Former ESPN anchor Sage Steele has revealed she the vile abuse she received after calling out five NFL teams who refused to pay tribute to Charlie Kirk at the weekend.
The Detroit Lions, Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts and Minnesota Vikings all failed to honor Kirk – the conservative activist and MAGA influencer who was assassinated in Utah last week – prior to their Week 2 matchups on Sunday.
Every other home team on the day brought a halt to proceedings to hold a moment of silence, leaving NFL fans furious with the five who chose not to do so.
Steele, who left ESPN in 2023 to express her opinions more freely after being suspended over comments about Barack Obama and the Covid-19 vaccine, was one of many who called out the franchises in question, writing on X: ‘Disappointing. Especially considering how vocal these 4 teams were after George Floyd’s death.
‘What a missed opportunity to condemn violence (as they did in 2020 & beyond) and preach diversify of thought and peace. Sad.’
A day later, the conservative television host then shared a screenshot on Instagram of a disgusting reply she received after hitting out at the NFL teams who failed to honor Kirk.
Former ESPN anchor Sage Steele (left) has revealed she the vile abuse she received after calling out five NFL teams who refused to pay tribute to Charlie Kirk (right)
Five NFL teams failed to honor Kirk before their Sunday matchups, unlike the Dallas Cowboys – who did so before their game against the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium (pictured)
The abusive message, which referenced her new husband, businessman Dave Barbuto, said: ‘Sad that you weren’t aborted tbh. Go pillow talk with that cracka you married.’
‘I rarely give my many haters any free publicity, but sometimes, we just need a reminder,’ Steele wrote as the caption. ‘This is one of many responses I received after expressing disappointment on my X account that these 4 NFL teams + the Vikings chose to fully ignore the assassination of Charlie Kirk, despite being extremely vocal after George Floyd’s death.
‘Again, if we can prioritize the human element of ALL of this – not just the political side – we will push through this and become an even better society. I fully expect that to happen!’
Steele was subsequently flooded with responses from users who agreed with her stance on the five teams who chose not to pay their respects to Kirk.
The New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans, New Orleans Saints, Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals all halted proceedings before their respective kickoffs to remember the life of the 31-year-old.
But the Lions, Bengals, Ravens, Colts and Vikings instead let the moment pass without reference to his shock killing. Kirk was a huge football fan, particularly of college football’s Oregon Ducks.
Daily Mail contacted all five teams to ask why they did not honor Kirk. Indianapolis explained that the team instead held a moment of silence for Forrest Lucas – founder of Lucas Oil, the namesake of their stadium – which was always planned after he passed away last month. The Lions, Bengals, Ravens and Vikings did not initially respond.
The Ravens did hold a moment of silence when George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in 2020, and players from both franchises took a knee during the National Anthem in protest months later.
Kirk’s assassination at Utah Valley University last week sent shockwaves across the world
Prior to kickoff between the Green Bay Packers and the Washington Commanders on Thursday night, the Packers also observed a moment of silence for Kirk.
But the NFL then announced that it would let its teams decide if they want to pay tribute to Kirk this weekend.
The Cowboys, Jets and Titans all broadcast a picture of Kirk on their jumbotrons during a moment of silence. The Saints held a period of silence before the National Anthem in New Orleans.
The Dolphins also held a moment of silence for Kirk, along with the victims of the 9/11 terror attacks ‘and any other victims of violence’.
The Steelers, meanwhile, had their flag at half-staff for their game against the Seattle Seahawks.
