Ryan Clark is walking back his critique of Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s physique.
Clark felt Tua’s annoyance when he found out that Clark said, “he’s built like the girls working at Onyx right now,” on ESPN’s “NFL Live.” Now Clark is apologizing for the comments.
“Tua Tagovailoa had to answer questions about something I said on Monday, something that I truly just felt like was a joke to me,” Clark said on social media. “Then I’ve realized as the week has gone on, if this man has to answer questions about it, if so many Miami Dolphins fans are offended by it then people aren’t taking it as a joke. So, let me be very clear.
“If I’ve offended you, Tua, if I’ve hurt you, if I’ve disrespected you if anybody that supports and loves you feels some sort of way because of what I’ve said, I truly apologize. I had two priorities when I started this job; number one, respect the players and executives that make this game run. Number two, it was earn the respect of those very same people and more important, keep it. Anything contrary to that, then I’ve got to check myself.”
Disingenuous Much?
However, Clark’s apology was not without its contradictions. He admitted that Tagovailoa’s response to his comments at a press conference where he told Clark to “keep my name out of your mouth” rubbed him the wrong way.
How he explained that showed the apology came with a caveat: Clark would not feel punked in his humility.
“Now don’t get me wrong, my ego was involved. When Tua was asked about how he felt about these comments he said, ‘Keep my name out your mouth.’ Yeah my first thought is, ‘Or what?’ Or when he says, ‘he’s scrappy,’ man, I fed my family on violence, I ain’t tripping on that.”
Not a typical addition to an apology, but coming from a game like football, Clark must have needed to reinforce that he used to be cold-blooded on the field. Clark resumed and steered the rest of his comments down the right path toward reconciliation.
Back On Track
Clark did his due diligence and found out what training Tua did in the offseason instead of forming an opinion based on no information.
“I talked to his trainer who said, ‘Man, that man was in there three times a day to build himself up to be healthy,’ and you’ve got to hear a comment like this. So I get it. I get it because I want to respect Tua Tagovailoa and I want his respect, too.
“So to the Miami Dolphins, to head coach Mike McDaniel, who I have a ton of respect for, but most of all to Tua Tagovailoa and his family I deeply apologize. I’ve reached out, I hope to talk to you soon, brother. It was what I can consider now a bad joke but for me it has been a lesson. I’ll be better.”
