Stephen A. Smith calls out critics who want ESPN to fire Ryan Clark over RG3 wife comments
Stephen A. Smith said his ESPN colleague Ryan Clark “crossed the line” by involving Robert Griffin III’s wife in their public feud, however, he didn’t think it was “a fireable offense.” What started as Clark and Griffin, a Fox Sports analyst, sharing their takes about the confrontation between WNBA stars Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark during […]
Stephen A. Smith said his ESPN colleague Ryan Clark “crossed the line” by involving Robert Griffin III’s wife in their public feud, however, he didn’t think it was “a fireable offense.”
What started as Clark and Griffin, a Fox Sports analyst, sharing their takes about the confrontation between WNBA stars Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark during the Fever-Sky game on Saturday, quickly snowballed into a fiery back-and-forth that spilled into their personal lives.
During Wednesday’s installment of his self-titled YouTube show, Smith explained that he didn’t condone that Clark brought up “both of Griffin’s marriages.”
“I don’t want to hear s–t about Ryan Clark getting fired,” Smith said. “I don’t want to hear that. Ryan Clark is my colleague, he is my friend and brother. He is a good man and he’s a good brother. And there is no way on earth that I would be quiet if he was fired over something like this.
Stephen A. Smith weighed in on the public feud between his ESPN colleague Ryan Clark and Fox Sports analyst Robert Griffin III. YouTube/Stephen A. Smith
“I’m not saying he’s right, and I’ll get into that in a second. But this is not a fireable offense… I don’t usually talk about ESPN business. And I’m not going to right now. Other than to say, RGIII clearly is not liked by Ryan Clark. What Ryan Clark said — that’s not something he normally does. ‘Corny, phony,’ those are the kinds of things he said specifically about RGIII. That’s what he feels.”
Some called for ESPN to fire Clark over his remarks about race and Griffin’s wife Grete, who is white.
Griffin and Clark, both of whom are black, were NFL teammates with Washington in 2014. Griffin’s ex-wife Rebeca Liddicoat is white.
ESPN’s Ryan Clark said Robert Griffin was one of the worst teammates he’s ever had on the field and on TV. X/The Pivot
“I love my man RC,” Smith continued. “I thought he crossed the line when he brought up you, RGIII, being married, not once, but twice to white women. There was no need to go there. But he don’t like your ass. That might have had something to do with it.
“I’m not condoning him doing that. I’m not condoning him bringing that up. If RC and I had spoke about it in-depth, I would have told him, ‘Don’t go there. There’s no need for all of that.’”
Smith was referring to Clark bringing up Griffin’s two marriages “to white women.”
Griffin and Liddicoat divorced in 2016 after being married for three years. The former NFL quarterback and Grete tied the knot in 2018 and have four daughters together.
Fox Sports analyst Robert Griffin III said ESPN’s Ryan Clark made things personal by mentioning his wife, Grete. X/RG3
Smith explained that he disagreed with Griffin’s accusation that Clark launched an attack on his family.
“But I want to emphasize something very important. RGIII, he never attacked your wife. He never attacked your family. He was attacking you, and you know it,” Smith said.
“Now, that don’t make it correct, the mentioning of your wife. I’ll concede that. He didn’t utter a negative syllable about your wife. He never mentioned your children. So when you say (he was) attacking your wife and attacking your family, your children. How did he do that? Ryan Clark did not do that.
“He talked about you and your behavior. He talked about how you lean towards highlighting her ethnicity. I don’t know whether that’s true or not. I pay no attention to that stuff. But I know what he said. And he was saying she was much more than the color of her skin. He did in no way denigrate your wife and he never mentioned your children.”
Griffin and Clark stood by their remarks and things seemingly fizzled out in the public eye, but not until after many scrutinized the pair for making things personal instead of discussing the Fever-Sky game.
NCAA Women’s Hammer — Ratcliffe Returns To Top Spot
Once Stephanie Ratcliffe found her rhythm, the Georgia senior was headed for victory, as in ’23. (ERROL ANDERSON/THE SPORTING IMAGE) FIVE OF THE ENTRANTS had broken 70m (229-8) during the season, and each was a legitimate candidate to take the title. Three of them started strongly, Shelby Frank of Texas Tech taking the early lead […]
Once Stephanie Ratcliffe found her rhythm, the Georgia senior was headed for victory, as in ’23. (ERROL ANDERSON/THE SPORTING IMAGE)
FIVE OF THE ENTRANTS had broken 70m (229-8) during the season, and each was a legitimate candidate to take the title. Three of them started strongly, Shelby Frank of Texas Tech taking the early lead with her 228-3 (69.59) opener. She was jumped a few throws later by Texas State’s Lara Roberts, who went 229-6 (69.97). Emma Robbins of Oklahoma State sat 3rd after her initial offering of 227-3 (69.27).
The other two contenders, ’23 champion Stephanie Ratcliffe and West Point cadet Emily Fink, stumbled a bit out of the gate, which was interesting because they probably had more at stake than the others. (Details to follow in “Last Lap.”)
Fink was the first thrower in her flight, and she stepped in for round 2 determined to reach a distance that would at least guarantee her 6 throws. Unfortunately, she was called for a foul at the front of the ring. Her coach, Brian Woodbury, protested, but to no avail. One more misfire and she was done.
Frank notched another solid attempt, 227-4 (69.31), after which her coach, Cliff Felkins, guaranteed she would throw 71m if she just kept plugging away.
Roberts improved to 231-0 (70.42), and Ratcliffe jumped in the fray with a 228-6 (69.64) toss that vaulted her to 2nd.
Round 3 began with Fink launching a throw that looked to be 70m, but once again she was called for a foul. Video replay showed her heels hovering over the top of the ring as she released the implement, but they did not appear to touch down. Once again, Woodbury protested, and once again he was denied. It was a devastating end to a remarkable college career. Woodbury believes that Fink is talented enough to be an Olympian. “If she can throw 71m taking 19 credits and sleeping 4 hours a night,” he asked, “what could she do if she trained like a normal thrower?” Stay tuned.
Frank, plugging away as directed, hit 229-4 (69.90) that round to knock Ratcliffe to 3rd. This left Roberts in the lead and Robbins in 4th.
In round 4, Ratcliffe made her move, dropping a 234-2 (71.37) season’s best to take the lead.
There were no more changes in the standings until round 6 when Frank, still plugging, popped a 233-1 (71.05) PR to jump into 2nd and make her coach look like a genius. “Felkins told me to have faith and go in and just move the ball,” she explained afterwards. “I smiled before I got in the ring, just thankful to be here at my last national meet. Then I got in and moved the ball. And it went 71m!”
Roberts, the final thrower of the comp, could not answer, and finished 3rd. She’ll be off to the World University Games this summer, representing Australia, and has 2 more years of eligibility, as does Cal’s Giavonna Meeks, who came out of the first flight and smashed a PR of 226-2 (68.94) to take 5th behind Robbins.
Arkansas’ Jordan Anthony wins 100m national championship, goes pro
4 MLB prospects to watch during the 2025 Men’s College World Series 4 MLB prospects The Montgomery Advertiser’s Adam Cole and The Southwest Times Record’s Jackson Fuller are watching during the 2025 Men’s College World Series Arkansas track and field sprinter Jordan Anthony is in a class of his own. The Razorbacks’ redshirt sophomore on […]
4 MLB prospects to watch during the 2025 Men’s College World Series
4 MLB prospects The Montgomery Advertiser’s Adam Cole and The Southwest Times Record’s Jackson Fuller are watching during the 2025 Men’s College World Series
Arkansas track and field sprinter Jordan Anthony is in a class of his own.
The Razorbacks’ redshirt sophomore on June 13 won the 100-meter dash at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
Coming out of Lane 9, Anthony edged USC’s Max Thomas and LSU’s Jelani Watkins by 0.03 seconds for the gold medal with a time of 10.07 seconds. Anthony’s first-place finish in the 100-meter dash gave the Razorbacks 16.5 points in the overall Track and Field team national championship race, in which Arkansas finished third.
REQURIED READING: Arkansas baseball vs. LSU live updates: Start time, TV channel for NCAA College World Series game
Anthony also finished fourth in the 200-meter dash race at Hayward Field in Eugene on June 13, finishing 0.17 seconds behind Kentucky’s Carlie Makarawu.
“Jordan’s a special athlete. He’s got a huge career ahead of him,” Arkansas men’s track and field coach Chris Bucknam said on June 13 of Anthony. “I’m just excited about his future. That’s what it’s all about is elevation our athletes and getting them to the next level.
“What a great competitor, in really a new sport for him that he hasn’t gone this deep [in] since he’s been in college. He did a phenomenal job. I’m really, really proud of him.”
Earlier this season, Anthony, who also ran at Kentucky in 2023, was named the SEC Outdoor Runner of the Year. At the SEC championships, Anthony became the third-ever sprinter to sweep SEC titles in the 100m and 200m races with sub-10 and sub-20 second times, respectively.
Less than 24 hours after becoming a national champion, Anthony posted on his social media that he is forgoing the remainder of his collegiate eligibility and turning pro in track and field. With his decision to turn pro on the track, Anthony will not play football for the Razorbacks this season.
“This moment of reflection and sorrow I want to extend my deepest gratitude to the communities that helped shape me. Thank you for accepting me, for welcoming me with open arms and for nurturing me through the many seasons of life,” Anthony wrote in a post.
“… As we mourn and remember those we’ve lost, I carry with me the love, the lessons, and the legacy of the places and people who made me who I am. Your warmth, your wisdom, and your unwavering support will always be part of me. With that being said, I will be forgoing my collegiate career and turning pro. Thank you, Ja out.”
BREAKING Jordan Anthony has made the decision to forgo the remainder of his collegiate eligibility.
He will be going pro after winning the 2025 NCAA 100m Championship.
He helped lead Arkansas to a third place finish at the NCAA Championship. Earlier this year he ran 9.75… pic.twitter.com/QysZo8vmD8
Anthony finishes his brief football career at Arkansas with 111 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown on eight receptions across 12 games, one of which he started vs. Ole Miss on Nov. 2 of 2024.
The 5-foot-10 wide receiver began his college football career at Kentucky and then transferred to Texas A&M for the 2023-24 season. He transferred to Arkansas on January 2, 2024, making it the third SEC program he would play for.
Partee Completes Excellent Outdoor Season at NCAA Nationals
Track & Field | 6/13/2025 10:15:00 PM
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EUGENE, Ore. – North Carolina A&T sophomore Xavier Partee finished 17th nationally in the men’s triple during the second of the men’s competition at the 2025 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field on Friday […]
EUGENE, Ore. – North Carolina A&T sophomore Xavier Partee finished 17th nationally in the men’s triple during the second of the men’s competition at the 2025 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field on Friday night. It was the third day overall for the NCAA nationals, and Partee completed only his second year of competing in the triple jump.
But there is good news about his placement at nationals. Like others within the A&T track and field program, his future could result in much better results as the men’s and women’s teams get stronger with more experience. Those better results started on Friday as Partee went beyond 50 feet for his fifth straight meet.
His first jump went 50 feet, 2 ¾ before he finished the evening by jumping 50 feet, 3 ¼ inches to place with the 17th-best jump. It will garner him honorable mention All-American honors from the United States Track and Field Cross Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Partee started his stride in 2025 by winning the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) indoor title in the men’s triple jump by jumping 50 feet, 10 inches. He started the outdoor season by jumping 49 feet, 11 inches at the University of Florida’s Florida Relays in Gainesville, Fla. He shared the spotlight during the outdoor season with freshman teammate Ty’Heak Buie.
Buie stepped to the forefront by jumping 52 feet, 4 inches at A&T’s Aggie Invitational at Marcus T. Johnson Track on April 19. Both jumpers had the marks to reach the 2025 NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round after Partee pulled off the double by winning the CAA outdoor title at 52 feet, 1 ¼ inches. Buie finished third but sustained an injury and did not participate in the regionals.
Partee followed his CAA performance by jumping a personal record 52 feet, 4 ¾ inches at East Prelims to advance to NCAA nationals. Partee credited discipline and consistency, along with his teammates, coaches, family members, and friends, for helping him reach NCAA nationals even though it was only his second year participating in track and field.
Now that he has seen the national standard, he will look to build on his first appearance at NCAA nationals. Oklahoma University’s Brandon Green Jr. won the national championship on Friday in the triple jump at 55 feet, 2 inches.
The Aggies still have two more participants scheduled to compete on Saturday, the final day of NCAA nationals. Both are women’s jumpers in juniors Spirit Morgan and Olivia Dowd. Morgan will compete in the women’s high jump at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, and Dowd will compete in the women’s triple jump at 9:10 p.m. EST.
2025 USA TODAY Sports/AVCA Super 25 boys volleyball rankings: Week 14
HSS Staff and AVCA | USA TODAY High School Sports Two new teams appear in the latest 2025 USA TODAY Sports/American Volleyball Coaches Association boys volleyball Super 25, while the top spots hold firm as the season enters mid-June action. As more matches tip off across the country, here is the full Super 25. More: […]
Two new teams appear in the latest 2025 USA TODAY Sports/American Volleyball Coaches Association boys volleyball Super 25, while the top spots hold firm as the season enters mid-June action.
As more matches tip off across the country, here is the full Super 25.
More: 2025 USA TODAY Sports/AVCA boys volleyball regional rankings: Week 14
1. Mira Costa High School (Manhattan Beach, Calif.)
Region: West | Record: 37-2 | PR: 1
2. Marist High School (Chicago, Ill.)
Region: Midwest | Record: 40-2 | PR: 2
3. Huntington Beach High School (Calif.)
Region: West | Record: 36-5 | PR: 3
4. Corona Del Mar High School (Calif.)
Region: West | Record: 25-7 | PR: 4
5. Carlsbad High School (San Diego, Calif.)
Region: West | Record: 35-3 | PR: 5
6. Newport Harbor High School (Newport Beach, Calif.)
Region: West | Record: 27-12 | PR: 6
7. Redondo Union High School (Redondo Beach, Calif.)
Region: West | Record: 27-11 | PR: 7
8. Roncalli High School (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Region: Midwest | Record: 30-3 | PR: 8
9. Loyola High School (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Region: West | Record: 27-7 | PR: 9
10. Glenbard West High School (Glen Ellyn, Ill.)
Region: Midwest | Record: 35-6 | PR: 10
11. Torrey Pines High School (Calif.)
Region: West | Record: 33-9 | PR: 11
12. Perry High School (Gilbert, Ariz.)
Region: West | Record: 42-4 | PR: 12
13. Meadville High School (Pa.)
Region: Northeast | Record: 38-1-3 | PR: 13
14. Cumerberland Valley High School (Mechanicsburg, Pa.)
Region: Northeast | Record: 17-0 | PR: 14
15. Lake Howell High School (Winter Park, Fla.)
Region: South | Record: 29-2 | PR: 16
16. Lane Tech High School (Chicago, Ill.)
Region: Midwest | Record: 35-7 | PR: NR
17. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
Region: West | Record: 31-12-2 | PR: 17
18. O’Fallon High School (Ill.)
Region: Midwest | Record: 32-8 | PR: NR
19. Sandburg High School (Orland Park, Ill.)
Region: Midwest | Record: 36-5 | PR: 18
20. Oak Park River Forest High School (Oak Park, Ill.)
Coffey, Tigers Conclude Third Day of NCAA Outdoor Championships
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EUGENE, Ore. – University of Missouri track and field concluded day three of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Friday at Hayward Field. Senior Skylar Coffey finished in 21st place in men’s discus after throwing 55.59m (182-4) on his first attempt, which earned him honorable mention All-American status. He qualified for […]
EUGENE, Ore. – University of Missouri track and field concluded day three of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Friday at Hayward Field.
Senior Skylar Coffey finished in 21st place in men’s discus after throwing 55.59m (182-4) on his first attempt, which earned him honorable mention All-American status. He qualified for his first NCAA Championship Finals after setting a personal-best throw of 58.93m (193-4) at the first round of the west regional.
The Tigers’ men’s squad concludes day three in 15th place with six points.
THURSDAY, JUNE 12 – NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS – DAY TWO
Field Events
Place-Athlete-Mark | Notes (PR = personal record)
Discus (M)
21st – Skylar Coffey: 55.59m (182-4)
UP NEXT
Mizzou returns to action for the final day of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday, where Claudina Diaz and Kristi Perez-Snyman will compete in the women’s high jump beginning at 7:30 p.m. CT.
FOLLOW THE TIGERS
For all the latest on Mizzou Cross Country and Track & Field, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the teams on Facebook, Instagram and X (MizzouTFXC).
Young volleyball players learn from former champions at LCC | Community
LIMA, Ohio— Some young volleyball players at Lima Central Catholic got the chance to learn from former champions on Friday. The “Thunderbird Legacy” camp brought back members of LCC’s 2007 state championship team to help teach skills to students in grades five through eight. The clinic was led by players from that title-winning squad and […]
Some young volleyball players at Lima Central Catholic got the chance to learn from former champions on Friday.
The “Thunderbird Legacy” camp brought back members of LCC’s 2007 state championship team to help teach skills to students in grades five through eight.
The clinic was led by players from that title-winning squad and their former head coach, David Franklin. The focus was on building foundational skills and emphasizing teamwork.
“We always talked about giving back,” Franklin said. “We wanted to leave something—we were always talking about that: leave a tradition. This is a chance for us to give back and get together.”
Franklin said he hopes the camp becomes an annual tradition to develop future players and keep the Thunderbird legacy alive.
BREAKING
