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Stephen A. Smith sits with arms folded, wearing a black jacket and turtleneck, giving an unimpressed expression during a live ESPN broadcast. Screenshot via Collin Rugg on X
The tension in the ESPN studio was hard to miss. Ryan Clark, a former NFL defensive back and LSU alum, spent minutes on Thursday’s First Take tearing into Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry over two recent moves.
One involved Landry’s decision to block LSU athletic director Scott Woodward from hiring the football team’s next head coach. The other was Landry’s Monday night call for the university to erect a statue honoring Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist who was killed in Utah last month.
While Clark spoke, his colleague Stephen A. Smith sat mostly silent, wearing an expression that seemed to signal his feelings about the entire situation. The moment quickly became a talking point across social media, with observers noting Smith’s apparent discomfort.
Kirk, who co-founded the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was shot and killed during an event at Utah Valley University in September. Landry made his statue proposal in a video posted to social media following a Turning Point USA event at LSU that drew attention.
In the video, filmed near the university’s mascot enclosure, Landry challenged the LSU Board of Supervisors to “find a place to put a statue of Charlie Kirk to defend the freedom of speech on college campuses”. He added that LSU could become the first campus to honor Kirk in this way.
The proposal generated pushback from several quarters. LSU women’s basketball guard Flau’jae Johnson was among those expressing disapproval, responding to Landry’s video with a simple message of confusion. LSU currently has statues across campus honoring legendary athletes, including Billy Cannon, Pete Maravich, Simone Augustus, Skip Bertman, Bob Pettit, and Shaquille O’Neal.
Kirk would be the first person with no direct ties to the university to receive such recognition. Students told local news outlets that the proposal struck them as odd, given Kirk’s lack of connection to LSU, though some supported honoring his advocacy work.
Ryan Clark Questions Landry’s Judgment on LSU Matters and Charlie Kirk Honor
Clark opened his response by ranking Landry’s recent statements in order of what he viewed as their absurdity. The ESPN analyst made his position clear from the start, connecting both the coaching interference and the statue proposal as examples of what he sees as misplaced priorities.
“First off, it’s the second most ridiculous thing he said this week,” Clark said on First Take. “The first was standing on campus and saying that he wanted to put a statue up of somebody that doesn’t represent the people of Louisiana, doesn’t represent the players and the students at LSU, doesn’t represent the executives who are working there. That is the first dumb thing he said this week. This is the second dumbest, right? Amongst a lot of dumb things that he says.”
NEW: Stephen A. Smith looks completely unamused as Ryan Clark whines about Charlie Kirk and says he “doesn’t represent the people of Louisiana.”
The meltdown came after Gov. Jeff Landry called on LSU to erect a statue of Charlie Kirk.
“It’s the second most ridiculous thing he… pic.twitter.com/9cIhmBYUXL
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) October 30, 2025
He defended Woodward’s record at LSU: “Scott Woodward, for whatever years, is a man who got Jay Johnson right. Last I checked, the 2023 Louisiana State University Tiger baseball team was in the White House getting rings recently, right?” Clark said.
Fan Reactions
Throughout Clark’s remarks, Smith said nothing. His facial expression during the segment went viral online, as many people interpreted it as a sign of his disapproval with how Clark approached the issue.
Reactions on X were divided; some fans came to the defense of Kirk’s legacy and questioned Clark’s assertion about who Kirk represents. “Charlie Kirk continues to inspire a new generation of conservatives, and the left’s outrage only proves his impact. Standing for principles, patriotism, and common sense, Kirk represents the voice of everyday Americans,” A fan wrote.
Another Fan challenged Clark directly. “Why doesn’t he represent Louisiana Ryan?” the user wrote.
Meanwhile, another commenter suggested Clark was bringing politics into sports in a way that divides audiences. “Ryan Clark is moving politics into sports and because he is doing that that is the main reason why many do not want that to occur. Because sports was amoral and not is has to become moral and people are going to choice a side not via fanbases but via which politics they want,” a fan wrote.
Some focused specifically on Smith’s visible reaction. “If Stephen A, of ALL people, gives that unamused look to anyone, you know you’re immensely irrelevant to the big picture,” one observer noted.
“To be fair, the right would be saying the same thing if the state was wanting to put a statue up of a left wing influencer. Kirk did not represent both sides of the aisle,” another user wrote.
Clark has built his ESPN career partly on willingness to address topics beyond game analysis, though that approach has occasionally drawn criticism. Smith, seemed to take a different approach during this particular segment. His restraint spoke volumes to viewers who noted the unusual dynamic between the two analysts.