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Stephen A. Smith might marvel at the skills of golfers and NASCAR drivers, but he praises them with caution.
Smith said the professionals are “elite at what they do” but is drawing a line when describing them.
On his SiriusXM show, while debating some of the greatest athletes of all time, a caller suggested NASCAR legend Richard Petty, and Smith had no choice but to rant.
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Stephen A. Smith looks on from the field during warmups before the NFL game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Nov. 3, 2025. (Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
“Come on, man. That don’t count. You driving a car!” Smith began, via Awful Announcing. “I’m being honest, it’s a great sport. But come on, bro. Getting behind the wheel of a car is not the same.
“You can be behind the wheel of a car in your 60s and 70s for crying out loud.”
Smith also insinuated that “just because you gotta walk the course for 18 holes for four days, that don’t make you an athlete.”
Host Stephen A. Smith speaks with Sen. Ted Cruz at a SiriusXM Town Hall event at SiriusXM Studio in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 19, 2025. (Paul Morigi/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
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“They’re skilled players, they’re elite at what they do. But athletes? Athletes? Are you kidding me? Is walking the latest sport that you want to turn into an Olympic sport? Because I guess that would make them athletic, right?” Smith continued.
“Because they can walk. If you’re out there doing stuff that grandmas and grandpas can do, I’m not gonna look at you that way. You’re skilled, you’re phenomenally skilled as a golfer…but that is not an athletic sport.”
Stephen A. Smith attends WrestleMania 42: Night 1 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, on April 18, 2026. (Andrew Timms/WWE)
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Smith, though, did make an exception for 15-time major champion Tiger Woods – not necessarily due to his golf skills, but rather just his build and athleticism in general.
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