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Fans Are Blaming Stephen A. Smith & Pat McAfee After ESPN Fired Ryan Clark During Massive Round Of Layoffs

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This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.

ESPN Fans Point Fingers At Stephen A. Smith And Pat McAfee After Layoffs
Stephen A. Smith And Pat McAfee (Photo Via Imagn Images)

ESPN began another round of layoffs this week, and several well-known names were let go. NFL analyst Ryan Clark and longtime MLB announcer Karl Ravech rank among the biggest departures. Clark spent about 10 years with the network, while Ravech worked at ESPN for 33 years.

Reports suggest that ESPN could announce more layoffs as the day goes on. The job cuts became a hot topic on social media, with many fans questioning the company’s decisions.

The discussion grew after fans pointed to the reported salaries of ESPN’s biggest stars. Stephen A. Smith reportedly earns about $20 million per year, while Pat McAfee reportedly makes around $60 million annually. Many fans compared those huge contracts to the company’s decision to cut jobs, making the layoffs an even bigger talking point.

Fans Question ESPN’s Spending After Job Cuts

Ryan Clark in black suit
Ryan Clark (Eric Hartline-Imagn Images)

Fans flooded social media with criticism after news of the reported salaries was all over. Many argued that ESPN should have handled its spending differently, even as longtime employees lost their jobs.

One fan wrote, “The barstoolification of ESPN should be looked at 100 years from now in shame.”

Another fan criticized the network’s programming and said, “This is ridiculous. This guy has zero takes. Him and Stephen A. All they do is scream. No authenticity. No originality.”

Others focused on the size of McAfee’s reported contract. One fan wrote, “ESPN paying $60M per for Pat McAfee is crazy. That’s THREE TIMES what they pay Stephen A. Insane.”

Another social media user joked, “He collected Ryan Clark’s salary like an Infinity Stone. Cold game.”

Most of the criticism was aimed at ESPN’s business decisions, not at Smith or McAfee themselves. Neither broadcaster had any role in deciding who would lose their job. However, the reported salary figures made everyone go crazy.

Many fans felt it was hard to ignore the logic between the layoffs and the network’s biggest contracts. As ESPN continues to make changes to its workforce, viewers are questioning how the company balances paying top talent while cutting longtime employees.

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