{"id":849352,"date":"2021-10-05T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-05T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=849352"},"modified":"2021-10-05T15:00:02","modified_gmt":"2021-10-05T19:00:02","slug":"espn-anchor-apologizes-for-calling-companys-vaccine-mandate-sick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/espn-anchor-apologizes-for-calling-companys-vaccine-mandate-sick\/","title":{"rendered":"ESPN Anchor Apologizes For Calling Company\u2019s Vaccine Mandate \u2018Sick\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fespn-anchor-apologizes-for-calling-companys-vaccine-mandate-sick%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=849352&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/GettyImages-1182968506.jpg?w=1200&amp;h=800&amp;ixlib=react-9.3.0\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span>ESPN anchor Sage Steele apologized Tuesday after comments made on ESPN\u2019s vaccination requirements while on Jay Cutler\u2019s podcast, \u201cUncut with Jay Cutler.\u201d&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cI know my recent comments created controversy for the company, and I apologize. We are in the midst of an extremely challenging time that impacts all of us, and it\u2019s more critical than ever that we communicate constructively and thoughtfully,\u201d Steele <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/sports\/media\/2021\/10\/05\/sage-steele-apologizes-comments-espn-vaccine-mandate\/6002984001\/\"><span>said<\/span><\/a><span> in a statement.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>On Cutler\u2019s podcast last week, Steele discussed ESPN\u2019s vaccine mandate, calling it \u201csick\u201d and \u201cscary.\u201d&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cI work for a company that mandates it and I had until September 30th to get it done or I\u2019m out,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cI respect everyone\u2019s decision, I really do, but to mandate it is sick and it\u2019s scary to me in many ways,\u201d Steele continued. \u201cI just, I\u2019m not surprised it got to this point, especially with Disney, I mean a global company like that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>As <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/espns-sage-steele-rips-companys-sick-vaccine-policy\">The Daily Wire<\/a> reported, the Walt Disney company \u2014 which owns ESPN \u2014 mandated that employees receive the vaccine before September 30th or face termination.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cAt ESPN, we embrace different points of view \u2013 dialogue and discussion makes this place great,\u201d the company <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/sports\/media\/2021\/10\/05\/sage-steele-apologizes-comments-espn-vaccine-mandate\/6002984001\/\"><span>said<\/span><\/a><span>. \u201cThat said, we expect that those points of view be expressed respectfully, in a manner consistent with our values, and in line with our internal policies. We are having direct conversations with Sage and those conversations will remain private.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/frontofficesports.com\/espn-anchor-sage-steele-removed-from-air\/\">Front Office Sports<\/a>, Steele will not appear on SportCenter this week and will not be a host of the upcoming espnW: Women + Sports Summit. While FOS reports that Steele has tested positive for COVID, her recent comments on Cutler\u2019s podcast is also playing a role in her absence.<\/p>\n<p><span>Steele is known for not going along with left-wing political trends, even reportedly being iced out an ESPN special on race after two colleagues said that the biracial Steele \u201c<\/span><span>would not be accepted by the black community<\/span><span>,\u201d according to The Daily Wire.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cI found it sad for all of us that any human being should be allowed to define someone\u2019s \u2018Blackness,\u2019\u201d the anchor <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/espns-sage-steele-rips-companys-sick-vaccine-policy\">told<\/a> The Wall Street Journal in 2020. \u201cGrowing up biracial in America with a Black father and a white mother, I have felt the inequities that many, if not all Black and biracial people have felt\u2014being called a monkey, the \u2018n\u2019 word, having ape sounds made as I walked by\u2014words and actions that all of us know sting forever.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cMost importantly, trying to define who is and isn\u2019t Black enough goes against everything we are fighting for in this country, and only creates more of a divide,\u201d Steele added.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Steele is not the only ESPN employee to be impacted by the company\u2019s vaccine mandate.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Although the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/vaccines\/recommendations\/pregnancy.html\">CDC<\/a> has encouraged pregnant women to get vaccinated against COVID-19, Allison Williams \u2014 who covers college basketball and college football \u2014 announced in September that she would not be getting vaccinated as she and her husband try for their second child, meaning that she will be unable to be on the sidelines for the college football season.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote readability=\"13\">\n<p><i><span>While my work is incredibly important to me, the most important role I have is as a mother. Throughout our family planning with our doctor, as well as a fertility specialist, I have decided not to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at this time while my husband and I try for our second child. This was a deeply difficult decision to make and it\u2019s not something I take lightly. I understand vaccines have been essential in the effort to end this pandemic; however, taking the vaccine at this time is not in my best interest. After a lot of prayer and deliberation, I have decided I must put my family and personal health first. I will miss being on the sidelines and am thankful for the support of my ESPN family. I look forward to when I can return to the games and job that I love.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Steele supported Williams\u2019 decision on Twitter, saying \u201cI couldn\u2019t possibly respect you more for making this decision \u2014 the best decision for you &amp; your family. God bless, Allison\u2026I will be praying for you!\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\" readability=\"8.2222222222222\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I couldn&#8217;t possibly respect you more for making this decision \u2014 the best decision for you &amp; your family. <br \/>God bless, Allison\u2026I will be praying for you! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/5ODKVcu1qp\">https:\/\/t.co\/5ODKVcu1qp<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Sage Steele (@sagesteele) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/sagesteele\/status\/1436050611200569351?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 9, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><i>Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to <\/i><i>sports@dailywire.com<\/i><i>.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/subscribe\"><i>member<\/i><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ESPN anchor Sage Steele apologized Tuesday after comments made on ESPN\u2019s vaccination requirements while on Jay Cutler\u2019s podcast, \u201cUncut with Jay Cutler.\u201d\u00a0\u201cI know my recent comments created controversy for the &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-849352","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/849352","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=849352"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/849352\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=849352"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=849352"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=849352"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}