Stephen A. Smith reacts to Team USA’s star goalie Connor Hellebuyck receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom – the nation’s highest civilian honor. 🇺🇸🏒
Was it deserved? What does this moment mean for hockey, patriotism, and sports bringing the country together? Stephen A. breaks down the significance of the honor, the reaction surrounding it, and why celebrating elite athletes on the world stage matters.
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33 Comments
Okay with out him they wouldn't of won the gold medal. Good for him. I'm a Canadian he was incredible in the Olympics with out Hellebuyck they don't win. The Winnipeg Jets need him to play like that to have a chance to win lord Stanley,good luck Hellebuyck and the Jets need you. The USA hockey program need the gold medal,Congratulations Hellebuyck and Team USA.
So does the world series winner get one?! This president has lost his mind. He's a goalie.😅 seriously 😅
You’re not the greatest country in the world. You’re just the richest. And the wealth that allows you to continue to be the richest for the past couple hundred years was accumulated because of slave labor.
Based on the list and more importantly that his teammates were cool with it….there should be no controversy here. Give one to the woman that had the game winner also in their game also.
Wayne Gretsky, Gordie Howe are deserving. for the Americans who do not follow hockey, those two are like Babe Ruth and Willie Mays and Hank Aaron to baseball.
Am I the only one tired of Stephen A playing a damn caricature of himself? Get a new schtick, or better yet, act like your normal self, rather than this character you've created.
As for the topic, sure, athletes can get this Freedom medal. The problem is trump himself. He's already cheapened the Freedom medal for giving in the past to people that did nothing more than donate millions to his campaigns or even directly to his wallet.
Stephen A doesn't understand that trump is toxic. Any previous president (or major presidential candidate that didn't win the election) could give Freedom medals to athletes, and nobody would have a problem. But trump is toxic, and everything he does is tainted by his wanton corruption. Corruption that Stephan A never calls out or condemns, BTW.
Agree on this one Stephen A! Congrats to Connor H!
Why did Messi get it?
A lot of USA folks won gold.
I would like to know what he freed usfrom!
The Olympic Hockey team makes you proud to be from the USA! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Well you can't blame President Trump for the ones Steven said President Trump was not president
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Hellebuyck probably with be know as one of the GREATEST hockey players "EVER"!
No issue at all we havnt won gold in a while and for the brief 2.5 hours that game was the country was rooting as one.
IT SEEMS TO ME ITS ALWAYS ONE PLAYER THE GOALIE THAT WINS FOR USA, THE REST OF THEM ARE SECOND RATE NHL CALIBER. USA SUCKS…
That hockey play has never done a damn thing for America.
A Medal of Freedom, as a Veteran, seems JUST over the top. But I understand the point, occasion, and message behind it. And Connor Hellebuyck is well deserving in this/that/HIS moment. So I approve!
pure politicking by Trump et. viz., simple ploy by tptb to invoke a patina of performative excellence (Helleybuck's) as a gesture of symbolic excellence that Trump hopes to piggyback on at this time due to the imminent arrival of mid-term elections. That is all! RGB-Y6 out!!
Well Stephen A, who were not invited to the SOTU address that were winners of gold medals? Amber Glenn, Erin Jackson, Jordan Stolz, Alisa Liu, Evan Bates, Madison Chock, Elizabeth Lemlie, Breezy Johnson, Makaela Shiffrin, and Alex Ferreira. My question to you would be, why are these winners not celebrated? You've seemed to have forgotten these winners. You seem to insinuate that if you not a winner (gold) your not worthy. All these athletes are worthy.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the joint-highest civilian award of the United States, alongside the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by decision of the president of the United States to "any person recommended to the President for award of the Medal or any person selected by the President upon his own initiative", and was created to recognize people who have made "an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, or world peace, or cultural or other significant public or private endeavors."
Aerin Frankel Women's Ice Hockey Goalie save rating 97.98% better than the men's Goalie. Stephen A. Smith (Misogyny) didn't mention the women's team achievement. They won 7 out of 7. 33 goals for and 2 goals against. Men won 6 out of 6. 26 goals for and 9 goals against. Connor Hellebuyck Mens goalie save rate 95.62% Women were the better team and won GOLD in overtime like the men.
Thanks Stephen for clarifying those who have received it in the past. For once, Trump did the right thing. Well deserved
Thank you!
So glad we won. They booed our national anthem twice.
I was going to leave a comment. But reading through the comments I can see how all of them are right wing comments, so I guess I am not welcome here. Peace out.
Skipped right over Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He got his in the same ceremony Jordan got his.
Unfortunately, the MoF has been cheapened by over-distribution. Leftist Democrat Presidents have given it out like gumdrops to all sorts of woke celebrity leftists whose only "accomplishment" in life is that they possess lots of money and make huge campaign donations $$$ to leftist causes and politicians. Personally, I wish EVERY member of Team USA's Olympic Hockey Team could get the MoF aqwarded to them — given how badly the award has been compromised for political purposes, BUT I have ZERO problem in awarding it to at least one team member. I suspect it's Trump's way of "making up" for the IOC's brazen snub of Hellebuyck by wrongly awarding the Olympic Tournament "MVP" to McDavid.
Hellebuyck gets you 0-0, it's a team game. if you're going to give it out the whole team deserves it. one guy awarded is a political stunt. 1980's team deserves it- amateurs vs pros
Biden awarded the Medal of Freedom to Megan Raponoe, Denzel Washington, George Soros, Bono (is he actually a US citizen?.) so Connor is much more deserving .
This man is such a joke dudes a complete joke hes so comical poor fellow is trying though we laughing at this dude hes comical 😅😅😅
Look at some of the clowns that Biden and Obama gave a medal to. Spare me the outrage
Mac E cheese 🧀 😊😊