Former NFL player and current analyst Ryan Clark sparked controversy on social media after he wore a Bill Belichick mask on the CW’s “Inside The NFL” Wednesday.
Clark wore the costume during a segment that included the former New England Patriots coach, who dressed in a suit to resemble Clark.
Belichick embraced Clark’s costume and even praised him for it during the segment.
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New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick before Super Bowl LI against the Atlanta Falcons at NRG Stadium. (Mark J. Rebilas/USA Today Sports)
But independent NFL content creator Dov Kleiman called the decision “wild” and questioned how it was approved to be nationally televised on the CW.
“Wild: Ryan Clark dressed up as Bill Belichick for Halloween. How did this get approved?” Kleiman wrote in a post on X.
Conservative influencer Nick Adams had one of the more impassioned responses on X, criticizing Clark while claiming the costume was “racist.”
“Ryan Clark went on national television wearing WHITEFACE. This is racist and disgusting. Ryan Clark should be FIRED! My culture is not your Halloween costume!” Adams wrote in a post on X.
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New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick announces he is leaving the team during a press conference at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., Jan. 11, 2024. (Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images)
Other users on X echoed Adams’ outrage. However, some on social media defended Clark for wearing the costume. Attorney and independent sports podcast host Trey Crosby questioned the outrage against Clark in his own post on X.
“I don’t understand the ‘How did this get approved’ angle here… 1. I could be wrong. But I don’t think this is makeup to make Ryan lighter. This looks like a straight mask he’s wearing to me. 2. There’s no such thing as whiteface used to demean white people through history,” Crosby wrote.
Fox News Digital reached out to the CW for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.
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ESPN analyst Ryan Clark broadcasts from the field before a game between the San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets at Levi’s Stadium Sept. 9, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
Clark was on the other end of outrage over something considered offensive July 24 when he spoke out against Fox Business guest Alec Lace for a suggestive comment about Vice President Kamala Harris.
“These dudes are really some b—-s these days, but hey they’ll let them say anything about a black woman. Who cares that she’s the Vice President of the country they [live] in. Disgusting! Let me go ahead and sign off,” Clark wrote on X.
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Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.
