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 he 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 launched into a rant.
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"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."
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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."
Smith, though, did make an exception for 15-time major champion Tiger Woods - not necessarily due to his golf skills, but because of his build and athleticism in general.
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