Former ESPN anchor Sage Steele insists the network deserved to be ‘crushed’ for failing to show the national anthem at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.
College football fans blasted ESPN after neither ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ nor a moment of silence were shown on the main broadcast following the terror attack in New Orleans.
The game was delayed following the tragedy on Bourbon Street, which claimed the lives of 14 people and left 35 injured.
To the dismay of many supporters, however, the anthem and moment of silence were only shown in full on ESPN’s SEC Network channel, meaning most viewers did not get to see it.
One fan branded the network ‘absolutely disgusting’ and now Steele has joined in the chorus on condemnation.
‘It was so egregious,’ she told OutKick. ‘You are a mile away, maybe less than in New Orleans, from where all of those people were murdered on the morning of what was supposed to be the game that was airing on ESPN.
Sage Steele believes ESPN deserved to be ‘crushed’ for failing to show the national anthem
Fans blasted ESPN for not showing the national anthem or moment’s silence at the Sugar Bowl
‘And you chose to ignore it when people are suffering and it’s so much bigger than football? They were crushed. They were crushed, and deservedly so, for not doing it.’
ESPN did broadcast images of fans bowing their heads, and an American flag unfurled at midfield, on the main broadcast as pundits broke down the game, while a clip was also posted on its social media accounts.
It’s understood SportsCenter was forced to step in as the pregame studio for the broadcast, due to a shift in production plans. SportsCenter cut to a commercial before the moment of silence started, with coverage only resuming midway through the national anthem.
But former ‘SportsCenter’ anchor Steele – who left the company in 2023 after settling a lawsuit – believes it was ‘a blatant decision’.
‘I really do try and stay away from too much that revolves around my former employer. That life is gone, and I am so glad to be past it, grateful for those years,’ she said. ‘(But) I couldn’t help it, because it was such, to me, a blatant decision to skip.’
Steele joined ESPN in 2007 but was removed from the air in 2021 after coming in for criticism over controversial statements about vaccine mandates, female sports reporters, and the racial identity of former President Barack Obama.
She apologized but then filed a lawsuit against the network, claiming her right to free speech had been violated and alleging that ESPN had retaliated against her over the comments.
