{"id":1562,"date":"2025-10-20T22:18:53","date_gmt":"2025-10-20T22:18:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/media\/?p=1562"},"modified":"2025-11-28T01:24:57","modified_gmt":"2025-11-28T01:24:57","slug":"former-espn-host-sounds-off-on-daughter-facing-transgender-opponent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/media\/sports-media\/former-espn-host-sounds-off-on-daughter-facing-transgender-opponent\/","title":{"rendered":"Former ESPN Host Sounds Off On Daughter Facing Transgender Opponent"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Former ESPN host Sam Ponder took to X on Sunday to sound off about her daughter being forced to compete against a biological male in a basketball game. In an interview with her former colleague Sage Steele, Ponder said recently that she felt like she was partially let-go from her role at the network in 2024, due to her religious and conservative beliefs.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Ponder speaks up<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;It\u2019s happened many times now living in NYC\u2026 yet another basketball game today where my middle school daughter is guarding an obviously naturally born boy in a girls tournament,&#8221; Ponder wrote. &#8220;The parents cheer while the boy is physical and dominant against the girls. The all girls team loses.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">It\u2019s happened many times now living in NYC\u2026 yet another basketball game today where my middle school daughter is guarding an obviously naturally born boy in a girls tournament. The parents cheer while the boy is physical and dominant against the girls. The all girls team loses.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Samantha Steele Ponder (@samponder) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/samponder\/status\/1980048602480480624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">October 19, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ponder went on to note that she teaches her children to never criticize the child because they are likely being influenced by bad decisions that their parents made on their behalf.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;We\u2019ve taught our kids to never make fun of the kid\u2026 to always be kind and loving. That the parents are the problem. That no kid is born in the wrong body. But if I\u2019m honest, watching my daughter get posted up by a boy whose parents have deceived him in this way is maddening.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One individual pointed out that Ponder would not have been allowed to say the comments she made about her child\u2019s situation on-air when she was employed by <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/media\/sports-media\/fans-outraged-over-nfl-redzones-increase-in-commercials\/\" target=\"_self\">ESPN<\/a>. Ponder took it a step further, saying she would not have been able to post about it on social media as well.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">forget on air. I would never try to do that. they wouldn&#8217;t let me say that on social media.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Samantha Steele Ponder (@samponder) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/samponder\/status\/1980077136481501622?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">October 20, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While others criticized Ponder for a lack of evidence, as well as grifting, the former <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sunday NFL Countdown<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> host did not back down.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">I don\u2019t need you to believe me. I\u2019m living it. As a wise friend once told me \u201ca tall man feels no need to prove his height\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Samantha Steele Ponder (@samponder) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/samponder\/status\/1980082332427034690?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">October 20, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">what&#8217;s the grift? what is my motivation? I can promise you I am not being paid for this honesty but I have lost millions for it<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Samantha Steele Ponder (@samponder) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/samponder\/status\/1980071857346011320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">October 20, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Ponder&#8217;s history with ESPN<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is not the first time that Ponder has spoken out about the unfairness of allowing biological men into women\u2019s sports. While at ESPN, Ponder came under fire for supporting Riley Gaines, along with speaking out against Lia Thomas.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She also claimed that she was reprimanded by ESPN management with a detailed email for favoriting a post from political commentator Megyn Kelly that said men don\u2019t need gynecologists.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Weeks before being let go by ESPN, Ponder was vocal about Imane Khelif winning a gold medal in a boxing event at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Khelif had allegedly failed a gender test prior to competing in the women\u2019s boxing competition, leading to one of Khelif\u2019s opponents dropping out of a fight early.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ponder quote-posted on August 1, 2024 comments featuring said boxer, Angela Carini (who faced Khelif), with the caption: \u201cENOUGH is what all of us should be saying!! Proud of this woman \ud83d\udc4f\ud83c\udffc\ud83d\udcaa\ud83c\udffc.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">ENOUGH is what all of us should be saying!! Proud of this woman \ud83d\udc4f\ud83c\udffc\ud83d\udcaa\ud83c\udffc <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/C23l9Sn2js\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/C23l9Sn2js<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Samantha Steele Ponder (@samponder) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/samponder\/status\/1819011544425836551?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">August 1, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI knew when I sent that, like, this isn\u2019t going to go over well,\u201d Ponder said. \u201cBut to me, that\u2019s abuse. You have a male in a boxing ring with a female literally beating her and we\u2019re just supposed to like, \u2018Yay,\u2019 in the name of inclusion. No, like, what about her?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>What is Ponder up to now?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since being laid off by ESPN in August of 2024, Ponder has not worked, instead opting to take time to be with her family. Ponder held a prominent role at ESPN, previously serving as a host on <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sunday NFL Countdown<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, as well as <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">College GameDay<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In Ponder\u2019s previous <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=54ZwCagrNWU\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">interview with Steele<\/a> back in July, she made it known that she wants to be a voice to speak up for defending women\u2019s sports saying, \u201cI thought this was sports. We\u2019re talking about female collegiate athletes, Olympic athletes, and it\u2019s wrong to shine a voice on that and give another voice, another opinion?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ponder added. \u201cI wasn\u2019t against debate or healthy discussion. I just didn\u2019t want anyone telling me, \u2018No, no, no, you can\u2019t talk about that. I wasn\u2019t really giving my own opinions on it, as much as I was saying, \u2018Listen to these girls, they\u2019re in the locker rooms. Why do their opinions not deserve a platform when we\u2019re giving awards for Women\u2019s History Month to someone born male? I couldn\u2019t understand it, I still don\u2019t understand it.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Former ESPN host Sam Ponder took to X on Sunday to sound off about her daughter being forced to compete against a biological male in a basketball game. In an interview with her former colleague Sage Steele, Ponder said recently that she felt like she was partially let-go from her role at the network in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5665,"featured_media":1565,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[267,238],"tags":[355,75,308,307],"class_list":["post-1562","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-espn","category-sports-media","tag-college-gameday","tag-featured","tag-sam-ponder","tag-sunday-nfl-countdown"],"modified_by":"Michael Kovacs, ADMIN","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1562","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5665"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1562"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1562\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1564,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1562\/revisions\/1564"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1565"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1562"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1562"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1562"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}