August 16, 2017
A Philadelphia Eagles player isn't pleased with loudmouth sports pundit Jason Whitlock mocking athletes for participating in social activism.
In a teaser for his Fox Sports 1 show "Speak For Yourself," which Whitlock co-hosts with Colin Cowherd, he sarcastically announced on Tuesday the launch of a segment that follows athletes who stage protests or demonstrations on the field, like Colin Kaepernick, who has become the face of the issue.
In the teaser, Whitlock insinuated that athletes don't know what they're talking about. You can watch it below:
If you support Colin Kaepernick, you'll love the NFL's newest channel... Anthem Zone! pic.twitter.com/dylo74jyIq
— Speak For Yourself (@SFY) August 15, 2017
Wide receiver Torrey Smith, who joined the Eagles as a free agent this offseason, was having none of Whitlock's attempted parody. On Twitter, he called the host "so lame" for suggesting athletes "aren't knowledgeable" about issues. Whitlock responded by saying he wasn't insinuating and that athletes "don't know what they don't know," which Smith countered by saying that you don't need to be a political expert to learn about the nation's problems.
You are so lame for this @WhitlockJason to insinuate that athletes aren't knowledgeable about certain things in our country is just ignorant https://t.co/cM15OAFmPs
— Torrey Smith (@TorreySmithWR) August 16, 2017
Hey, Torrey. I'm not insinuating. I'm saying they don't know what they don't know. Makes 'em dangerous. Road to hell paved w/good intentions https://t.co/dpLLoMfHkE
— Jason Whitlock (@WhitlockJason) August 16, 2017
You are wrong to assume folks don't know about certain issues. You don't have to be a political science to learn about problems in the USA https://t.co/Qb5pp34g0v
— Torrey Smith (@TorreySmithWR) August 16, 2017
Smith wasn't the only player to call out Whitlock. Former Eagle Emmanuel Acho called Whitlock's video "nonsense."
I hope theyre paying you handsomely for this nonsese @WhitlockJason. Why make a mockery of arguably the Nation's most pressing issue? https://t.co/Pa0bgO2WDg
— Emmanuel Acho (@thEMANacho) August 16, 2017
Whitlock has been very critical of athletes who use their platform to speak out on social issues, particularly Kaepernick, whom he accused of only trying to draw attention to himself with his decision to kneel during the national anthem last year to protest racial injustice.
Smith, on the other hand, is on the other side of the coin. He called Kaepernick a "legend," recently saying the quarterback “pushed race and social issues to the front and inspired more folks to say and do something."
