Boomer Esiason says Eileen Gu ‘is insufferable’

Boomer Esiason was challenged to say what he really means about Olympic athletes who speak out, and he accepted.

Earlier this month, Esiason garnered attention for claiming Olympic athletes who represent the United States of America should “pipe down” and “respect the flag.” The comment came in the wake of American freestyle skier Hunter Hess admitting he has “mixed emotions” about representing the United States. And now Esiason has opinions to share about Chinese-American freestyle skier Eileen Gu.

“The Chinese government paid her a lot of money. It’s kinda funny that a communist country would pay a woman to be propaganda as a capitalist,” Esiason said. “She’s a very attractive woman and she’s extremely bright, she went to Stanford. But if you listen to her post participation interviews, she’s insufferable. She is. It’s hard to listen to. But then again, it’s an individual sport by an individual person talking about herself. As opposed to talking about her teammates or the support that she receives.”

Despite being born and raised in the United States, Gu has competed for China since 2019, where her mother is from. Gu has netted fierce critics in the media and government for her decision. But she has not wavered, citing her desire to be role model for a generation of young Chinese girls.

During a recent press conference, The Athletic’s Charlotte Harpur asked Gu, “do you think before you speak?” which was meant and ultimately received as more of a compliment than the insult it may initially been perceived to be. The question set Gu up to show off her intelligence, which Esiason even acknowledged, although he may not have enjoyed her thoughtful response.

“They didn’t ask her about the communist government of China,” Esiason griped. “But the thing about her is – I will say this – she’s exceptionally bright. She has her answers, she knows how she’s gonna answer things, that’s for sure. But nobody’s really asked her a tough question.”

Boomer Esiason might not agree with Eileen Gu choosing to compete for China. And he might not enjoy her press conferences. But Gu has put on a sort of masterclass in how to compete in the Olympics and handle the media while dealing with immense political backlash.