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Former NFL star Boomer Esiason said Tuesday that U.S. Olympians “should just buckle down” as several competitors received backlash for speaking out on hotly debated political issues in the United States while in Italy.
Esiason was on his daily WFAN Radio show with Greg Giannotti. The former Cincinnati Bengals and New York Jets star said he watched Team USA figure skating win gold in an event over the weekend. Giannotti asked if they were “happy to represent America.”
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Boomer Esiason speaks on stage during the 2019 New York City Police Foundation Gala at the New York Hilton Midtown on April 30, 2019 in New York City. (Owen Hoffmann/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
“They seem happy to represent America,” Esiason said. “It’s not everybody, but everybody should just go down and just play their sport and play for our country and respect the flag and respect everything that’s going on.”
American skiers Hunter Hess and Chris Lillis sparked controversy over the weekend with their comments.
Hess said he had “mixed feelings” about competing for Team USA.
“It’s mixed feelings representing the United States right now, I think. It’s kind of hard. There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t,” Hess said.
Hunter Hess of the United States reacts during the Men’s Ski Halfpipe Final at the Toyota US Grand Prix at Aspen Snowmass Ski Resort on January 9, 2026 in Aspen, Colorado. (Dustin Satloff/US 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 more that I’m representing my friends and family back home, the people who represented it before me, all the things that I think are good about the United States. If it aligns with my moral values, I feel like I’m representing it. Just because I’m carrying the flag doesn’t mean I’m representing everything that’s going on in the United States.
“I just want to do it for my friends and my family and the people who support me in coming here.”
Hess resigned in a social media post Monday after President Donald Trump called him a “real loser.”
Lillis said that while he would “never” want to represent another country in the Games, he is “heartbroken” by the administration’s actions regarding US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Minnesota.
“I love the United States. I would never want to represent another country at the Olympics. That being said, a lot of times athletes are hesitant to talk about political views and how we feel about things.
Bronze medalist Christopher Lillis poses on the podium during the men’s aerials award ceremony at the 2024-25 FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup at Beidahu Ski Resort in Jilin City, Jilin Province, China. It happened on February 23, 2025. (Yan Linyun/Xinhua via Getty Images)
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“I feel devastated by what’s happening in the United States. I’m pretty sure you’re referring to ICE and some of the protests and things like that,” he continued. “I think as a country we need to focus on respecting everyone’s rights and making sure we treat our citizens just like everyone else, with love and respect. I hope that when people look at athletes competing in the Olympics, they realize that this is the America we’re trying to represent.”
