Stephen A. Smith has blamed ‘woke and cancel culture’ for the NFL choosing to address the Donald Trump celebration dance that has swept the sports world.
The likes of Nick Bosa, Brock Bowers, Calvin Ridley and more have all mimicked the president-elect’s jig in recent weeks on the field.
And while an NFL spokesperson told Front Office Sports that the league had ‘no issue’ with the dance, Smith doesn’t think the celebration even requires an explanation.
‘Here’s why I’m p****d off, that the NFL had to even issue a statement about it. Because celebrations usually don’t warrant that,’ he began on his Stephen A. Smith Show, per Fox News.
‘It doesn’t require a response from the league. So why was it necessary this time? You know why? Because we got a bunch of people still living with their heads in the cloud acting like they get to protest every little damn thing.
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Donald Trump’s dance from the campaign trail has become a hit across the United States
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49ers star Nick Bosa paid an homage to the president after notching a sack earlier this month
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But Stephen A. Smith was upset that the NFL even felt the need to address the dance
‘This is America,’ he added. ‘Donald Trump won the election, rather convincingly, I might add…’
While the NFL doesn’t have a problem with players doing Trump’s now-famous dance, it did fine 49ers star Bosa $11,255 for wearing a MAGA hat as he crashed his teammates post-game interview last month.
Specifically, Bosa was fined because his hat had a ‘personal message,’ which violates NFL uniform and equipment rules, according to multiple reports.
Additionally, CBS was accused of editing out Bowers’ Trump celebration from a social media post of his touchdown.
Bosa – who has not been shy in his previous support of Trump – confirmed he was honoring the incoming president when asked about his celebration earlier this month.
‘I think you know the answer to that question,’ he said, via the San Francisco Chronicle. ‘All the guys wanted me to do it. I wasn’t even going to do it, but the boys reminded me. And it was fun.’
US men’s national team star Christian Pulisic also got in on the craze earlier this week after scoring against Jamaica in the CONCACAF Nations League.
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Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers pulled out the Trump dance after scoring a TD
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Earlier this season, Bosa crashed his teammates’ interview on TV to show off a MAGA cap
UFC star Jon Jones also did the celebration last weekend after winning his fight – with Trump in the stands – while golfer Charley Hull has done it as well.
No athlete has – or is expected to – face punishment for doing the dance, though Smith still said the NFL’s addressal of the trend was ’emblematic of the climate that we’ve been living in for years now, which is why I believe Donald Trump was really elected…’
‘Woke culture, cancel culture, oh hell yes, that played a role,’ he continued.
‘When you got people walking around wondering whether or not they’re echoing the right pronoun. Wondering whether or not that was gonna cost them their job or being PC because, God forbid, your opinion is different than the average folk walking around in America. Lord knows what would happen to you. That’s what America regressed to.’