When it comes to politics, Robert Griffin III thinks sports TV shows should stick to sports.
Taking to X on Thursday, the former NFL quarterback expressed that very belief, stating: “Sports shows on TV should be about sports not politics.”
Sports shows on TV should be about sports not politics.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) March 20, 2025
While the former ESPN analyst didn’t specifically make note of what he was referencing, his former employer didn’t exactly adhere to its “stick to sports” strategy on Thursday morning.
During a discussion regarding Duke star freshman Cooper Flagg on First Take, ESPN analyst Jay Williams stated his belief that the presumptive No. 1 overall pick could rally the “America first” crowd. Minutes later, Stephen A. Smith publicly called out Donald Trump, challenging the 45th and 47th president to a debate regarding diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) after the Department of Defense temporarily deactivated an article about Jackie Robinson’s military career on Wednesday.
“Nobody is calling out the President, Donald Trump. I will,” Smith, who has publicly flirted with the prospect of running for president in 2028, said. I’m not gonna call him names and all this stuff like stupid folks on the left are doing. Engaging in incendiary rhetoric. It’s unnecessary, it’s immature and it’s uncalled for. He’s the President of the United States. Treat him with the respect that he deserves. But in the same breath, call him to the carpet for stuff that he’s doing.
“When you look at the actions of this administration and you’re talking about DEI — diversity, equity and inclusion — and you’re equating that with Black people and you’re using words like ‘unqualified’… Pete Hegseth is the head of the Defense Department. He has served our country with honor. I am not trying to knock him or denigrate him in any way… how is he not DEI? He was a soldier and then he was a a host on Fox News on the weekends and he goes from that to being the head of a Defense Department that oversees more than 3.5 million people.”
Based on both the timing and prominence of Williams and Smith’s comments, it would hardly be a stretch to assume that Griffin’s post was in reference to at least one of the segments, if not both. But while one could certainly argue whether politics have a place in sports programming, both segments had direct sports connections — especially Smith’s.
It’s also worth noting that the 2011 Heisman Trophy winner routinely references politics on his social media feed, often doing so in apparent attempts to drive engagement. Granted, Griffin specifically referenced “TV shows” and would presumably counter by saying that people tune into specific shows for a specific reason. Conversely, I don’t know too many people who followed Griffin on X for political discourse, regardless of whether or not he labels it as a “safe space.”
