The Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl 59 with plenty of flair. On Friday, they celebrated the victory in style as well.

The Eagles’ Super Bowl parade featured the City of Brotherly Love showing plenty of affection for the newly crowned title-winners on Valentine’s Day. Quarterback Jalen Hurts, running back Saquon Barkley and coach Nick Sirianni were among the figures who commanded the spotlight during the celebration. And the gathering could have been something of a last hurrah for some, as offensive coordinator Kellen Moore returned to join the team before heading back to his new post as the New Orleans Saints’ head coach.

Here’s a look back at some of the highlights of the parade:

A.J. Brown spikes the football

Nearly three years ago, A.J. Brown landed in Philadelphia via a trade with the Tennessee Titans.

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After plenty of scrutiny throughout his career, the three-time Pro Bowler took aim at those who had criticized him.

‘They said I was a diva. They said all I cared about was stats,’ Brown said. ‘You going to get all these things wrong about me, but there’s one thing you’ll get right: I’m a (expletive) champion.’

Jalen Hurts takes in the ‘Rocky’ steps

After winning Super Bowl MVP, Jalen Hurts has gotten to soak in plenty of wins in the past week.

Now, his title has unlocked another special moment.

‘When I got drafted, I told myself I wouldn’t come to the ‘Rocky’ steps until we won a championship,’ Hurts said. ‘And now we’re here.’

Added Hurts: ‘The next pursuit begins.’

The new ‘America’s Team’?

Let the trolling begin.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro took aim at the rival Dallas Cowboys at the parade, saying the team’s moniker had been co-opted by the Eagles.

‘Philadelphia is America’s Team,’ Shapiro said. ‘You hear that, Dallas?’

Howie Roseman takes a hit

Eagles executive vice president and general manager Howie Roseman is accustomed to dealing with injury fallout, but not for himself.

Roseman was apparently hit by a beer can that left him with a cut on his forehead.

‘I bleed for this city,’ Roseman shouted at the start of his brief remarks at the parade.

Saquon Barkley’s birthday present

Saquon Barkley rung in his 28th birthday with a Super Bowl win. Now, the Eagles’ star running back is helping grant others’ birthday wishes.

Barkley walked by one young fan celebrating her third birthday and gave the family a moment they won’t soon forget.

A Jason Kelce sighting

Former Eagles great Jason Kelce is on hand to party it up with his former teammates.

Even though the six-time All-Pro center wasn’t a part of this title run – and expressed his disappointment for his brother, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, coming up short of a three-peat – Kelce still is participating in Friday’s celebration.

Whoops!

Eagles fans were excited to cheer on cornerback Cooper DeJean, whose pick-six was one of the more scintillating moments of the team’s Super Bowl rout.

One problem: The player they were cheering for was not DeJean but rather safety Reed Blankenship, who tried to clear up the case of mistaken identity.

‘Love, Hurts’

If there’s a theme to the Valentine’s Day celebration, it might be the Jordan Brand promotion ‘Love Hurts’ – but in a good way.

The Eagles QB himself is wearing an outfit with the slogan, and the rest of the city seems to be embracing it as well.

A parade throwback

Josh Sweat was one of the Eagles’ top Super Bowl performers with 2 1/2 sacks, and he’s already standing out in the parade with a nod to history.

The pass rusher is wearing the fur coat that Chris Long wore to the team’s first Super Bowl parade after the 2017 season.

Eagles fans showing out in droves early

Anyone concerned with the early start time for Friday’s parade likely hasn’t met too many Eagles fans.

By the early morning, there was already a sizable contingent on hand to take in the parade.

What time is the Eagles’ Super Bowl parade?

The parade is set to begin at 11 a.m. ET on Friday, Feb. 14, with a formal program set to take place in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art at 1 p.m. ET.

How to watch the Eagles’ Super Bowl parade

What is the Eagles’ Super Bowl parade route?

According to the Eagles, via the team’s website:

‘The Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl Parade will step off from Broad Street and Pattison Avenue at 11 AM. on Friday, February 14, traveling northbound on Broad Street to S. Penn Square, westbound on S. Penn Square to 15th Street, northbound on 15th Street to John F. Kennedy Blvd., westbound on John F. Kennedy Blvd. to 16th Street, northbound on 16th Street to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, westbound on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to Eakins Oval, ending at Philadelphia Museum of Art apron.’

Who is the fastest man in the world?

Paris Olympic Games’ 100-meter dash gold medalist Noah Lyles and Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill are determined to find out.

After months of trash talk back-and-forth on social media, Lyles and Hill told ‘People’ magazine in a joint interview that they’ll face off in a footrace this summer. The end result will determine, once and for all, which athlete is faster.

The details of the race, including its distance and exact date, are still to be determined.

In their interview with ‘People,’ Hill and Lyles insinuated the race would be somewhere between 40 yards and 100 meters, a sort of compromise for the two athletes’ best events. Hill previously suggested a 50-yard race last August. USA TODAY Sports was able to confirm the race will take place in either June or July.

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The Tyreek Hill vs. Noah Lyles beef dates back to last year

The leadup to the announcement can be traced back as far as August 2024. About one week after Lyles won the Olympic gold medal in the 100-meter dash, Hill declared that he could beat Lyles in a race.

The gold medalist responded in an interview with Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson on their ‘Nightcap’ podcast.

‘If you’re serious about it, you’ll see me on the track,’ Lyles said.

‘Sign the contract and lock in that 50 yard race. …,’ Hill wrote in response.

The trash talk between the two sides has elevated in recent weeks. When Lyles won the 60-meter sprint at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston, he immediately called out Hill, flipping his sprint bib around to reveal a message: ‘Tyreek could never.’

NBC’s Lewis Johnson asked Lyles about the message after the race, noting that it was ‘clearly a shoutout to Tyreek Hill.’

‘When you’re ready to actually put some words down and you’re actually ready to race,’ Lyles said, ‘see me. I’m right here. I ain’t going nowhere. But all I know is, your football season’s over. You ain’t got no excuse now.’

Hill replied on social media: ‘Get a load of this guy (laughing emoji).’

Since the race announcement Friday morning, Hill has continued to talk trash, declaring he’s going to ‘take [Lyles’] lunch money’ and leave the ‘track world … in shambles.’

Tyreek Hill track history

Before Hill was a speedy NFL wide receiver, he was a star track and field athlete.

In high school, Hill came within one one-hundredth of a second of the national high school record in the 200-meter sprint, which had been set at 20.13 seconds by Roy Martin in 1985. The record stood for over 30 years before (who else?) Lyles broke the record with a time of 20.09 seconds in 2016.

Though Hill missed out on making history, his 2012 season was enough to earn him ‘High School Athlete of the Year’ honors from ‘Track and Field News.’ He also was named to USA TODAY’s 2012 All-USA boys track team.

In 2023, Hill made his return to the track for the first time since a college meet in 2014. In his return, he won the men’s 60-meter sprint at the USA Track & Field Masters Indoor Championships with a time of 6.70 seconds.

To put things in a football perspective, 60 meters is about 66 yards. If Hill and Lyles’ race were 100 meters, it would be 109.4 yards. A 50-yard race like the one Hill suggested would be equivalent to a 45.7-meter sprint.

The National Labor Relations Board’s acting general counsel on Friday rescinded a memorandum issued by his Biden-administration predecessor that said she viewed college athletes as employees of their schools under the National Labor Relations Act.

Friday’s memorandum from the Trump administration’s William B. Cowen rescinded an array of memoranda that had been issued by Jennifer Abruzzo, including the one from September 2021 that was accompanied by a statement from Abruzzo in which she wrote:

College athletes “perform services for institutions in return for compensation and (are) subject to their control.

‘Thus, the broad language of … the Act, the policies underlying the NLRA, Board law, and the common law fully support the conclusion that certain (college athletes) are statutory employees, who have the right to act collectively to improve their terms and conditions of employment.’

Friday’s memorandum comes against the backdrop of longstanding efforts by the NCAA, conferences and universities to pursue federal legislation that would prevent college athletes from becoming employees of their schools. A bill to that effect passed a U.S. House committee in June 2024, but went no farther.

The new memo comes two days after the new Trump administration’s Education Department rescinded guidance issued in the final days of the Biden administration’s Education Department that stated that compensation paid by colleges to their athletes for use of their name, image and likeness (NIL) is subject to Title IX gender-equity policies.

Cowen wrote in Friday’s memorandum: “Over the past few years, our dedicated and talented staff have worked diligently to process an ever-increasing workload. Notwithstanding these efforts, we have seen our backlog of cases grow to the point where it is no longer sustainable. The unfortunate truth is that if we attempt to accomplish everything, we risk accomplishing nothing.

“Since assuming the role of Acting General Counsel, working with experienced field and headquarters professionals, I have conducted a comprehensive review of active General Counsel Memoranda and determined that the following actions are warranted,” including the recission of the college-athlete memo.

Abruzzo’s memorandum helped set the foundation for unionization efforts by Dartmouth men’s basketball players and a complaint by NLRB’s Los Angeles office against the NCAA, the Pac-12 Conference and the University of Southern California that alleged they had unlawfully misclassified college athletes as ‘student-athletes’ rather than employees.

Both of those efforts were abandoned in December and January, respectively, primarily because of concerns that an adverse decision by the full NLRB, as it was likely to be constituted under the then-incoming Trump administration, would carry the weight of precedent in the future.

The complaint against the NCAA, Pac-12 and USC specifically revolved around athletes in football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball at USC. However, it carried the potential for much broader implications across college sports college sports.

The National Labor Relations Act applies to private employers. The complaint sought to interconnect the NCAA and a major college-sports conference — both of which are private, non-profit organizations — to athletes’ alleged employment at a private school in a way that would have allowed the NLRB to take the position that every college athlete has a private employer: the NCAA and/or a conference. That, in turn, could have opened the door to the possibility of unionization efforts by athletes at public schools.   

SAN FRANCISCO – The idea of not working NBA All-Star Weekend didn’t register with TNT’s Kenny Smith until a friend asked him a question this week.

“My friend asked, ‘Are you going to come to All-Star Weekend next year?’ Smith told USA TODAY Sports from the green room at Pier 48, down the street from Golden State’s Chase Center. He was preparing to appear with TNT’s popular “Inside the NBA” crew for a show before the Minnesota-Oklahoma City game.

A busy week for Lionel Messi and Inter Miami concludes when the club plays its final preseason game on Friday night.

Inter Miami will face its in-state MLS rival Orlando City at 7:30 p.m. ET inside Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

The match will be the fifth and final preseason match for Inter Miami this year.

Messi attended Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans last Sunday, debuting a new ad with Apple and MLS Season Pass after the game. Inter Miami’s newest home jersey is available worldwide and Messi’s drink has become the new hydration partner for Inter Miami this week.

Messi may have a light day at the office on Friday night with two games next week: Inter Miami begins its first-round matchup in the Concacaf Champions Cup on Tuesday against Sporting Kansas City, then begins the 2025 MLS season on Feb. 22 at home against New York City FC.

Here’s everything you need to know about Friday’s Inter Miami-Orlando City match, and stay tuned for live updates from USA TODAY Sports:

Tadeo Allende goal: Inter Miami 1, Orlando City 1

Inter Miami’s Tadeo Allende scored in the 22nd minute on an assist from Luis Suarez to help tie the match early in the first half.

The goal is the second this preseason for Allende, the Argentine national in his first season with Inter Miami.

Martín Ojeda goal: Orlando City 1, Inter Miami 0

One No. 10 is on the board in Tampa, but it’s not Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi.

Orlando City’s Martín Ojeda scored in the 15th minute to give his side the early 1-0 lead over Messi, Inter Miami.

How to watch Inter Miami vs. Orlando City preseason game?

The match is available to live stream for free on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.

How has Messi, Inter Miami fared this preseason?

Messi has scored two goals in four Inter Miami preseason games – all victories for the 2024 MLS Supporters’ Shield champions.

Messi scored a goal and had two assists in 62 minutes as Inter Miami beat Honduran giants Club Olimpia Deportivo 5-0 last Saturday in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

Messi scored a header and played 66 minutes in the preseason opener against Mexican champions Club America in Las Vegas on Jan. 18. He played 72 minutes against Universitario in Peru on Jan. 29. Inter Miami won both games on penalty kicks.

Messi was also the catalyst behind two goals while playing 76 minutes in a 3-1 win against San Miguelito in Panama City last Sunday.

Inter Miami’s upcoming schedule

Here are the next three games Messi and Inter Miami will play:

Feb. 18: Sporting Kansas City vs. Inter Miami, Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, 8 p.m. ET (Concacaf Champions Cup)
Feb. 22: Inter Miami vs. New York City FC, Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., 2:30 p.m. (MLS regular season opener)
Feb. 25: Inter Miami vs. Sporting Kansas City, Chase Stadium, 8 p.m. ET (Concacaf Champions Cup)

Keyshawn Davis is getting his first shot at a world championship belt on Friday, not to mention a chance to prove he actually deserves it.

The WBO lightweight title will be at stake when Davis (12-0, 8 KOs) fights Ukraine’s Denys Berinchyk (19-0, 9 KOs) on Friday in a lightweight bout. While Davis is ranked as the WBO’s No. 1 contender, he failed to crack the Top 15 in the most recent rankings from the three other major sanctioning bodies – WBC, WBA and WBO.

A showdown with Berinchyk clearly is the easiest path to a world title in a division stacked with notable champions:  Gervonta Davis (WBA), Shakur Stevenson (WBC) and Vasiliy Lomachenko (IBF). But it still could prove to be a challenging path in a bout pitting youth vs. experience.

Both fighters won Olympic silver medals. That’s where the similarities end.

At 25, Davis has shown speed and power and is coming off a second-round knockout of Gustavo Lemos. At 36, Berinchyk has shown savvy cultivated in part during a long amateur career and in his last bout beat Emanuel Navarette for the WBO lightweight championship belt.

He carried it over his right shoulder to a press conference this week.

“That’s my belt,’’ Davis declared.

We’ll soon see.

Keon Davis vs. Ira Johnson results

Round 1: At 6-3, the slender Davis has a striking height advantage over the 5-9 Johnson. And he’s uncorking nasty punches. This is only his second fight, and he’s looking more like a veteran. He’s teeing off on Johnson and lands a big uppercut. Landing punches with force. Davis 10, Johnson 9.

Round 2: Davis digs into Johnson’s body with both hands. Johnson downs on his right knee! He beats and counts but doesn’t look terribly eager to resume fighting. Davis drops Johnson again! This time he doesn’t bother getting to his feet before the referee counts to 10. It’s over! Davis by KO!

Jared Anderson def. Marioas Kollias by unanimous decision

Round 1: Anderson is wearing a pattern with cupids and hearts on his boxing shorts, which look more like a skirt. He throws shots without love, and Kollias responds with his own power. Anderson attacks with his right, and Kollias responds with a barrage to the body and head. Anderson responds but steps into a strong left from Kollias. Kollas 10, Anderson 9.

Round 2: Anderson is out quickly behind his jab. His punches look crisp and he looks in control. Anderson lands an uppercut that catches Kollias’ attention. Anderson slips a big punch from Kollias and makes Kollias pay. Sterling is boxing from Anderson. Kollias 19, Anderson 19. 

Round 3: Anderson resumes where he left off. Firing his jab and right. Big swing and a miss from Kollias. Anderson again looks like control. Egad! Kollias’ shorts are falling down. But Kollias isn’t. He lands a couple of hard shorts. The referee pulls up those ill-behaved shorts. Anderson finishes the round with a little flourish. Anderson 29, Kollias 28.

Round 4: Once again, Anderson is out quickly. But with his pants pulled down, Kollias fires back. Unleashes some big punches, but none land flushly. Anderson responds with a crisp jab and throws a big right to the body. Anderson looking to be in control. Anderson 39, Kollias 37.

Round 5: Kollias emerges with authority, unleashing punches rather than waiting on Anderson. Anderson looks more vulnerable now and cautious. Down come Kollias shorts again. Where’s the ringside tailor?! Kollias literally pulling up his shorts while trying to evade punches. Ref hitches up the shorts again. What a wardrobe malfunction. But nothing can protect Kollias from Anderson’s body assault. Anderson 49, Kollias 46. 

Round 6: Down comes Kollias trunks again. Kuh-ray-zee. Does anybody in the audience have an extra belt? Anderson suppressed any laughter and suppressed Kollias with that jab. Anderson 59, Kollias 55.

Round 7: Kollias absorbs Anderson’s jab and lands some solid blows. Kollias can’t sustain the attack, and Anderson regains control behind his jab and occasional right. But Kollias gets revved up again and tags Anderson with a shot to the head. Anderson 68, Kollias 65.

Round 8: Both fighters fire early and connect. Kollias lunges forward behind a right and left. Anderson evades the punches. Kollias was willing to eat punches as he moved forward and fired from close range. But Anderson makes good use of his crisp punches. Anderson 78, Kollias 74.

Round 9: Kollias lands a big right. But Anderson absorbs and fires back with a jab and his right. Kollias showing more urgency and unleashing punches. Kollias surges again and Anderson wraps him up. Anderson 87, Kollias 84.

Round 10: Anderson unleashes a stinging left. Kollias bulls forward. Rat-a-tat-tat, Anderson peppering Kollias with that jab and digs in with a left to the body. Kollias wants to brawl, and Anderson hurls Kollias to the mat. WWE, anyone? Kollias finishes the round strong. Anderson 96, Kollias 94.

Final: The 10-round heavyweight bout included a memorable wardrobe malfunction. On at least two occasions, Kollias needed the referee to help him pull up his trunks.  But that was the lesser of his problem.

Anderson tattooed Kollias with an effective left jab and was the more skillful boxer.

The judges scored it 99-91, 99-91, 98-92 in favor of Anderson, who improved to 18-1. Kollias fell to 12-4-1.

Carlos Guerra Jr. def. Nico Ali Walsh by split decision

Round 1: Guerra comes out as the aggressor. Ali Walsh fights back with his jab followed by a right. Guerra lands a solid right and Walsh backpedaling now. Guerra applies pressure but with modest power. Ali Walsh lands a combination, and Guerra responds. Guerra 10, Ali Walsh 9.

Round 2: Ali Walsh firing early, but Guerra moving forward now and unleashing punches with body hands. Pounding Ali Walsh in the body. Guerra looks awkward, but now he’s got Ali Walsh against the ropes. Guerra still showing limited power, but he’s landing far more punches. Guerra 20, Ali Walsh 18.

Round 3: Guerra working Ali Walsh’s body. Ali Walsh moving well, but the bad news is he needs to be moving. Ali Walsh looks puzzled and now flat-footed while taking an uppercut on the chin. Guerra 30, Ali Walsh 27.

Round 4: Guerra out firing again and marching forward. Ali Walsh lands a solid left to the body but Guerra looks undeterred. Ali Walsh scores another body shot but in exchange eats a shot and is backpedaling again. Ali Walsh looking for active now, and Guerra’s tank may be emptying.  Ali Walsh has drawn blood. Guerra 39, Ali Walsh 37.

Round 5: Ali Walsh fires early, and Guerra simply moves forward. A nice exchange in the corner. Guerra pops Ali Walsh with a crisp jab. The textbook is laughing at Guerra. But the awkward Guerra is laughing back as he stalks Ali Walsh. He lands a solid uppercut, but his face is smeared with blood. Guerra 49, Ali Walsh 46.

Round 6: Ali Walsh lands early, but Guerra continues to move forward. Both boxers landing now. Ali Walsh digs a left into Guerra’s body. Working the head and the body. Ali Walsh coming alive now. Where has this energy been? Guerra 58, Ali Walsh 56.

Final: Walsh, the grandson of Muhammad Ali, looked like a far more distant relative to The Greatest in his super lightweight bout. Ali Walsh spent most of the six-round fight backpedaling against a construction worker from Chicago who lacked technique and pedigree but not heart. Guerra stalked Ali Walsh from the opening bell and wielded an awkward but effective right hand. He finished with blood on his face but as the victor. The judges scored it 56-58, 58-56, 58-56 in favor of Guerra, who improved to 6-1-1. Ali Walsh, 24, fell to 10-2.

Keyshawn Davis vs. Denys Berinchyk time

The undercard starts at 5 p.m. ET. The three-fight main card is scheduled to start at 9 p.m. ET 

Where is Keyshawn Davis vs. Denys Berinchyk fight? 

The WBO lightweight title fight will get underway at the famed Madison Square Garden in New York.

How to watch Keyshawn Davis vs. Denys Berinchyk fight 

The undercard will be streamed on ESPN+. The main card will be broadcast on ESPN and ESPN+. 

Watch Keyshawn Davis vs. Denys Berinchyk boxing with ESPN+

Keyshawn Davis vs. Denys Berinchyk card start time

Prelims: 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT (ESPN+)
Main card: 9 p.m. ET / 6 a.m. PT (PPV on ESPN+)

Keyshawn Davis vs. Denys Berinchyk fight card

Main Card

Keyshawn Davis vs. Denys Berinchyk, lightweight, for WBO lightweight title 
Xander Zayas vs. Slawa Spomer, middleweight 
Vito Mielnicki Jr. vs. Connor Coyle, middleweight 

Prelims

Juanmita Lopez De Jesus vs. Bryan Santiago, junior bantamweight 
Abdullah Mason vs. Manuel Jaimes, lightweight 
Rohan Polanco vs. Jean Carlos Torres, welterweight 
Keon Davis vs. Ira Johnson, welterweight 
Jared Anderson vs. Marios Kollias, heavyweight 
Tiger Johnson vs. Quashawn Toler, welterweight 
Nico Ali Walsh vs. Juan Guerra Jr., middleweight

Keyshawn Davis vs. Denys Berinchyk fight odds

All available odds are for moneyline bets (as of Thursday), according to BetMGM.

Main Card

Keyshawn Davis (-600) vs. Denys Berinchyk (+350)
Vito Mielnicki Jr. (-400) vs. Connor Coyle (+275)

Prelims

Abdullah Mason (-1200) vs. Manuel Jaimes (+750)
Jared Anderson (-2500) vs. Marios Kollias (+800)
Nico Ali Walsh (-1200) vs. Juan Guerra Jr. (+600)

Keyshawn Davis vs. Denys Berinchyk predictions:

CBS Sports: Davis by unanimous decision. 

Brent Brookhouse writes, ‘Berinchyk may find a bit of early success before Davis’ jab starts to dictate how the fight plays out. Once Davis gets rolling, he should fully take over the fight but Berinchyk is likely too crafty to get stopped before the final bell.’

Clutch Points: Davis by decision

Jaren Kawada writes, ‘Davis is coming off an early knockout, one that has him convinced he will do the same to Berinchyk. His power and precision make that possible, but it would certainly be quite a shock.’

Sportskeeda: Berinchyk by decision

Ricardo Viagem writes that Davis is ‘powerful and technical, but can fall into the trap of relying too much on his toughness whenever he finds himself in exchanges. He also has a tendency to be flat-footed.’

Keyshawn Davis vs. Denys Berinchyk live stream

The prelims and fight will be available for live stream on ESPN+.

Keyshawn Davis vs. Denys Berinchyk price

UFC events are available to ESPN+ subscribers for $119.99 for the entire year. You can also purchase a monthly subscription of ESPN+ for $11.99.

Keyshawn Davis vs. Denys Berinchyk tickets 

Tickets listed on StubHub Thursday ranged in price from $86 to $565.

Keyshawn Davis vs. Denys Berinchyk: Tale of the tape

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When retired tennis superstar Serena Williams made a surprise appearance during Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show during Super Bowl 59, everyone with a microphone and a platform chimed in on what they thought about it.

Williams used to date hip-hop artist Drake, who was the subject of Lamar’s diss track ‘Not Like Us,’ and once the 23-time Grand Slam winner crip-walked into 133 million viewer’s televisions, the bloviating commenced.

Enter Stephen A. Smith, ESPN’s highly paid commentator on ‘First Take,’ who added his two cents, with the caveat of the never-married Smith saying what he would do if that happened to him.

“If I’m your husband, I’m thinking, ‘Why are you up there trolling him — trolling your ex?’” Smith said on Monday. “If I’m married, and my wife is going to troll her ex — go back to his ass. Because clearly you don’t belong with me. What you worried about him for — and you with me? Bye. Bye.”

After being dragged by every corner of the internet for those comments, Smith felt the need to go on social media to explain, which was the equivalent of saying, ‘I was just playing.’

Here’s Smith’s ‘explanation’ of his comments about Williams, urging people to go back and hear what he said.

“I didn’t utter a single disrespectful word about Serena. No issues with folks getting upset of literal serious stuff one’s pissed about. This doesn’t qualify peeps. Come on. We were joking around on @FirstTake. Damn y’all! It’s not that serious,’ Smith said on social media.

“Everybody knows that she and Drake were together at one time, and it seemed like everyone wanted to get their lick.’

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