Yarr! Me ol' matey Sage Steele be claimin' she was told to cease her tweets o' Lia Thomas, but she got support!
2023-12-28
Avast, me hearties! Yonder ESPN wench, Sage Steele, hath revealed her tale o' woe 'bout her days servin' that scurvy employer! She be sayin' they dared to muzzle her right to tweet 'bout transgender swimmer Lia Thomas! Arrr, the audacity!
Steele expressed her unwavering support for women and the factual nature of her stance, highlighting that it was not just an opinion but based on science and biology. She emphasized that she was willing to face criticism and challenges for her beliefs, asserting that she saw this as a hill she would die on. Despite her strong convictions, Steele revealed that she received no support from anyone at ESPN except for Ponder. When she saw the montage featuring Thomas air, she felt crestfallen and disappointed that her requests to discuss the story on their show had been consistently denied.
Steele also discussed conversations she had with individuals in boardroom meetings who questioned the decision to prioritize Thomas over other women athletes. Some men in the room expressed confusion and disagreement with the choice, but their voices were ignored. ESPN declined to comment on Steele's statements. Throughout her tenure at ESPN, Steele had been a vocal advocate for women in sports, and seeing the network's handling of this issue left her disheartened and questioning their motives.