Stephen A. Smith wants Americans to stop apologizing for winning.
The longtime ESPN personality, who hosts his own podcast, "The Stephen A. Smith Show," is speaking out following the United States' win over Canada in the men's hockey gold medal game. Team USA topped Canada, 2-1, on Sunday. The American women topped Canada earlier that week.
Smith is speaking out amid all the talk regarding Team USA, President Trump and others this week.
"We need to find times to celebrate us, because no matter how bad things can be, no matter how separate we can appear, no matter how divisive we can be...there's still stuff that brings us together," he said.
"You know what it is? Winning - especially when it comes up directly against other nations that wish they were the USA."
Smith's comments have been echoed by others on Team USA, both on the men's and women's teams.
"This is all about our country right now. I love the U.S.A. I love my teammates, it’s unbelievable," Jack Hughes told NBC. "The USA Hockey brotherhood, it’s so strong. We had so much support from ex-players, and I’m so proud to be American today."
Hilary Knight, the top player for the women's team, added, in reaction to the women's team joke controversy: "I thought it was sort of a distasteful joke, and unfortunately that is overshadowing a lot of the success, the success of just women at the Olympics carrying for Team USA and having amazing gold medal feats.
"We're just focusing on celebrating the women in our room, the extraordinary efforts, and continue to celebrate three gold medals in program history as well as the double gold for both men's and women's at the same time. And really not detract from that with a distasteful joke."
Team USA went two for two in hockey this year, a big-time accomplishment.