Ex-NFL star encourages American Olympians to 'pipe down' and 'respect the flag'

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Ex-NFL star Boomer Esiason said Tuesday that American Olympians "should just pipe down" as several competitors garnered backlash for speaking out on hotly debated political topics in the U.S. 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 was watching Team USA figure skating win gold in one event over the weekend. Giannotti asked whether 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 New York Hilton Midtown on April 30, 2019 in New York City. (Owen Hoffmann/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

"They seem to be happy to represent America," Esiason said. "Not everybody is, but everybody should just pipe down and just do 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 stirred controversy over the weekend with their comments.

Hess said he had "mixed emotions" about competing for Team USA.

"It brings up mixed emotions to represent the U.S. right now, I think. It’s a little 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 Jan. 9, 2026 in Aspen, Colorado. (Dustin Satloff/U.S. Ski and Snowboard/Getty Images)

US AIR FORCE OLYMPIAN JASMINE JONES EXPRESSES GRATITUDE WHILE REPRESENTING AMERICA AT WINTER GAMES

"I think, for