Sam Ponder, a longtime ESPN broadcaster, has come under fire this week for her remarks regarding women’s sports.
Longtime ESPN football presenter Ponder is receiving criticism for her comments regarding transgender athletes competing in women’s sports.
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“I barely said anything publicly abt this issue & I’ve had so many ppl msg me, stop me in the street to say thank you+ tell me stories abt girls who are afraid to speak up for fear of lost employment/being called hateful. It is not hateful to demand fairness in sports for girls,” she wrote in response to a tweet from Riley Gaines.
She was referring to comments made by Gaines, who was sharing messages sent to her by young sportswomen who were feeling threatened that their spots in lineups were being taken by trans women – leaving them feeling helpless.
Ponder, who has worked for ESPN for almost ten years, originally gained prominence while working on College GameDay. Since then, she has taken over as host of ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown.
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Ponder’s ascent to fame began when she replaced the beloved Erin Andrews on College GameDay, a highly regarded program airing on ESPN every Saturday at 10 AM ET.
The veteran football broadcaster has married to a former NFL quarterback.
Florida State standout Christian Ponder was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. Despite spending a few seasons in the NFL, he failed to live up to the fanfare surrounding his first-round draft position.
The former NFL quarterback currently works in business in New York City, where he, Sam, and their three children reside.
Sam and Christian have made New York City their permanent residence, though they still have family out West.
