Former ESPN anchor and co-host of SportsCenter, Sage Steele, is speaking out about the recent backlash she has received from her peers. Steele took to Dave Rubin’s _The Rubin Report_ to discuss past grievances with the NBA and hateful remarks from colleagues, including former NBA head coach Doc Rivers, about her political views.
“I’m going to show you later, the DMs from this man,” Steele said. “Pages and pages of why I’m such an idiot to be a Republican or conservative and support Donald Trump. Out of the blue, he would send me clips, and I’m like, ‘I just want to talk basketball with you’ or ‘How are your kids…?’
“Instead, it’s, ‘I’m so disappointed’ and the sellout thing with a coach. That’s what turns people off with sports. It doesn’t mean you can’t have that opinion. I did too. I just happened to not do it when I was working in sports,” said Steele in reference to her conversations with Rivers.
Steele has made her political positioning very apparent on social media after she departed from ESPN and has accepted the backlash with no shame.
“Who do you think you are to think you have the power to change my mind?” said Steele
“Congratulations, lefties…you win. This is what you’re doing, so you’re trying to take down others, but you’re taking down the people you stand for,” she added.
Steele continued to divulge in conversation with Rubin, even touching on whether players with conservative views would be afraid to share them publicly, as they may face reduced playing time from a coach with an opposite disposition. Rivers and Steele have lost communication, as the former NBA champion coach has blocked her on all social media accounts.