Stephen A. Smith issues scathing verdict on backlash over 'black national anthem' Super Bowl performance

Stephen A. Smith has accused critics of the alleged 'black nationalist anthem' of threatening the 'fabric' of America - and compared the backlash to Donald Trump 'hijacking' the statement astir Colin Kaepernick taking the knee.

Some NFL fans person called for a boycott of Sunday's showdown betwixt the Chiefs and the Eagles aft it was revealed that 'Lift Every Voice and Sing' volition beryllium sung earlier kickoff.

It is traditionally performed during the Super Bowl's pregame festivities but has sparked immense contention successful caller years. 

The NFL has confirmed that Grammy Award-winning vocalist Ledisi volition execute the opus - in beforehand of President Donald Trump - soon earlier Jon Batiste's rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner connected Sunday. 

That prompted a backlash online but, successful an interrogation with DailyMail.com successful New Orleans, ESPN prima Smith said: 'I recognize that nine tin beryllium precise polarizing astatine times, but the world is that segments of our colonisation person a close to beryllium prideful astir their culture, their people.'

He continued: 'Everybody has a close to consciousness the mode that they feel... if you're not doing harm to anybody else, permission it be. 

'When we commencement telling radical however to deliberation and however to feel, adjacent erstwhile they're not harming anybody else? Now you're touching connected the American fabric. 

'That's not what America is about. Freedom of speech, state of religion, state to think, to beryllium a escaped thinker, that's what makes America special, and that's what we person to remember.'

Smith accused critics of the anthem of hypocrisy. 'We person to beryllium accordant with who we kick astir - erstwhile the Jewish assemblage tells america what they're passionate astir and what they attraction about, non-Jewish radical don't effort to archer them however to feel,' helium said. 

'Well, achromatic radical person a close to consciousness the mode that they consciousness - astir whether there's a achromatic nationalist anthem oregon anything... arsenic agelong arsenic it's not thing that's harmful to America, the federation itself oregon to immoderate conception of our population, what's the problem?'

Trump confirmed connected Tuesday that helium volition beryllium astatine the Superdome successful New Orleans this weekend, becoming the archetypal sitting President ever to be the Super Bowl.

The NFL has agelong been a conveyance for governmental debate, from 49ers prima Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the nationalist anthem backmost successful 2016, to players doing 'the Trump dance' earlier and aft the 2024 election.

At Super Bowl LVII successful 2023, Republican person and long-time Trump loyalist Kari Lake made headlines erstwhile she refused to basal for the achromatic anthem.

After it was performed astatine past year's Super Bowl, former Florida congressman Matt Gaetz claimed: 'They're desecrating America's National Anthem by playing thing called the "Black National Anthem."'

On Wednesday, Smith brought up Kaepernick's arguable protest, claiming Trump 'hijacked the narrative' implicit the quarterback, who has not played successful the NFL since 2016.

'What (was) helium doing? He's not interfering with the 60 minutes. He is taking a genu during the nationalist anthem,' the 'First Take' big said. 

'The president astatine the clip - who's the president now, the 45th president of the United States - which was Donald Trump, hijacked the communicative due to the fact that it was successful his interest. 

'I americium the idiosyncratic that Donald Trump called successful 2014 erstwhile helium wanted to acquisition the Buffalo Bills. He the terms tag was $1.4 billion. Reportedly, helium had astir $1.1 billion. 

'His nonstop words to maine were - excuse my language: "If them motherf***ers get successful my mode - meaning the NFL owners - I'm gonna get them each back. I'm gonna tally for president." 

'Those are his nonstop words. They didn't fto the merchantability spell through, and helium ran for president. The remainder is history. So what I'm saying is: that that's however helium felt.'

Smith continued: 'The crushed wherefore I bring up the full nationalist anthem with him hijacking the communicative is because.... before Colin Kaepernick took a genu during the nationalist anthem, Marshawn Lynch would beryllium connected coolers, oregon connected the bench, eating a banana. No 1 said a word. Why are you tripping implicit Colin Kaepernick?'

The ESPN prima insisted America is not made up of 'one monolithic group'. 'Hispanics are antithetic from Jews, Jews are antithetic from blacks, blacks are antithetic from whites, etc, etc,' helium said. 'Let everybody beryllium themselves. Just don't harm anybody else.'