*Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy sharply criticized ESPN analyst Ryan Clark after a heated exchange on “Get Up” where Clark dismissed reporter Peter Schrager’s NFL analysis, the New York Post reports.
During the episode last Friday (09-05-25), Clark told Schrager, “That’s the non-player in you,” prompting immediate pushback from Schrager, who urged Clark not to “belittle” him. The comment drew widespread criticism, with Portnoy addressing the incident on FS1’s “Wake Up Barstool” on Monday (09-08-25).
Portnoy didn’t hold back, calling Clark “one of the all-time jerks in the history of mankind” and accusing him of being a “race-baiter” who frequently stirs controversy only to apologize later. He specifically challenged Clark’s stance that non-players can’t have valid football opinions, stating, “I’ve never understood that. Like I get playing the game, but there’s a lot of morons who played the game.”
Dave Portnoy on FS1: “Ryan Clark, who’s one of the all-time jerks in the history of mankind — he is a race-baiter, you can say that. He is. The only time he’s in the news is when he’s picking fights and then apologizing…” pic.twitter.com/7OoyoSfI3Z
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 8, 2025
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“Ryan Clark went after Peter Schrager from [ESPN],” Portnoy said. “They got into debate about a game and Ryan Clark, who’s one of the all-time jerks in the history of mankind — he is a race-baiter. You can say that. ‘I don’t know if we can say this.’ He is. The only time he’s in the news is when he’s picking fights and then apologizing. But he yelled at Peter Schrager basically saying, ‘Hey, shut up. You didn’t play football, you can’t talk.’
Portnoy emphasized that experience in sports, whether through playing or observing, qualifies individuals to contribute meaningfully to discussions.
“There’s a lot of bad GMs who played football. There’s a lot of bad coaches who played football, watching football, being around football, being around sports. So I appreciate you, [co-host Jason Williams], saying you didn’t have to play the game. Certainly not to have an opinion.”
The clash with Schrager has reportedly strained Clark’s standing at ESPN. According to Front Office Sports, Clark may be on “thin ice” with the network amid rising behind-the-scenes tensions.
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