I guess I’m surprised Sage Steele stopped emanating bullshit for long enough to actually inhale to get COVID-19, but I suppose even the most oxygen-deprived need a base level to remain upright:
You can’t help but feel some level of smugness when an outspoken dipshit railing against vaccine mandates at their place of work because they’re too stupid/stubborn/desperate for the wrong kind of attention/some combination thereof tests positive. It’s an evil inclination, but we all get it.
It’s also why the mandate is absolutely necessary, because otherwise Steele would have been an actual incubus for her coworkers instead of just an incubus of idiocy (though these two incubus-types seem to be getting closer and closer to being the same thing these days).
Steele of course might not have been on the air anyway because she tag-teamed with Jay Cutler to be a mass producer of incomprehensible drivel recently, where she seemingly worked down a checklist of conservative inanity. Racism, misogyny, COVID-denying, this was a Wynn resort level of right-wing horseshit to the point where it definitely felt like pandering and a bullhorn for attention from the only people who will champion her these days.
Steele issued an apology that was clear she didn’t believe in and was just above the bar for ESPN to keep her around. Steele didn’t apologize to Black people offended by her anti-Obama ranting, or any woman reporter who has been sexually harassed/assaulted that Steele attempted to victim blame, or to any of the families of those who have died from COVID because we keep having to work around those like her with wet cement between their ears. All she apologized for was the controversy she created, which was exactly the point of her asinine rantings.
Quite a contrast from when ESPN made a statement about Jemele Hill rightfully calling Donald Trump a white supremacist.
As for ESPN itself, Steele is the result of the media’s obsession with “both sides,” (i.e. we’d like to keep getting viewers and advertising money from every avenue possible so we’re going to do our best to not turn anyone off.) I don’t know what Steele’s value is as a broadcaster, but it doesn’t seem to be much. Not that the ESPN or Sportscenter job is necessarily easy, but I am sure there are hundreds of other women who could do it as well or better. Especially these days, when ESPN would prefer you not really have a personality to do it.
Despite Steele’s best efforts, sports are leaning more and more progressive, and we know how a certain section of the fandom feels about that. Steele caters to that crowd, making them still feel like they have a place at the world-wide leader while they stew and bitch about NBA players tattoos or how all their wife does is complain and spend their money. It assuredly only heightens that crowd’s righteousness when it’s a Black woman spouting all their ignorance, further cementing their suspicions and hopes that they were right all along and the liberal media were the ones spreading lies about how the world works and should work. And don’t think for a second that ESPN isn’t delighted to have something to keep this section of viewers around. How else would you explain Steele not being fired years ago when it was completely understandable?
That doesn’t mean Steele is long for Bristol. You feel it’s likely that she’ll have yet another sermon from Mt. Doofus whenever she tests negative and returns to work, and then even ESPN won’t be able to keep moving the goalposts for her. We know where there will be a new home for her. It’s where she’s always belonged.
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