Salty Tua gets results.
A day after Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa fired back at criticism from ESPN’s Ryan Clark about Tua’s gym habits and diet, Clark has apologized.
“When I decided to do TV I had 2 main priorities,” Clark posted on the platform formerly known as Twitter. “1. Respect all NFL players, coaches, executives and staff members. 2. Earn and keep the respect of those very same people. Those priorities are important to me, and when I miss that mark, I have to hold myself accountable. This game is difficult. Players sacrifice so much to be a part of the 1%. I have a responsibility to those players to be thoughtful in the way I present my opinions of them. In joking about Tua Tagovailoa, I didn’t meet that responsibility. It was never my intention to question Tua’s work ethic or commitment to the game, but I’m also aware enough to know that intent, doesn’t always match impact. How something is presented isn’t always how it’s received by everyone. I do my best to be honest when executing my job as well as being honest when I fall short. I fell short on Monday and for that, I genuinely apologize.”
In a video accompanying the typed apology, Clark explained that he was joking — but that apparently people didn’t take it that way.
“If I’ve offended you, Tua, if I hurt you, if I disrespected you, if anybody that supports and love you feels some sort of way because of what I said, I truly apologize,” Clark said.
Clark also admitted that his initial reaction to Tua’s pulblic comments was far different. “My ego was involved,” Clark said. “When Tua was asked about how he felt about these comments and he said, ‘Keep my name out your mouth,’ yeah, my first thought is, ‘Or what?’ Or he says he’s scrappy, I think to myself, ‘Man, I fed my family on violence. I ain’t tripping on that.’”
Although at times the video apology felt a little equivocal (and/or a little Michael Scott-ish), Clark brought it home with a clear mea culpa.
“To Tua Tagovailoa and his family, I deeply apologize,” Clark said. “I’ve reached out. I hope to talk to you soon, brother. But just know, I wasn’t questioning the way you work. I wasn’t questioning how much it mattered to you. I was what I can consider now a bad joke. But, for me, it’s been a lesson. I’ll be better.”
What was the joke Clark tried to make, you ask? Here’s what he said about Tua on Monday’s NFL Live on ESPN.
“Let me tell you what he wasn’t doing,” Clark said. “He wasn’t in the gym, I’ll bet you that. He might have spent a lot of time in the tattoo parlor. He was not at the dinner table eating what the nutritionist had advised. He looks happy. He is thick. He’s built like the girls working at Onyx in Atlanta right now on the bottom.”
Was it a joke? Clark was trying to be funny, but he didn’t seem to be joking as it relates to the observation itself. He seemed to believe what he was saying about Tua’s body. He exaggerated for effect, but it came from a position of authentic belief by Clark (we believe) that Tua doesn’t “look” the way he should.
What if Clark hadn’t said it all in a joking way? What if he had simply said, “Tua looks like he’s not working out the way he should. Tua looks like he’s not eating the way he should. I’m concerned about him for that reason”? Wouldn’t that get us to the same place, if/when a beat writer had asked Tua about it later?
Clark thinks the issue was the joke. The issue more likely is the observation underlying the joke. And Clark definitely didn’t apologize for that.
