Stephen A Smith refuses to call golfers, NASCAR drivers athletes: 'That don't count'

Stephen A. Smith mightiness marvel astatine the skills of golfers and NASCAR drivers, but helium praises them with caution.

Smith said the professionals are "elite astatine what they do" but is drafting a enactment erstwhile describing them.

On his SiriusXM show, portion debating immoderate of the top athletes of each time, a caller suggested NASCAR fable Richard Petty, and Smith had nary prime but to rant.

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Stephen A. Smith looks connected from the tract during warmups earlier the NFL crippled betwixt the Arizona Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys astatine AT&T Stadium successful Arlington, Texas, connected 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 large sport. But travel on, bro. Getting down the instrumentality of a car is not the same.

"You tin beryllium down the instrumentality of a car successful your 60s and 70s for crying retired loud."

Smith besides insinuated that "just due to the fact that you gotta locomotion the people for 18 holes for 4 days, that don’t marque you an athlete."

Host Stephen A. Smith speaks with Sen. Ted Cruz astatine a SiriusXM Town Hall lawsuit astatine SiriusXM Studio successful Washington, D.C., connected Nov. 19, 2025. (Paul Morigi/Getty Images for SiriusXM)

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"They’re skilled players, they’re elite astatine what they do. But athletes? Athletes? Are you kidding me? Is walking the latest athletics that you privation to crook into an Olympic sport? Because I conjecture that would marque them athletic, right?" Smith continued.

"Because they tin walk. If you’re retired determination doing worldly that grandmas and grandpas tin do, I’m not gonna look astatine you that way. You’re skilled, you’re phenomenally skilled arsenic a golfer…but that is not an diversion sport."

Stephen A. Smith attends WrestleMania 42: Night 1 astatine Allegiant Stadium successful Las Vegas, Nevada, connected April 18, 2026. (Andrew Timms/WWE)

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Smith, though, did marque an objection for 15-time large champion Tiger Woods - not needfully owed to his play skills, but alternatively conscionable his physique and athleticism successful general.

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