About a week ago, I was thinking about the White House FCC broadcasting and media police. Lo and behold the following item was written by Andrew Battifarano and posted on nypost.com. “Ryan Clark tears up as he tells all about his shock ESPN firing: ‘Using layoffs as a cover and a camouflage’….The ex-NFL defensive back was among the many let go by the Worldwide Leader this week, and he went on his ‘The Pivot’ podcast Friday (July 24) to discuss what went down. Clark, 46, even teared up at one point during the show as the weight of it all seemed to sink in. Clark made clear how his end at ESPN came to be: ‘Let me put this to bed—I wasn’t laid off, I was fired. They’re using layoffs as a cover and a camouflage for what they already intended on doing, but there was no cause for it. So because there was no cause for it, you couldn’t just fire me, you had to wait ’til the layoffs so you could camouflage it and veil it.’
If you look hard enough at the bags under the eyes of Ryan Clark, you can plainly see the tracks of Shannon Sharpe’s tears. It is that simple. I reposted excerpts from a piece written and posted by Joshua Rogers July 31, 2025: “Visibly distraught Shannon Sharpe fought back tears after ‘losing personal relationships’ in Skip Bayless drama.”
The former Broncos TE reached a buyout agreement with Fox Sports that saw him depart and eventually join rival network ESPN.
Sharpe was a regular on the network until April 2026, when he stepped away from his duties after being sued by a woman for $50 million. The news was announced a day before Sharpe’s older brother Sterling was set to make history and join him in the Hall of Fame.
“See, people are like, ‘Well, Shannon, why’d you get so emotional?’ Because if you knew what I put into that job, you would understand it,” Sharpe told host Jerome D. Love.
“You see, the greater the expectation, the greater the hurt when it doesn’t work out. And I poured so much into that.”
Remember after Sharpe was terminated, he appeared on national television crying like a baby that hadn’t been breastfed for a week! This brother was shedding real, having just been returned to the plantation, crocodile tears. There is almost always a negative back story when it comes to firing a Black sports or media personality. Trust me, they will always be an embalmed or canned reason to prompt the exhumation of bodies of reason to combat any minor or major backlash in reaction to some of the networks premeditated skullduggery.
Nicole Duncan-Smith published an article on the Atlanta Black Star website. “He Got Big Headed…: Shannon Sharpe Fired Weeks After His Accuser Walked Away With a Payout Big Enough to Retire, The Timing Has Everyone Asking Questions.”
Ms. Duncan-Smith writes: “Shannon Sharpe was a rising force in sports media, but his ascent came to a sudden halt this week after ESPN announced it was parting ways with the Pro Football Hall of Famer. The network’s decision followed a settlement of $50 million lawsuit over allegations of forceful intimate act, sparking widespread conversation online. Now some fans are wondering if this fall from grace might have been avoided had Sharpe heeded earlier warnings from comedians Katt Williams and Mo’Nique about the dangers tied to his dating life.”
The plaintiff, later identified as Gabrielle Zuniga, claimed she met Sharpe when she was between 19 and 22 years old at a Los Angeles gym. According to the complaint, what began as a “rocky consensual relationship” allegedly evolved into something sinister, with Zuniga asserting that Sharpe “demanded complete control over her time and body.”
As news of his termination broke, social media erupted with commentary from those who had seemingly predicted this outcome.
When the New York Post posted the story, one reader responded: “I can see Kat Williams now, just twiddling his fingers together, as if he saw it all coming, and was forewarning sharp but he didn’t listen. Honestly, though that girl is ridiculous…. That girl knew exactly what she was doing by acting as if she wanted the dirtiest of the dirt.”
During Williams’ January 2024 interview, the comedian cautioned about the dangers of interracial relationships, particularly after witnessing actor Jonathan Majors’ career destruction.
Weeks later, Mo’Nique delivered the most direct advice during her February 2024 podcast appearance, addressing Sharpe’s dating habits with the frankness of a concerned relative.
“You better take your old a— and get somebody to love you. Let me tell you what Shannon need. You don’t need no 26-year-old girl. You don’t need no 36-year-old girl,” she said.
When Sharpe protested with “I do,” Mo’Nique cut him off: “This is your auntie talking to you. Take your old a— and get you an old ____ out there that can love you old.”
Do you guys remember when Hines Ward questioned why Pittsburgh Steelers former QB Ben Roethlisberger would wait until the day before a game to declare himself ineligible to play? Ward was roundly criticized. I thought Ward would be on the chopping block after that.
According to an AP article posted on Dec 2, 2009, on espn.com, Ward apologized, not once, but twice.
My analysis is, if any QB is experiencing side effects from a suspected concussion, why would that athlete practice all week and keep the backup QB from getting reps? Well, sometimes in the world of sports, even if you’re right, you still might have to say that you’re sorry.
