"Two woke clowns defending each other": NFL fans call out Mina Kimes for siding with Ryan Clark on player vs non-player debate post Peter Schrager row

Former Super Bowl champion and NFL analyst Ryan Clark caused a stir earlier this month after he sparked a player vs non-player debate following his remarks to "belittle" fellow analyst Peter Schrager.

Clark shot down Schrager's opinion about Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb on "Get Up," saying:

“We shouldn’t do this on TV,” Clark said. “I apologize if people think this is rude — that’s the non-player in you.”

Clark faced massive backlash on social media after his comments. However, ESPN analyst Mina Kimes defended him on the SI Media podcast this week.

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“I’ll tell you who doesn’t think (you have to be a former player to analyze the NFL), is Ryan Clark,” Kimes said. "Because he has been probably one of my biggest advocates since I started doing this job. And people always ask me, is it hard because of your gender, and I say, yeah maybe because of fans.

"But so much of my career I attribute to the former players, especially the main guys on NFL Live that I work with, because they have done such a fantastic job."

NFL fans didn't like Kimes taking Clark's side on his controversial comments.

"Two woke clowns defending each other. I’m shocked."

"They are both hot take artists."

"The clownshow continues! Worst takes ever."

"That's not really going to bat for him lol. She literally just said he has supported her career."

"She's a non player so her opinion does not matter to Ryan."

Ryan Clark apologized for his comments after backlash

The former NFL player apologized for his remarks a day later after criticism from fans and other analysts.

“Today, I had an interaction with my colleague @PSchrags both on and off the air that I regret," Clark wrote on X. "I have apologized to Peter and taken accountability with ESPN leadership.

"I value working with Peter and look forward to this season. My focus will remain on professionalism, teamwork, and being a better teammate moving forward."

The analysts made amends behind closed doors and alleread together on the next installment of Monday Night Countdown.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash