Jeff Garcia Defends Criticism Of Mina Kimes: 'I Don't Owe Anybody An Apology'
Former NFL quarterback Jeff Garcia isn't walking back on his criticism of ESPN's Mina Kimes.
Garcia had a lot to say about Kimes after she didn't give 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo any credit for San Francisco's 13-10 victory over the Packers in the NFC Divisional Round last Saturday.
“Garoppolo is the definition of being part of a group project that gets an A, while doing none of the work,” Kimes said on Tuesday’s First Take.
Garcia didn't take Kimes' statement lightly, saying that since she never played the game of football, she wasn't qualified to give that opinion.
“Who the hell is Mina Kimes and when is the last time she threw a touchdown pass in a game? Never! Ever! has she taken a snap or can truly understand the ability, the mindset, the physical and mental toughness, that it takes to play the QB position or any position in the NFL,” Garcia wrote on Instagram. “The fact that there are people out there given a platform to talk about something that they have never done is hilarious and that’s how you have to look at her, she’s a joke!
"So let’s just laugh at her and support Jimmy, root on our Niners to go out and beat the living f*** out of one more team. That’s what it takes. She will never know that feeling. Can I get an amen? Peace.”
Garcia responded to backlash he received on social media, during an appearance on 95.7 The Game's Steiny and Guru Friday.
“Well first of all, I don’t owe anybody an apology for my beliefs and my experience at playing the quarterback position. The difficulty of that position, the expectation on that position, how qualified you have to be one of 32 starters in a National Football League from a mental and physical standpoint,” Garcia said. “People want to comment and tear down individuals based upon statistics — the only statistic that matters right now is are you winning or losing games.
"There was nothing sexist from what I had to say, outside of the fact that, yes, women don’t play professional football, there are women that do participate in football, but had it been a man saying the same thing, I would’ve had the same response for that man…All I care about is are 49ers fans, and what my family thinks, and what my close friends think. That’s all that matters.”
After being asked one too many questions about his criticism of Kimes, Garcia eventually hung up and ended the interview.
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