Fox News' Tyrus Claps Back at Olympian: 'Why Are You Even Competing if You Hate the Flag and Country So Much?'

With the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Tokyo nearly a month away, an American athlete is already making controversial headlines. As my Red State colleague Nick Arama reported Sunday, Gwen Berry turned her back on the American flag in protest after she won a spot on the U.S. team with a third-place finish in the hammer throw during U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon.

The bronze medalist instead put a shirt over her head emblazoned with “Activist Athlete.”

Condemnation of Berry’s actions was swift, and she responded on Sunday night with what amounted to little more than an incomprehensible tweet.

These comments really show that:

1.) people in American rally patriotism over basic morality

2.) Even after the murder of George Floyd and so many others; the commercials, statements, and phony sentiments regarding black lives were just a hoax

As I suggested, um, huh?

These comments really show that:

1.) people in American rally patriotism over basic morality

2.) Even after the murder of George Floyd and so many others; the commercials, statements, and phony sentiments regarding black lives were just a hoax

— Gwen Berry OLY (@MzBerryThrows) June 28, 2021

Fox News political commentator Tyrus Murdoch — a/k/a “My massive sidekick, Tyrus” to Fox host Greg Gutfeld — had “a few thoughts” about the whole thing.

Olympic hammer thrower Gwen Berry ‘pissed’ national anthem was playing at Olympic trials https://t.co/tjtlX25B30 via @nypost

— Tyrus (@PlanetTyrus) June 28, 2021

https://t.co/v9Saqr4Dru

— Tyrus (@PlanetTyrus) June 28, 2021

During a segment on Fox’s “The Big Sunday Show,” Tyrus was asked by host Griff Jenkins how he, as a former professional wrestler, felt about Berry’s protest.

In response to Jenkins’s question of whether he saw a difference between Berry’s actions on U.S. soil vs. on the international stage in Tokyo, next month, Tyrus was an emphatic “No.” As transcribed by Fox News:

No, I don’t, and quite honestly I don’t care when the national anthem was played. […] I’m going to give you names here. We’ve had some issues in this country especially as a black man when I go to Tommy Smith, John Carlos, Jessie Owens who they had issues, they fought, they wanted dignity.”

Smith and Carlos famously raised their gloved fists in a Black Power salute during the medal ceremony in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, while Jessie Owens — at the 1936 Olympics in Adolf Hitler’s Berlin — was a whole ‘nother story.

On this day in 1968, USA’s Tommy Smith & John Carlos performed the Black Power Salute during their award presentation at the Mexico Olympics pic.twitter.com/VoT4ckTmU0

— Pluto Press (@PlutoPress) October 17, 2016

Tyrus pointed to the difference between Smith, Carlos, and Owens — and Gwen Berry.

“They also wanted a seat at the table. They wanted to show how much they loved their country, how much they belong, and human rights issues and they fought for it. This isn’t it.

“Even if we are taking a knee on the baseball game, I have no problem with a professional athlete being a citizen, taking a respectful knee during the flag if that’s what you choose to do while still honoring the flag, I have no issue.”

But Berry?

“She turned her back on the flag. She was upset they had the gall to – what song would you think they are going to play at the Olympics?

“This very simply — why are you even competing in the Olympics if you hate the flag and the country so much? If it’s such a horrible place, why are you doing it?”

Tyrus also pointed to Muhammad Ali in contrast to Berry.

“I’m literally wearing the shirt of a man who didn’t believe in the Vietnam war, Muhammad Ali, protested lost two years in the prime of his career, five years I’m sorry, in the prime of his career, and he gave it up because of what he believed in and history looks back at him as a hero but at the time there was consequences for his actions and he took it because he believed in what he stood for.”

Tyrus then dropped the reality hammer on Berry.

“So, if it’s this bad and you’re this insulted why are you competing? Protest. Sit out.”

And then he dropped the mic.

The Fox News YouTube clip of the segment has been viewed more than a million times, suggesting — I’ll go out on a (safe) limb — widespread agreement with Tyrus on Berry’s (pick one or more) disrespectful, ungrateful, spoiled-brat, ridiculous, demonstration.