Robert Griffin III recently urged sports shows to focus solely on sports, citing Rob Parker as a catalyst for his views. Last week, Griffin tweeted, “Sports shows on TV should be about sports not politics,” shortly after an episode of ESPN’s First Take, which fell short of this principle. During discussions about Cooper Flagg, Jay Williams suggested the Duke star could rally the “America First” crowd due to his American-born and white identity. Stephen A. Smith later addressed the Department of Defense’s temporary deactivation of an article about Jackie Robinson’s military career, seizing the moment to challenge Donald Trump to a debate on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
Considering the timing of Griffin’s tweet, many assumed he was criticizing First Take. Later, he clarified that it wasn’t directed at Jackie Robinson and emphasized that Robinson breaking baseball’s color barrier and Jesse Owens winning four gold medals in Nazi Germany were not inherently political issues. Following backlash, Griffin invited Smith to his Outta Pocket with RG3 podcast to further elaborate on his opinion while ironically stepping outside the sports domain.
.@RGIII on why Sports shows on TV should be about sports
“This is why I believe sports shows on tv should be about sports not politics or made personal.
13 years ago Stephen A. On First Take there was a conversation that happened on the show involving Rob Parker.
Rob Parker… pic.twitter.com/T8MqyTzEiH
— Outta Pocket with RGIII (@OuttaPocketRG3) March 26, 2025
“13 years ago, Stephen A. on First Take had a conversation concerning Rob Parker,” Griffin reminisced. “Parker questioned my identity as a brother and whether I was genuinely committed to the cause due to my fiancé being white and his presumption that I was a Republican. This dialogue transformed First Take into a political arena filled with personal attacks. That moment has haunted my professional journey for 13 years; whenever I face disagreement in the Black community, I get bombarded with Rob Parker memes. Before that conversation, my racial identity had never been questioned publicly.” He added that sports shows should focus on sports, rather than becoming political platforms.
“While sports and politics inevitably intersect, comments about Jackie Robinson didn’t necessarily politicize the show. However, transforming it into a presidential debate context resonates with my own experience with Rob Parker,” he continued. It’s significant to note that Griffin doesn’t entirely adhere to his own standard, as he engages in political discussions through social media and his podcast.
Parker’s comments from 13 years ago on First Take weren’t merely about sports; they were intended to ignite a media firestorm using racial stereotypes. After the incident, ESPN suspended Parker, but that did little to protect Griffin from the memes and conversations that persisted well into the following decade. In contrast, there’s a notable distinction between Rob Parker’s incendiary commentary and Stephen A. Smith’s recent appeal to challenge Trump regarding DEI on First Take. While both strayed from the realm of sports, Parker’s remarks carried harmful implications, while Smith’s were more performative.
Robert Griffin III is justified in calling out Rob Parker’s comments and advocating for sports shows to improve upon the standards from 13 years ago. However, blanket statements asserting that “sports shows on TV should be about sports not politics” may not serve as a comprehensive solution, for hosts can exhibit recklessness and incitement even when focusing solely on sports.
