Ryan Clark spent eight seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers before becoming one of ESPN’s most familiar NFL voices. His time at the network ended Monday with an awkward mid-show conversation.

Sports fans are well accustomed to the constant changing of hands when it comes to broadcasting rights. But the Home Run Derby has been a mainstay on ESPN since 1994. That changes on Monday night.

ESPN began its first Monday Night Countdown this week, and it’s safe to say that Ryan Clark’s absence was hard to miss. The network fired Clark this past July as part of its major layoffs. Ryan Clark ...