ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith said he’s “disgusted” by Tiger Woods rallying against Saudi-backed LIV Golf.

“Tiger Woods is scheduled to meet with several of the top golfers in the world Tuesday in an effort to rally support around the PGA Tour in its ongoing battle with the rival LIV Golf series,” reported ESPN’s Mark Schlabach on Monday, citing sources.

During Tuesday’s First Take, Smith blasted Woods, saying he has “a big issue” with Woods seeking PGA players to oppose LIV Golf:

I’m disgusted by it. Let me explain why. The United States government, their number two trade partner, from what I’ve read, is Saudi Arabia. a host of U.S. corporations, and I apologize, I just googled it, I just looked it up just now. If I’m wrong about anybody, please forgive me, General Electric, AT&T, Bank of America, Halliburton Company, Pfizer International. A whole bunch of people. If I’m wrong, I apologize, it was online. Talk about these major corporations doing business. I don’t know. I just said it was online, so I don’t know. But I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say U.S. corporations doing big business with Saudi Arabia and suddenly individuals are looking to get paid and everybody is in an uproar?

Smith went on to suggest that Woods is going against the American economic principle of competition:

I thought this was America. I thought we were a capitalistic society. I thought competition breeds our greatness. That’s what I thought. Tiger Woods is sitting there acting like the PGA should be the only game in town. When do we say that? Now granted if you’re the only game in town, you’re the only game in town. We see it in USFL and we see Arena Football but we know it’s the NFL and then everybody else. You can have the G League and college basketball but we know it’s the NBA and everybody else.

You got Major League Baseball, we understand that you can have those things but the chances of you usurping them and eclipsing them are slim to none. They are established brands in the United States of America that garners the support of millions and as a result that’s what we gonna flow with. I’m good with that. That’s America. You establish your level of dominance to the point that it don’t matter what some competition is going to do, cool. This is different.

Smith went on to berate Woods, arguing that the PGA shouldn’t be the only golf league around.

“You got Tiger Woods supporting, feeling like players betrayed the PGA. What do you owe the PGA? Show the PGA, you work you produce, you go out there and you earn your money,” he said. “They don’t pay everybody. Winners get paid. Losers don’t necessarily get paid. I don’t know all the particulars … and I’m not pretending to. I’m addressing principle, meaning American principle.”

“Now I’m a Black man first forever and always and very, very proud of it,” continued Smith. “But I am a proud American citizen and I do believe in the American system when it talks about capitalism when it talks about meritocracy and handling your business and handling your own and may the best man and woman win. So if you better than LIV, be better!”

Smith said that while he sympathizes with the 9/11 families, “the intensity you exercise toward golfers who want to compete under the LIV umbrella, we do the same thing to the government and the corporations. If you aint doing it for them, don’t do it to the individual players.”

Watch above, via ESPN.

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