A bold Super Bowl message to the president.

Stephen A. Smith wants President Donald Trump to take action before Super Bowl 60. The ESPN commentator asked Trump to keep ICE agents away from the event. Smith shared his message on his Mad Dog Sports Radio show this week.

There have been rumors for months that ICE might be active around the Super Bowl. The talk increased after the NFL announced Puerto Rican star Bad Bunny as the halftime performer. Some fans now fear immigration officers could show up at Levi’s Stadium on game day. Smith said that the idea makes no sense.

“ICE, with all the stuff that’s been going on, there are still threats by the Trump Administration that they will be at the Super Bowl. If that happens, it will be a disaster,” Smith said. He spoke directly about the impact on fans.

“I sincerely hope the Trump Administration will pull back on that. You don’t need to be messing with the Super Bowl. Let people enjoy the Super Bowl. Let them watch the Super Bowl in peace. You don’t need to be having that threat dangling over that.”

NFL Addresses Security Concerns

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (Photo By Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
Reporters asked NFL commissioner Roger Goodell about the issue during a Monday press conference. Goodell quickly dismissed the idea of immigration enforcement at the game. He said the league plans no change to its normal Super Bowl security approach.

“It’s a SEAR-1 level event that involves unique assets at the federal level, state level and the local level, all working together,” Goodell said. “I see no change in that. We’re working with all three of those levels and doing everything we can to make sure it’s a safe environment. And the federal government is a big part of that, including this administration and every other administration before that.”

Donald Trump also made news for a different reason. The president confirmed he will not attend the Super Bowl on Sunday. He still shared his thoughts on the game and his favorite team.

“Bob Kraft is a friend of mine, and I’ve watched that team, and you’ve got to hand it to him,” Trump said about the New England Patriots owner. “He had the great team. Now he’s got the great team again. I hope it’s going to be a tremendous game.”

Trump praised Patriots quarterback Drake Maye as well. “They made a fantastic draft pick, the quarterback is great,” he said.

Super Bowl LX takes place this Sunday with millions of fans ready to watch. The NFL wants the focus to stay on football and entertainment. Stephen A. Smith agrees with that. He thinks politics and immigration debates should not be part of the event. Right now, NFL officials say fans should expect a normal Super Bowl night.