A sixteen-year tenure at ESPN would suggest an amiable relationship and close ties, but reporter Sage Steele’s current stance on the network paints a different picture. The 53-year-old does not shy away from taking unapologetic swings at her former employer, and she recently did the same after the veteran journalist Mark Jones departed the network.
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“Sadly, all of this is true,” wrote Sage on X, responding to journalist Jon Root’s jab on Mark Jones’ ESPN exit. “Also sad? If you work at ESPN and dare to say men don’t belong in women’s sports, you’ll get fired. cc: @samponder.”
Sage became one of the prominent female broadcasters of the network in the 2010s. After joining in 2007, she became the face of some flagship shows, including SportsCenter. Due to her proficiency in basketball, she covered the pre-game show, NBA Countdown, for four seasons. Besides the NBA Finals, the veteran also handled on-site coverage of the Masters and Super Bowl.
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Although she had a prosperous career at the network, it came to a bitter end in 2023 after spending 16 years. The departure was fueled by her controversial remarks on COVID-19 vaccination, which led to her suspension and a lawsuit battle with ESPN. But even during her employment with ESPN, she voiced her opinions on transgender athletes in women’s sports, which created friction with the network.
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Sadly, all of this is true. Also sad? If you work at ESPN and dare to say men don’t belong in women’s sports, you’ll get fired.
cc: @samponder https://t.co/9y9FeYeQxn— Sage Steele (@sagesteele) April 11, 2026
In December 2023, following her departure from the company, Sage publicly revealed that ESPN told her not to tweet about the trans swimmer Lia Thomas, as she viewed her inclusion in women’s sports as unfair. Other than the swimmer, the 53-year-old was also vocal against the inclusion of trans athletes in USA Powerlifting in March 2023.
In her tweet, Sage mentioned the former ESPN journalist Samantha Steele Ponder, who had a similar career trajectory to the veteran. Even though she spent thirteen years with the network, they parted ways following her comment on the transgender athlete. She also tried to highlight the double standard of the network by hinting that they did not cut ties with Mark Jones even after his alleged racist and misogynistic remarks on X, but fired Ponder for communicating her opinions.
While the network cited that Ponder departed due to the budget cuts, she revealed on Sage Steele’s podcast that her social media posts regarding swimmer Lia Thomas and the boxer Imane Khelif possibly led to the decision.
In the meantime, Sage continues to speak up against the gender-based double standard, as she recently called out Stephen A. Smith on that issue.
Stephen A. Smith addresses Sage Steele’s criticism of transgender sports stance
Stephen A. Smith recently joined his former ESPN colleague Sage Steele on her podcast, The Sage Steele Show, where they had a conversation about a range of different topics, including the gender-related issues she has been vocal about throughout her career.
The 53-year-old insisted that the First Take host took a long time to speak up about the addition of transgender athletes in women’s sports, but he strongly denied the claim.
“I’ve said it on First Take from day one. From day one. I think it was Thomas for Penn, the swimmer,” said Smith. “I was like this, I said, you transitioning from a man to a woman, you shouldn’t be competing against women.”
The two prominent journalists also discussed the possible reason top male athletes remain silent on this topic. Smith mentioned that since the high-profile male athletes are not directly affected by this issue, they tend to ignore it. On the other hand, Steele argued that the combined efforts of all female athletes could have altered the current situation of the sports industry. As she has transitioned to independent broadcasting following her ESPN career, she continues to raise the issue without worrying about the possible setback.
Written by
Edited by
Yogesh Thanwani