Controversial ESPN anchor goes on Tiger Woods rant about LIV Golf
Controversial anchor Stephen A. Smith blasted Tiger Woods as the 15-time major champ leads PGA Tour's response to the threat of LIV Golf.
It's no surprise ESPN host Stephen A. Smith is divisive, judging by these remarks he made about Tiger Woods.
Woods flew into Delaware earlier in the week and got behind the wheel of a rented Nissan with Rickie Fowler.
Together they attended a private meeting where the elite PGA Tour players discussed what to do about the threat of LIV Golf.
Rory McIlroy described the meeting as "good" where Woods, 46, was the "alpha in the room". Hopefully, we'll learn more about the meeting in the coming days.
Apparently, even the future of PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan was discussed, according to reports by The Firepit Collective.
McIlroy remained tight-lipped about the meeting, though he conceded it was clear that the best players on the PGA Tour need to be playing against each other more often.
Justin Thomas also claimed that he did not believe LIV Golf could truly work out without Woods.
Later that day, divisive host Smith was on Tuesday's edition of First Take, where he claimed he was "disgusted" with Woods.
He blasted:
"I'm disgusted by it. Let me explain why. The United States government, their number two trade partner, from what I've read, is Saudi Arabia. a host of U.S. corporations, and I apologize, I just googled it, I just looked it up just now. If I'm wrong about anybody, please forgive me, General Electric, AT&T, 'Bank of America, Halliburton Company, Pfizer International. A whole bunch of people. If I’m wrong, I apologize, it was online. Talk about these major 'corporations doing business. I don't know. I just said it was online, so I don't know. But I'm pretty sure it’s safe to say U.S. corporations doing big business with Saudi Arabia and suddenly individuals are looking to get paid and everybody is in an uproar?"
An antitrust lawsuit has finally been lodged by LIV Golf. They claim the PGA Tour has a monopoly on professional golf and claim they have engaged in anti-competitive practices to try and shut them down.
Smith said:
"I thought this was America. I thought we were a capitalistic society. I thought competition breeds our greatness. That’s what I thought. Tiger Woods is sitting there acting like the PGA should be the only game in town. When do we say that? Now granted, if you're the only game in town, you're the only game in town. We see it in USFL and we see Arena Football but we know it’s the NFL and then everybody else. You can have the G League and college basketball, but we know it’s the NBA and everybody else.
"You got Major League Baseball, we understand that you can have those things, but the chances of you usurping them and eclipsing them are slim to none. They are established brands in the United States of America that garner the support of millions and as a result that's what we gonna flow with. I'm good with that. That's America. You establish your level of dominance to the point that it don't matter what some competition is going to do, cool. This is different."
Then he really went after Woods:
"You got Tiger Woods supporting, feeling like players betrayed the PGA. What do you owe the PGA? Show the PGA, you work, you produce, you go out there and you earn your money.
"They don't pay everybody. Winners get paid. Losers don't necessarily get paid. I don't know all the particulars … and I'm not pretending to. I'm addressing principle, meaning American principle.
"Now I'm a Black man first forever and always and very, very proud of it.
"But I am a proud American citizen and I do believe in the American system when it talks about capitalism, when it talks about meritocracy and handling your business and handling your own and may the best man and woman win. So if you better than LIV, be better!"
