Jason Kelce sparked criticism from Canadian fans after sharing a freestyle rendition of the national anthem as his improvisation intended to entertain and pacify, instead drew widespread disapproval.
During the clip, the Super Bowl champion began with the official lines of “O Canada, our home and native land” before improvising, singing, “True, maple syrup, and poutine for our face.”
He then added, “We say hi, we hold doors,” and ending abruptly and fans reacted swiftly, arguing that Kelce‘s attempt was disrespectful to the nation once again, weeks after his comments about not being interested in the Toronto Blue Jays‘ World Series appearance.
One user wrote via X.com, formerly Twitter, “Nothing irritates us more than someone singing our anthem wrong and making fun of it. They did such a poor job of our anthem in Los Angeles.”
This incident follows a previous controversy after World Series Game 7 in which Kelce had joked, “You’re telling me I’m supposed to get excited about a Canadian baseball team?”
That prompted backlash from Blue Jays supporters across Canada before the former NFL star later attempted to reconcile, stating, “Guys, I love Canada. I got bamboozled by our social team that didn’t share the full story.
“How could I not love poutine, maple syrup, and beavers?”
Yet reactions remained mixed. Either way, the 2025 World Series was a record success as the seven-game series averaged 34 million viewers across the U.S., Canada, and Japan, the highest since 1992, representing a 19% increase over the 2024 Dodgers-Yankees matchup.
Kelce also criticized the Dodgers‘ payroll, with the double champions leading the MLB in spending by eight million dollars to the New York Mets in second with $350m per year. The Blue Jays come in at seventh at $255m total payroll.
At the foot of the payroll expenditure charts are the Chicago White Sox with an annual total payroll of just $79.9m, highlighting the disparity between wealthy and budgeting, which Kelce called out.
“I just hate a system that allows for such inequality in competitive fairness across an entire league,” Kelce said. “And them winning two years in a row is just a gross reminder of that.”
Dodgers president Stan Kasten responded, noting that a high payroll does not guarantee championships.
“First of all, history demonstrates that’s not true,” Kasten retorted. “Usually, the team with the highest payroll doesn’t win the World Series.”
Jason Kelce body shamed by his daughter
Jason‘s family shared a humorous moment on Kylie‘s podcast, Not Gonna Lie, when their daughters commented on their parents’ bodies in a surprising revelation of the young girl’s thoughts.
Kylie revealed the comment was made in her latest episode, with the couple sharing Wyatt Elizabeth, October 2019; Elliotte “Ellie” Ray, March 2021; Bennett “Bennie” Llewellyn, February 2023; and Finnley “Finn” Anne, March 2025.
“Not gonna lie,” Kylie said. “My kid told me that Jason‘s boobs are big, and my boobs are tall.
“I don’t know either. I mean, I think I know, but I’m gonna pretend like I don’t.”
Jason and Kylie Kelce met on Tinder and married on April 14, 2018 and are raising a successful family, with the latest playful family moment contrasts with Kelce‘s public controversies.
While fans debate his anthem performance and sports commentary, these personal anecdotes provide a lighter, more human perspective on the former Eagles star.
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