At the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, Eileen Gu became the most decorated freestyle skier in Winter Games history, securing six medals. Following this performance, former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Boomer Esiason labeled Gu “insufferable” on his WFAN radio show, criticizing her for being self-centered and questioning her representation of China.
The 22-year-old San Francisco native switched her competitive allegiance from the U.S. to China in 2019. After the former NFL MVP went blunt on the Olympian for ditching America for a rival country, folks think Eriason said something absolutely correct.
Ex-Bengals star Boomer Esiason rips Eileen Gu as ‘insufferable’ in viral radio rant
Esiason knows nearly everything about handling pressure on the big stage. The ex-NFL signal-caller was the NFL MVP in 1988, led the Bengals to Super Bowl XXIII that same season, and spent nearly two decades as one of the most recognizable voices in football broadcasting. He’s not a man who pulls punches — on the field or behind the mic.
Sep 25, 2023; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Boomer Esiason, former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback, receives a coat after being announced at halftime as a Bengals Ring of Champions inductee at halftime of the NFL game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Albert Cesare-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 25, 2023; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Boomer Esiason, former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback, receives a coat after being announced at halftime as a Bengals Ring of Champions inductee at halftime of the NFL game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Albert Cesare-USA TODAY Sports
On Tuesday’s edition ofBoomer & Gio on New York’s WFAN, Esiason turned his attention to Gu, and the former quarterback didn’t sugarcoat his read. “She’s a very, very attractive woman and she’s extremely bright: she went to Stanford but if you listen to her post-participation interviews, she’s insufferable,” Esiasonsaid.
“They didn’t ask her about the Communist government of China,” he added. “She has her answers, she knows how she’s going to answer things for sure. Nobody’s really asked her a tough question. But that answer that she gave was just insufferable.”
He also drew a contrast between Gu’s solo act and the team-first culture that defines most American sports, saying, “It’s an individual sport and an individual person talking about herself as opposed to talking about her teammates and the support she receives.”
NEW: Former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason rips American-born Olympic freeskier Eileen Gu, who competes for China, calling her “very attractive” but “insufferable.”
“It’s kind of funny that a communist country would pay a woman to be propaganda as a capitalist.”
“She’s a very,… pic.twitter.com/EvMZAFm3se
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) February 24, 2026
Esiason’s comments landed in the middle of an already charged conversation around Gu.Former NBA player Enes Kanter joined the critics, calling out her choice to represent China instead of the U.S.
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This backlash from high-profile figures kept the pressure on Gu, who has faced scrutiny since switching teams in 2019. She has consistently defended the move, saying she wanted to honor her mother’s heritage and help the sport grow in China.
NFL Fans Sound Off on Olympians
The response in the comments was swift and unfiltered because many think America deserves her talent, not China.
One fanwrote, “A sellout to the worst human rights abuser, refusing to represent the U.S. is smug, ungrateful, and self-serving.”
Another oneadded, “Deport her immediately!”
A thirdpenned, “This ‘darling’ sold her soul to China instead of representing the United States of America.”
A fourth echoed the same call,noting, “Eileen Gu needs to be deported to China.”
Whether you see her as a dual-heritage athlete honoring her roots or an American-born star who chose a rival nation at a complicated geopolitical moment, there’s one thing we know for sure. Gu is not easy to ignore, on or off the podium.