Jason Kelce is clarifying his passion for Canada, claiming that his recent comments about the Toronto Blue Jays’ run in the World Series were taken out of context.
The former Philadelphia Eagles centre wrote in an X post on Friday evening that he was actually rooting for the Canadian team, but he just “didn’t care about” this World Series.
“Guys, I love Canada,” the 38-year-old former athlete shared, adding that he was “bamboozled” by his social media team failing to show the whole story.
“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,” Kelce continued. “Seriously, Canada is the best. I was just talking sh-t about not being personally invested [or] 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.”
Kelce is referencing a clip from his “New Heights” podcast, which he co-hosts with brother Travis, which made headlines this week. In the video posted on Wednesday, Travis called this World Series an “awesome seven games of baseball,” but Jason Kelce dismissed his brother’s excitement.
“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?” Kelce questioned in the clip, which has been viewed more than 2.5 million times across social media platforms.
People online weren’t happy about Kelce’s stance, with many users coming to Canada’s defence.
“Wow. What a disappointing comment,” one person replied on X.
“Jason, you hating Canada makes me a little less of a fan,” a TikTok user commented.
“Canadian fan here. I’m saddened, Jason,” one person on Instagram chimed in. “Our Jays played with everything stacked against them coming off last season and f—king crushing it this year. Heart, hustle, community and an absolute love for one another. … Not to mention we’ve only got one MLB team and the way they just united our country.”
The comments come just days after the Blue Jays lost Game 7 in the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The nail-biting, 11-inning game at Toronto’s Rogers Centre on Nov. 1 resulted in a 5-4 win for the Dodgers. It was a devastating loss for Canada, as the Toronto team was aiming for their first World Series win in 32 years.
The final game of the World Series last weekend drew an average of 51 million viewers across Canada, the United States and Japan, according to reports. The MLB said it was the most-watched game since Game 7 of the 1991 World Series between the Minnesota Twins and Atlanta Braves.