ESPN Analyst Gets Laid Off Mid-Show

ESPN cut ties with football analyst Ryan Clark on Monday, and it did so in unusual fashion. The Athletic reports that the network informed him in the middle of a show. The former player was appearing on a panel for NFL Live, and when the show returned after a long commercial break, he was nowhere to be seen, per TMZ. The Athletic reports that ESPN planned to tell Clark on Tuesday that he was laid off, but when they began getting media inquiries as the show was airing, they decided to inform him before he learned of the decision second-hand.

Clark, who joined ESPN in 2015 and won a Sports Emmy last year as a studio analyst, addressed the incident in a "proof of life" social media post on Tuesday, notes the New York Post. "Before the madness of yesterday, I woke up, got in my Tundra, drove to Planet Fitness, and got to work," Clark wrote, including videos of him working out. "The rest of the day was eventful, but the journey continues." Meanwhile, more layoffs are expected at the network.