‘Whoops! A Racism!’ FS1’s Jason McIntyre Facing Backlash for Comparing Chicago to Afghanistan

By Ahmad AustinMay 11th, 2023, 12:48 pm
 

Fox Sports 1’s Jason McIntyre has drawn the ire of Twitter after he compared Chicago to Afghanistan on the air.

McIntyre, the co-host of The Herd, asked host Colin Cowherd which American cities he’d live in outside of Los Angeles. When Cowherd immediately said Chicago, McIntyre was baffled.

“Chicago?!” McIntyre said in response. “It’s like a war zone right now. It’s like Afghanistan.”

Cowherd was quick to push back on the comparison.

“No, it’s not,” Cowherd said. “No, Chicago’s great.”

When the clip made its way to Twitter, the outrage was virtually unanimous

“Well this is a racism,” said writer David Dennis Jr.

That sentiment was common throughout much of quote tweets and replies.

McIntyre’s characterization of Chicago has become popular in the media due to its widely-reported high rate of violent crime. According to statistics gathered by World Population Review, however, the city ranks 20th in the United States in 2023 in number of violent crimes per 100,000 residents. The cities ahead of Chicago include Minneapolis, Minnesota; Nashville, Tennessee; and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Others resorted to sarcasm, posting photos of the city and saying things like, “It’s amazing how I survived.”

Later on that evening, McIntyre acknowledged the backlash and admitted he hadn’t been to the city in 15 years.

“Great show today, lots of fun, lots of laughs,” he said on Twitter. “Also, hello, Chicago! That Toddlin’ Town. Wrigleyville rules. Alinea the best meal I’ve ever had. Haven’t been in 15 years, go Bears!”

Watch above via Fox Sports 1

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