Legendary Alabama coach and ESPN analyst Nick Saban stirred controversy this week after calling Ohio State fans “psychotic” for their obsession with beating Michigan.
Ryan Clark, ESPN analyst and former LSU football player, launched a scathing critique of Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry on Thursday over two recent decisions involving LSU.
Concerns are growing over ESPN’s journalistic independence following news that the NFL will acquire a 10% equity stake in the sports network. The deal, part of ESPN’s broader agreement to purchase NFL media assets including the NFL Network, has sparked alarms over conflicts of interest that could compromise sports reporting integrity.
During ESPN’s broadcast of the WNBA game between the Indiana Fever and Las Vegas Aces on Sunday, analyst and WNBA veteran Rebecca Lobo apologized on-air after saying, “That’s what makes America great.” The remark came in response to a review call by officials with which Lobo disagreed.
Former ESPN host and current Atlantic writer Jemele Hill ignited controversy Tuesday night after comparing the national debate over transgender athletes in women’s sports to the historic civil rights struggle for racial equality. Speaking on CNN’s NewsNight with Abby Phillip, Hill suggested that efforts to restrict biological males from competing in women’s sports are akin to past discrimination against Black Americans.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith voiced support Monday for President Donald Trump’s 2024 election win, citing the Democratic Party’s history of manipulating black voters through fear tactics and guilt. Smith, speaking on “CUOMO,” said Democrats failed to deliver real policy solutions and instead leaned on racial division to secure votes—an approach that he said “didn’t work this time.”
