“How did this get approved?” – Ryan Clark dressing up as Bill Belichick for Halloween has fans calling him ‘racist’

The controversy surrounding Ryan Clark’s outfit stemmed from his use of heavy makeup, and possibly prosthetics, to closely mimic Bill Belichick’s appearance.

“How did this get approved?” – Ryan Clark dressing up as Bill Belichick for Halloween has fans calling him ‘racist’

Ryan Clark dressing up as Bill Belichick for Halloween (Via Sporting News/Imago/X)

Ryan Clark may have taken the Halloween costume tradition a bit too far, as he now faces criticism from fans. This time, the cast of Inside the NFL, including Clark, decided to surprise their audience by dressing up in Halloween costumes to get into the festive spirit.

As the camera panned on ESPN analyst Clark, it was clear who inspired his costume. Even if he hadn’t introduced himself or spoken, it wouldn’t have been challenging to recognize Clark, as he donned a costume resembling the legendary head coach Bill Belichick with striking accuracy.

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He didn’t just wear a Belichick-inspired costume but also transformed his face to closely resemble the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach using elaborate makeup and some prosthetics. 

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No matter how I’m dressed, here at Inside the NFL, you just do your job. And so I’m the only coach on the set today. So what is Bill Belichick going to be?

Ryan Clark began as he opened the show before welcoming Belichick on the panel

The 72-year-old arrived on the stage dressed up as Clark, but unlike the former NFL safety, Belichick’s costume looked rather effortless and uncontroversial. He simply wore a dapper-looking sports coat with a buttoned-up band collar shirt and trousers.

The former NFL head coach didn’t go out of his way to resemble his colleague at Inside the NFL using heavy makeup. Besides these two, Chris Long dressed up as Chad “Ochocincoseis,” wearing a Philadelphia Eagles 856 numbered jersey. And hilariously, Chad Johnson showed up as Long.

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Fans react to Ryan Clark dressing up as Bill Belichick for Halloween

Despite Clark’s intention for fans to see his costume as funny, they did not find it assuming at all. In fact, Belichick also appeared to be fine with his colleague’s outfit, but fans took it offensively. Labeling Clark as “racist,” they argued that if it was a white man dressed up as black, he would have canceled out by now.

Ryan Clark dressed up as Bill Belichick for Halloween on Inside the NFL
Ryan Clark dressed up as Bill Belichick for Halloween on Inside the NFL (Via The Spun)

“White face is okay and black face is wrong. Liberal logic,” wrote one fan, while another asserted, “How did this get approved??” Here are some of the fan reactions: 

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Interestingly, Clark wasn’t the only one dressed as Belichick. TMZ shared pictures of his 24-year-old girlfriend Jordon Hudson donning a vintage New York Giants-themed costume to portray the former head coach. The controversy surrounding Clark’s outfit stemmed from his use of heavy makeup, and possibly prosthetics, to closely mimic Belichick’s appearance.