Former NFL star Boomer Esiason said Tuesday U.S. Olympians “It’s time to calm down,” as several rivals faced backlash while in Italy for remarks on a political topic hotly debated in the United States.

Esiason is here every day WFAN Radio Performing with Greg Giannotti. The former Cincinnati Bengals and New York Jets star said he was watching the U.S. figure skating team win gold in an event over the weekend. Gianotti asked if they were “pleased to represent the United States.”

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Boomer Esiason speaks at the 2019 New York City Police Foundation Gala at the Hilton Hotel in downtown New York on April 30, 2019. (Irving Hoffman/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

“They seemed happy to represent the United States,” Esiason said. “Not everyone is like that, but everyone should calm down, play their sport, play for our country, respect the flag and respect everything that’s going on.”

American skiers Hunter Hess and Chris Lillis Controversy over the weekend and their comments.

Hess said he Having “mixed emotions” Representing Team USA.

“I think there are mixed emotions that come with representing the United States right now. It’s a little difficult. There’s obviously a lot of things that I’m not the most passionate about, and I think a lot of people aren’t either,” Hess said.

Hunter Hess of the United States reacts during the men’s ski halfpipe final of the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix in Aspen, Colorado, January 9, 2026. (Dustin Satloff/USA Ski & Snowboard/Getty Images)

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“I think, for me, it’s more about representing my friends and family back home, the people in front of me, all the good things about America. If it aligns with my moral values, I feel like I represent it. Just because I wear the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in America.

“I just wanted to do it for my friends, my family and the people who supported me to get here.”

Hess walked back the president’s remarks in a social media post on Monday Donald Trump Call him a “real loser.”

Lillis said that while he would “never” want to represent another country at the Olympics, he was “heartbroken” by the administration’s actions against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Minnesota.

“I love America. I would never want to represent another country in the Olympics. That being said, a lot of times athletes are hesitant to talk about political views and how we feel about things.

Bronze medalist Christopher Lillis takes the podium during the 2024-25 FIS Freestyle Skiing World Cup Men’s Aerials Awards Ceremony at Beidahu Ski Resort in Jilin City, Jilin Province, China. It happened on February 23, 2025. (Yan Linyun/Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images)

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“I’m heartbroken about what’s going on in America. I’m pretty sure you’re referring to ICE and some of the protests and things like that,” he continued. “I think as a country we need to focus on respecting everyone’s rights and making sure that we treat our citizens and anyone else with love and respect. I hope that when people see athletes competing in the Olympics, they realize that this is the America that we’re trying to represent.”

Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.

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