ESPN's Mike Greenberg rips political discourse in US: 'It descends into nastiness'

close

Video

Fox News Flash top sports headlines for April 12

Fox News Flash top sports headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com.

ESPN personality Mike Greenberg launched into a rant Monday about the differences between debating sports and debating politics and blasted the discourse around the latter.

Greenberg said on his radio show that political debate turns toxic as people always go for the jugular instead of having a nuanced conversation.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

ESPN host Mike Greenberg before Eastern Conference Finals game between the Heat and the Boston Celtics at FTX Arena in Miami, Florida, on May 17, 2022. (Jasen Vinlove-USA Today Sports)

"The best thing about sports conversation is that it ascends into debate. And I use that word advisedly. It doesn’t descend," the radio host said, via Awful Announcing. "Our political discourse in this country in this day and age stinks. It’s awful. It descends into the lowest common denominator all the time. It descends into nastiness. It descends into people calling each other names and separating themselves and drawing themselves further apart rather than having an actual intellectual conversation."

Greenberg co-authored a book called "Got Your Number," which ranks the best athletes of all time by jersey number. He used that as an example in his take.

ESPN PERSONALITY MIKE GREENBERG RIPS FRED COUPLES FOR HIS MASTERS ATTIRE DURING FINAL ROUND

Tom Brady of the New England Patriots greets Eli Manning of the New York Giants after a preseason game at Gillette Stadium on Aug. 29, 2019, in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)

He added the sports debate "ascends" the quality of the conversation – though, if you call Eli Manning a Hall of Famer for his two Super Bowl wins over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots everybody loses their minds.

"Sports debate brings us together because someone might feel we got (Roberto) Clemente right, and someone might have thought we were wrong and it should’ve been Deion (Sanders)," Greenberg said, talking about the greatest athletes to wear the No. 21.

Mike Greenberg speaks on stage during Radio Hall Of Fame 2018 Induction Ceremony on Nov. 15, 2018, in New York City. (Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Radio Hall of Fame)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"And someone else might have thought it was Tim Duncan. But none of us thought that the other person was a bad human being for thinking it. So, the debate ascends, not descends the quality of the conversation."