There has always been more to Deion Sanders than just flair. Sure, his gold chains, personalised suits, and catchphrases create a myth. But it’s the man behind the myth that people trust. He stood up for Henry Blackburn after the Travis Hunter hit. He didn’t target Colorado’s former roster but was brutally honest in a room full of men who needed the truth. And he doubled down on love and receipts for his sons instead of letting them face it alone when the whole world pointed fingers at them. So, you see, when Deion Sanders steps in during a tense situation, it’s not just for show.

The drama sparked when former NFL safety and current analyst Ryan Clark shared a reel from The Pivot podcast on Instagram. Clark officially retracted a harsh criticism he made about Robert Griffin III and, more especially, RGIII’s wife, Grete Griffin. Clark captioned the reel, “If I had to do address rgiii again, I wouldn’t include his wife. @gretegiii didn’t need to be made an example of in order to make my point.” 

In the reel, Clark said, “I could speak positively about what they are without making the insinuations that it’s something that non-black women don’t do well. I’m doing the exact same thing…So to Greta, I was out of line.” He acknowledged that his strategy was incorrect. Particularly because his goal was not to use a white woman as a symbol of the issue, but to support Black women and confront the marginalisation of their voices in sports discourse. As Clark admitted his mistake openly, Deion posted a four-word message in the comments: “Love ya my brother.”

According to Clark, the source of his annoyance was a video posted by Robert Griffin III. In the video, the former quarterback appeared to make fun of Angel Reese during their WNBA matchup. As RG3 presented his argument, Grete could be seen in the backdrop of that film, smiling and nodding—a picture that infuriated Clark. “In the video that RG3 posted that I felt like mocked Angel Reese, she was in the background…I felt insulting, mocking a black woman as his wife was in the background, almost seemingly as a prop…what I felt like was a personal attack.”

Clark acknowledged that he didn’t need to bring up RGIII’s marriage to make his point about empowering Black women. “I didn’t insult or attack her, but no matter the intent, & handling the impact was different. Let her & her family be…I involved her myself, & that’s on me.” The comment for which Clark is issuing an apology is, “When is the last time, within your household, you had a conversation about what [Angel Reese] is dealing with? You haven’t been able to do that because in both of your marriages, you’ve been married to white women.”

And Robert Griffin III didn’t hold back. He said that Clark had turned a sporting argument into a personal assault. “Ryan Clark personally attacking me and my family over a sports opinion is cowardly, spineless, and weak… It’s a bad look for ESPN and for him as a man.” According to Griffin, Clark went beyond a point that was unrelated to basketball.

Robert Griffin III enters the Clark–Reese crossfire

The animosity between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese was already blazing; it didn’t need any assistance. Their first professional game following the NCAA wars was tense. A triple-double from Clark, a Flagrant 1 foul, and technicals for both Reese and Indiana’s Aliyah Boston. What appeared to be a routine rough play turned into a media hot spot. Former athletes, fans, and commentators all offered their opinions.

In a now-famous thread, Robert Griffin III went into great detail. Many say it was too deep. He compared Angel Reese to Isiah Thomas and Caitlin Clark to Michael Jordan, a competition characterised by cultural disparity, hatred, and achievement. “Angel Reese hates Caitlin Clark. It’s staring us all right in the face… That’s not just hate. That’s jealousy and resentment.” He backed up his argument by bringing up the fact that Reese was overlooked during the White House visit following LSU’s championship, emphasising how she feels overshadowed even in triumph.

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One of the first NFL players to challenge the way the media reported the altercation was former Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant. He praised both Clark and Reese. But he did not remain silent about what he perceived to be a racially discriminatory double standard. “Saying she hates her is wild. They’re playing basketball… You are helping create a negative narrative around Angel Reese, and I don’t respect it, respectfully.”

Though it began on the court, the Caitlin Clark–Angel Reese rivalry is influencing discussions outside of the WNBA. When NFL legends, analysts, and coaches start taking sides, it’s clear that this is more than just a box score issue. It’s cultural.