Stephen A. Smith let loose on Tiger Woods on Tuesday after the legendary golfer was arrested in Florida last week on suspicion of driving under the influence following a rollover accident involving prescription drugs.
The incident marks the second time since 2017 that Woods has been arrested for driving under the influence – not due to the influence of alcohol. The 15-time major tournament winner has also been involved in other car-related incidents over the years, including crashing his SUV into a fire hydrant in 2009 and a single-car rollover accident in February 2021.
Smith appeared on Chris Cuomo’s NewsNation program on Tuesday and emphasized that Woods is “desperately” in need of help.
“You had this problem in 2017 when they found you sleeping in your car on the side of the road. You had this problem in 2021 when you hit a tree and fell over and almost died,” Smith said said van Bos. “Last Friday you had this problem again. All three times you were drunk and behind the wheel of a car.”
The sports commentator suggested the incident was avoidable as Woods, the second-highest paid athlete of all time after Michael Jordan, “can afford a car service.”
“What the hell are you doing, getting behind the wheel of a car?” Smith criticized. “Most of us would be in jail. Think about the second incident in 2021. They didn’t even charge him. They didn’t force him to take an alcohol test, you know, a breath test. They didn’t test his blood or anything like that. He was hospitalized. They left him alone.”
Arguing that the public believes the golf icon has “got away with a lot” amid his run-ins with the law, Smith added: “And they’re fed up with it, because they’re like, ‘What’s it going to take? Is he going to kill someone?’ You never thought you would hear such an argument about Tiger Woods.”
Woods was arrested Friday just before 2 p.m. on suspicion of driving under the influence after a rollover accident on Jupiter Island, Florida. The Martin County Sheriff’s Office said Woods was driving along a residential road at a “high rate of speed.”
The golfer agreed to a breathalyzer test that showed no signs of alcohol, but refused a urine test and was arrested. TMZ reports this that authorities discovered that Woods had two hydrocodone pills in his pocket at the time of his arrest.
A deputy said Woods, who has a documented history of struggling with painkillers after chronic back injuries and multiple surgeries, was “lethargic and sluggish” and showed “severe signs of impairment,” according to an affidavit obtained by the outlet.
Smith also criticized Woods on Monday’s episode of his Sirius XM show of the same name.
“My brother, you have problems with drugs… Stop getting behind that damn wheel!… Just stop before you do something you can’t come back from,” he said. said.
Watch Stephen A. Smith’s performance on NewsNation’s “Cuomo” below. Skip to the 8-minute mark to hear Smith’s comments.
