being called hateful."

"It is not hateful to demand fairness in sports for girls."

— (@)

Now, many believe that Ponder is the one who has "lost employment" for demanding "fairness in sports for girls." Awful Announcing noted that she had "increasingly strayed" from ESPN's request that on-air personalities "stick to sports."

Riley Gaines also weighed in, noting that with former "SportsCenter" co-host Sage Steele gone as well, the Worldwide Leader in Sports now has no woman there who wants to preserve women's sports for women only.

"So ESPN fires @samponder, the only woman at the network who was publicly said men don't belong in women's sports. 3 weeks before football season?" Gaines wrote. "Sam is one of the most beautiful, genuine women I've ever met along with @sagesteele who had a similar fate....not a coincidence."

Bobby Burack of OutKick agreed, telling Blaze News that it makes no sense for ESPN to fire Ponder, whom he described as ESPN's "lead NFL host," three weeks before the NFL season kicks off just to save a few bucks.

"Keep in mind, Sam Ponder was the only woman left at ESPN who has publicly rejected the idea that we should celebrate men for calling themselves 'trans' and competing against women in female competition," Burack told Blaze News.

Jason Whitlock, host of BlazeTV's "Fearless," also indicated to Blaze News that Ponder's "politics" almost certainly played a role in the decision.

"A lot of factors at work with ESPN releasing Sam Ponder," Whitlock told Blaze News. "She had the wrong politics and dumping her salary frees up cap space for ESPN to overpay Stephen A Smith."

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Disney streamers finally profitable; rewards fans with 25% price hike



Disney's streaming platforms have finally posted a net profit after a long-term struggle saw the company lose billions.

In a Q3 earnings call, the company announced profits from streaming a full quarter ahead of expectations. The third quarter direct-to-consumer income totaled $47 million, according to Disney, which is quite the turnaround from a $512 million loss in the previous year.

The profit appeared to come solely off the back of ESPN+ after Disney+ and Hulu were packaged with the sports network.

Disney+ and Hulu reportedly incurred a combined loss of $19 million, according to Bounding into Comics, meaning if the profit margin came from ESPN+ alone that would mean the sports network brought in $66 million. However, the breakdown of the figures is unclear at the time of this publication.

'We are confident in our ability to continue driving earnings growth through our collection of unique and powerful assets.'

As Blaze News reported in May, Disney CEO Bob Iger had previously blamed the streaming services for a $4 billion loss:

"As we got into the streaming business in a very, very aggressive way, we tried to tell too many stories. Basically we invested too much, way ahead of possible returns. It's what led to streaming ending up as a $4 billion loss," Iger said in a webcasted conference.

The company did have the stated goal however of bundling Hulu and ESPN+ with Disney+ to increase overall engagement, and that calculated gamble appears to have worked out.

At the same time, the Walt Disney company announced in a press release that prices for its streaming packages, both ad-free and ad-supported, will increase by $1 to $2 per month.

Disney+ basic and premium plans will go from $7.99 and $13.99 per month, respectively, to $9.99 and $15.99

The ad-free and ad-included Hulu plans will go up to $18.99 and $9.99 per month, while ESPN+ goes up to $11.99 per month with ads.

Some bundle plans, such as the Duo Basic plan, are also set to increase prices.

Subscribers who pay more are set to receive "ABC News Live" and a "preschool content" playlist, with the promise of four additional curated playlists in fall 2024, according to the Dallas Express.

Iger has promised viewers that the Disney creative departments were going to "reconnect" to the monetization side of the company to ensure "quality is not lost," but price increases likely aren't what fans were hoping for out of that promise.

"This was a strong quarter for Disney, driven by excellent results in our entertainment segment, both at the box office and [direct-to-consumer], as we achieved profitability across our combined streaming for the first time, and ahead of our previous guidance," Iger said. "We are confident in our ability to continue driving earnings growth through our collection of unique and powerful assets."

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New Documentary Explores The Sisterhood And Stardom Of Venus And Serena Williams

Serena described in vivid detail the torment of having to play her sibling on a very public stage with millions watching worldwide.

'What a s*** show': Pat McAfee torches his own network over 'terrible' ESPN top 100 athlete list



ESPN's top podcaster Pat McAfee criticized an ESPN list of top athletes as one of the worst things he has ever seen on the network.

The former NFL punter did not pull any punches when going after his own network's list of the best athletes since 2000.

The ranking of 100 athletes had only been partially released when McAfee started his show revealing his plans to trash the list:

"There is a top 100 list that is coming out from ESPN's people and I'll tell ya what, it is the epitome of everything that everybody hates about ESPN," McAfee stated. "What they chose to do about ranking the top 100 athletes of the 21st century ... what a s*** show."

"What an absolute, terrible list," the former player added, before saying he planned on blaming guest of the show and former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky for the ESPN project.

'Is this the dumbest thing of all time?'

McAfee's contract with ESPN is a reported $85 million over five years, making him at least one of the highest paid personalities on the network. This hasn't stopped him from causing a stir on the Disney-owned channel, however. His frequent interviews with controversial quarterback Aaron Rodgers have been coupled with criticisms of network brass, with McAfee seldom shying away from expressing his views.

To his point, some of the obvious flubs on the list include placing A'ja Wilson, a 27-year-old WNBA champion at No. 90, ahead of Super Bowl winner Aaron Rodgers (91), Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martinez (92), and legendary soccer player Ronaldinho (94).

Furthermore, No. 56-ranked Spanish female soccer player Alexia Putellas was placed ahead of several soccer greats, including Zlatan Ibrahimović (95).

She was also shockingly far ahead of tennis legend Venus Williams (86), WNBA pioneers Candace Parker (60) and Lisa Leslie (74), and Jon Jones (66). Jones is a multi-weight UFC champion who is considered the greatest of all time by many, with only one loss coming from an illegal strike.

The list is sure to please almost no one with strange rankings of nearly unknown female basketball players, skiers, and even cricket players. Somehow, they are put in the same realm as athletes like Barry Bonds (38), Derek Jeter (53), and Alexander Ovechkin (54).

About 20 minutes into "The Pat McAfee Show," McAfee asked Orlovsky, who is now a notable analyst, how he felt about the attempt to make a definitive list like this.

"How do you feel about this list? Is this where you kind of sit it, and is this the dumbest thing of all time to kind of take the ideas of a slew of people and try to make it as if it's one person's concept?" McAfee asked.

ESPN's methodology basically consisted of "experts in individual sports" being asked to rank the top athletes in their sport since January 1, 2000. The rankings were then reevaluated by another "panel of experts."

Orlovksy responded by saying that the whole conversation surrounding a list of who is the top athlete, or, in particular, the top quarterback, needed to be "altered."

"I've been on this for I feel like a couple years now but certainly this offseason ... the whole top five/top 10 quarterback conversation probably needs to be altered," he remarked.

He went on to say that lists of this nature inevitably result in certain players being left off because the necessary parameters are not being considered.

Orlovsky went on to declare that the way the media talks about quarterbacks is unfair and overlooks some of the fundamental talents that make a good play-caller.

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