ESPN’s Steele on hiatus following controversial comments

BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) — Sage Steele will not appear on ESPN’s “SportsCenter” the remainder of this week and has been pulled from moderating an upcoming network event following comments she made on a recent podcast. Steele appeared on a podcast hosted by former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler where she criticized ESPN and the Walt Disney Company’s mandate for employees to receive the coronavirus vaccine. She also questioned former President Barack Obama’s decision to identify himself as Black on the recent U.S. Census. Steele issued a statement through the network apologizing for her comments. She has been with ESPN since 2007.