NFL Live Trey Wingo Sean Salisbury Credit: ESPN
By Matt Yoder on

Naturally, the latest wave of ESPN layoffs have led to plenty of reflections from within the sports media universe. But one in particular from Emmanuel Acho about Ryan Clark and his role on NFL Live has created a stir with former stars who once called the program home.

Clark was the headline name in ESPN’s layoffs as one of ESPN’s most high-profile analysts. In fact, his last appearance came on Monday when he was informed of his dismissal while live on the air at NFL Live.

In the days since, Clark’s NFL Live tenure has been highlighted as the high point of his ESPN career. His work with Mina Kimes, Marcus Spears, Dan Orlovsky, and Laura Rutledge has led the program to winning back-to-back Sports Emmys for Outstanding Studio Show.

But to suggest that Ryan Clark built NFL Live into what it is today is a bridge too far for people who were there years ago.

Former FS1 star and certainly a man who’s no stranger to sharing opinions about today’s media world, Emmanuel Acho, wanted to make sure Clark got his flowers in a social media post. Acho also condemned ESPN for letting Clark go while he was on the air in an effort to beat a media report.

“Ryan Clark built NFL Live into the juggernaut it is today (along with Rutledge, Mina, and Spears), he didn’t *ideate* NFL Live, there’s a difference,” Acho said. He also added that nobody was watching the program until the current group came along.

That drew a response from not one but two former ESPN stars.

Former ESPN NFL analyst Sean Salisbury wanted the real credit for building the program alongside Mark Malone, Mike Golic, and Merril Hoge as the originals. He then credited Trey Wingo, Darren Woodson, and Mark Schlereth for continuing the work as “the best football show on TV, period.”

“When you say built it, you’re trying to tell me, we didn’t build the foundation on sand. We built that motherf*cker on steel and concrete. That doesn’t mean other people weren’t good and they’re not good now. Built it? Your ass. Give me a break. Give me a break,” Salisbury said. “The comparison is almost embarrassing that I have to sit up here and do this.”

Salisbury then issued a challenge that the original crew of NFL Live would outrate the current crew if they were put on the air opposite each other. Not to be outdone, Trey Wingo took to social media to reply to Emmanuel Acho’s claim with the numbers to back him and the original generation up.

Wingo’s message was much simpler in sharing a chart that he claimed showed that NFL Live‘s ratings were stronger in years past than they are today. And in quoting a recent tweet from Acho he only said, “Let your apology be as loud as your disrespect.”

In fairness to NFL Live, it’s audience seems to be growing, at least according to ESPN’s own metrics. Earlier this year ESPN touted Q1 viewership for the show at 469,000 viewers, the highest since 2015. However, that would therefore mean it was still behind where it was over a decade ago.

Trey Wingo was the original host of NFL Live from 2003-2018 after it made the shift from NFL 2Night, which debuted in 1998. ESPN paid tribute to Wingo when he left the program eight years ago.

The former ESPN anchor has sounded off multiple times about his ESPN tenure, even sharing some not-so-fond recollections of his time covering the NFL day in and day out. But in spite of that, there is definitely a desire to not let today’s current personalities forget about the work of those who came before.

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