In what might be one of the most polarizing years in U.S. political history, former ESPN anchor Sage Steele is making headlines yet again – but this time, she’s got no corporate muzzle to hold her back. After being shown the door by ESPN in 2023 for her candid political commentary, Steele had all the freedom in the world to sound off after Donald Trump’s comeback win in the 2024 presidential race.
As the election dust settled early Wednesday, Steele took to X (formerly Twitter) in classic, unfiltered style, claiming Trump’s win was nothing less than America standing up and saying, “Enough is enough!” Steele’s post didn’t exactly ooze subtlety. “This is what happens when you try to ruin America. You get an uprising, and people saying enough is enough,” she wrote, accompanied by a flurry of emojis that left her supporters cheering and her critics furiously retweeting.
A Rocky ESPN Exit, With Plenty of Bumps Along the Way
Steele’s long tenure at ESPN ended not with a bang but with a long, uncomfortable goodbye. After over 16 years as one of the network’s premier voices on shows like SportsCenter and NBA Countdown, Steele’s journey got bumpy in 2021 after some less-than-ESPN-friendly commentary on Jay Cutler’s podcast. Steele voiced her disapproval of ESPN’s vaccine mandate, saying employees should have a choice, a stance that soon saw her sidelined and hit with a suspension.
In a plot twist fit for a legal drama, Steele returned to the airwaves and later filed a lawsuit against ESPN, claiming the network had been “relegating her to sideline duty” over her vaccine comments. This messy standoff finally came to a close when ESPN handed her a settlement, a $500,000 goodbye gift and lawyer fees included, which Steele probably took with a raised eyebrow and a sarcastic “Thanks, but no thanks.”
Back in the Spotlight and Loving Every Tweet of It
While Biden had already opted out of the 2024 race, Steele’s praise for Trump’s win seemed to be as much a critique of the Democratic establishment as a celebration of her new freedom of speech. She called out leaders for dividing Americans, adding, “This is what happens when you push people to the brink.” After years of speaking in the carefully curated corporate tone ESPN requires, her freedom online was palpable.
It’s safe to say that Steele’s pivot from sports to political commentary was inevitable, especially given her outspoken nature on all things American. Some might be nostalgic for her smooth NBA analysis, but for now, Steele seems plenty happy firing off her hot takes on the X platform, where she’s likely to keep stirring the pot as the political waters stay turbulent.
Stay tuned, America – whether you’re loving or loathing Sage Steele’s journey, she’s showing no signs of turning down the volume anytime soon.
