Ex-NFL star encourages American Olympians to 'pipe down' and 'respect the flag'

Ex-NFL prima Boomer Esiason said Tuesday that American Olympians "should conscionable tube down" arsenic respective competitors garnered backlash for speaking retired connected hotly debated governmental topics successful the U.S. portion successful Italy.

Esiason was connected his regular WFAN Radio amusement with Greg Giannotti. The erstwhile Cincinnati Bengals and New York Jets prima said helium was watching Team USA fig skating triumph golden successful 1 lawsuit implicit the weekend. Giannotti asked whether they were "happy to correspond America."   

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Boomer Esiason speaks connected signifier during the 2019 New York City Police Foundation Gala astatine New York Hilton Midtown connected April 30, 2019 successful New York City. (Owen Hoffmann/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

"They look to beryllium blessed to correspond America," Esiason said. "Not everybody is, but everybody should conscionable tube down and conscionable bash their athletics and play for our state and respect the emblem and respect everything that’s going on."

American skiers Hunter Hess and Chris Lillis stirred contention implicit the play with their comments.

Hess said helium had "mixed emotions" astir competing for Team USA.

"It brings up mixed emotions to correspond the U.S. close now, I think. It’s a small hard. There’s evidently a batch going connected that I’m not the biggest instrumentality of, and I deliberation a batch of radical aren’t," Hess said.

Hunter Hess of the United States reacts during the Men's Ski Halfpipe Final astatine the Toyota US Grand Prix astatine Aspen Snowmass Ski Resort connected Jan. 9, 2026 successful Aspen, Colorado. (Dustin Satloff/U.S. Ski and Snowboard/Getty Images)

US AIR FORCE OLYMPIAN JASMINE JONES EXPRESSES GRATITUDE WHILE REPRESENTING AMERICA AT WINTER GAMES

"I think, for me, it’s much I’m representing my friends and household backmost home, the radical that represented it earlier me, each the things that I judge are bully astir the U.S. If it aligns with my motivation values, I consciousness similar I’m representing it. Just due to the fact that I’m wearing the emblem doesn't mean I correspond everything that’s going connected successful the U.S.

"I conscionable benignant of privation to bash it for my friends and my household and the radical that enactment maine getting here."

Hess backtracked successful a societal media station connected Monday aft President Donald Trump called him a "real loser."

Lillis said that portion helium "would never" privation to correspond different state successful the Games, he’s "heartbroken" implicit the administration’s actions, regarding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations successful Minnesota.

"I emotion the USA. I would ne'er privation to correspond a antithetic state successful the Olympics. With that being said, a batch of times, athletes are hesitant to speech astir governmental views and however we consciousness astir things.

Bronze medalist Christopher Lillis poses connected the podium during the awards ceremonial for the men’s aerials astatine the 2024-25 FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup astatine Beidahu Ski Resort successful Jilin City, Jilin province, China. It happened connected Feb. 23, 2025. (Yan Linyun/Xinhua via Getty Images)

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"I consciousness heartbroken astir what’s happening successful the United States. I’m beauteous definite you’re referencing ICE and immoderate of the protests and things similar that," helium continued. "I deliberation that, arsenic a country, we request to absorption connected respecting everybody’s rights and making definite that we’re treating our citizens arsenic good arsenic anybody, with emotion and respect. I anticipation that erstwhile radical look astatine athletes vie successful the Olympics, they recognize that that’s the America we’re trying to represent."

Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.

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