Former NFL center and podcaster Jason Kelce has said he "loves Canada" in a post on X after receiving backlash for remarks he made about the World Series.
Why It Matters
A clip from Travis and Jason Kelces' New Heights podcast, in which Jason Kelce said he was not personally invested in the matchup and questioned excitement for a Canadian baseball team facing a club with one of the league's largest payrolls, drew negative reactions online.
While Travis Kelce called the World Series an "awesome seven games of baseball," Jason Kelce downplayed the hype, saying, "You're telling me I'm supposed to get excited about a Canadian baseball team and a team that spends more money than everybody else?"
"Who the f*** cares about either?"
The video had been viewed 1.3 million times on X at the time of writing.
The Los Angeles Dodgers lead Major League Baseball in payroll, with the Blue Jays ranking fifth out of 30 teams.
The clip sparked an online backlash, with many interpreting Jason Kelce's comments as dismissive, prompting him to explain further.
In response to the clip, one fan wrote: “What Jason Kelce said about baseball really rubbed me the wrong way. Not just about the Dodgers, but about the Blue jays. Both teams fought till the end and did an amazing job. Both put in the work…”
Another user on X wrote: “Wow. What a disappointing comment.”
One posted: “I loved Jason Kelce until he trolled the Blue Jays. Why you gotta be that way?!?!”
A disappointed fan wrote: “I rather enjoyed Jason Kelce in general… until now. Come on dude, really? Our Blue Jays played with heart.”
In his post, Jason Kelce wrote that he had been "bamboozled" by the social team that shared the segment without the full context and added a lighthearted defense of Canada, naming cultural staples such as poutine and maple syrup. He said he had, in fact, been "actually rooting for the Blue Jays" and described himself as a "known Canada advocate and ice hockey lover."
The comments stemmed from a conversation on New Heights in which Jason Kelce expressed frustration with what he described as predictable outcomes when teams with greater spending power dominate championship series. That portion of the episode was clipped and circulated on social platforms, where some Blue Jays fans and other viewers interpreted his remarks as dismissive of the team's accomplishments.
It comes after Prince Harry apologized to Canada for wearing a Los Angeles Dodgers hat while attending Game 4 of the World Series against the Blue Jays. He joked that he wore it "under duress" and thought it was polite after being invited by the Dodgers' owner. His choice sparked criticism in Canada for not showing support for the country's only MLB team, despite King Charles III being Canada's head of state.
Jason Kelce wrote in a post on X: “How could I not love poutine, maple syrup, and beavers!! I was actually rooting for the Blue Jays in a World Series that I didn't care about. Seriously, Canada is the best, I was just talking s*** about not being personally invested of caring that the team that spent the most money and built a super team won the World Series. That's it. I am a known Canada advocate and ice hockey lover.”
2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.