On Tuesday, George Foreman’s criticism of sportsmen who take a political stance at the Olympics perplexed many people.
During an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, the boxing star attempted to link raised-fist podium protests by American athletes John Carlos and Tommie Smith at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics (where Foreman also won gold in heavyweight boxing) to the 1972 Munich Olympics atrocity.
Foreman, 72, said of protesting athletes, “No good has ever come out of it.”
“I remember John Carlos and Tommie Smith,” continued the grill salesman. “I don’t know how dedicated they were but they put on a demonstration that’s still talked about. It was so great that the world saw it and they went down to Germany and killed those kids representing Israel.”
“That’s what demonstration will get you,” Foreman added. “It shouldn’t be in sports. They should take it out. Let us go over there and have a good time and stay out of politics because it’s a dangerous thing.”
Attacks on “woke” celebrities have been something of a staple on Fox News in recent days, following a small relaxation of the International Olympic Committee’s guidelines enabling athlete protests.
Prime-time personality Laura Ingraham on Friday slammed “the overload of Olympians who think we somehow care about their political views.”
