NFL legend Shannon Sharpe along with Chad Johnson weighs in on controversial Paris Olympics 2024 boxer Imane Khelif.\
NFL legend Shannon Sharpe weighs in on controversial Paris Olympics 2024 boxer Imane Khelif (image via Open Source/X/Imago)
The name Imane Khelif is the most talked about name in the world as of today. The boxer is in the center of a storm after she forced her opponent, Italian Angela Carini, to quit their round of 16 bout in 46 seconds. The Algerian will continue to compete at the Paris Olympics 2024, despite the calls to disqualify her. With the controversy surrounding her gender, NFL legend Shannon Sharpe decided to chime in.
The ESPN analyst took to his podcast, Nightcap, to talk with Chad Johnson about the entire controversy. He explained his understanding of how this problem can be solved:
Every man doesn't have the same level of testosterone. But if he's born with those parts, is he any less of a man? So, because a woman if born with those parts, and she produces a high level of testosterone, does that make her any less of a woman?Shannon Sharpe said
To this when Johnson answered ‘No’, Sharpe added;
Can she conceive a child? Does she have a period? That's all that matters. She's not identifying as a woman, God gave her those parts.Shannon Sharpe added
This is one of the most logical takes on this entire controversy. Shannon Sharpe brought it down to the basics and made it crystal clear.
The Hall of Famer tight end was clear that the controversy could have been avoided if the basic level of testing was ascertained. Instead, the very testing of testosterone and chromosomes is causing all the confusion surrounding Imane Khelif.
He essentially put a lid on all the hostility the internet world has witnessed over the past 24 hours. He wants Imane Khelif to fight fairly in her category alongside the other women who are competing at the Paris Olympics 2024.
Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson clear the air over Olympics cash reward
The former NFL stars and fellow co-hosts of the podcast had announced that they will give $25,000 to a few American athletes if they won a gold medal. But the internet thought that they would give every gold medal winning American that money. They clarified what they said on the latest episode of their podcast.
We listed, Noah Lyles, Sha'Carri Richardson, Rai Benjamin, Sydney McLaughlin, if you win gold, I got $25,000. Somehow, 'they'll pay $25,000 for any American that win's gold'. Well, that's not what we said. I said, that any American that breaks a world record, I'll run you 50 band.Shannon Sharpe said
They apologized and said that their words were construed differently on social media. Sharpe clarified that they were not ducking any of those commitments.
They also cleared the air that they do not have the money to gift all American gold medal winning athletes $25,000 each. Chad Johnson mentioned that had he been as rich as some billionaires, he would have handed all American gold medal winners $1 million each.
Shannon Sharpe might have made money in the NFL and much more since moving into the digital space. But he and his co-host Johnson are in no financial shape to take care of that many athletes.
