Who is ESPN’s Sage Steele?
SAGE Steele rose to prominence for hosting NBA Countdown and SportsCenter for ESPN.
She also contributed to the network's other shows such as First Take and Mike & Mike in the Morning.
Who is ESPN's Sage Steele?
Born on November 28, 1972, Sage Steele is an American TV anchor from the Panama Canal Zone.
Due to her parents' military careers, Sage's family frequently relocated throughout her childhood.
In 1995, she graduated from Indiana University Bloomington in sports communications.
On October 30, 1999, she married Jonathan Bailey; the couple has had three children together.
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Sage's first post-graduation job was at Indiana's CBS affiliate WSBT.
She also held positions at WFTS, Fox Sports Florida, and CSN Mid-Atlantic.
On March 16, 2007, she made her debut on ESPN in SportsCenter.
Between 2013 and 2017, Sage hosted the network's NBA Countdown.
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Initially, the network offered her the opportunity in 2004 but she turned it down because she was pregnant with her second child.
"You have to believe in you before anybody else can," she told Awful Announcing.
"I felt like I needed to be all-in mentally. As a Mom, it’s a little different.
"If you’re true to who you are, it’ll work out, and three years later they called back.
"They didn’t have to, but I also was a better broadcaster three years later. I’m thankful I got that second shot."
When was Sage suspended from ESPN?
On October 5, 2021, ESPN suspended Sage after an Uncut with Jay Cutler episode where she earned mixed reactions about her comments regarding the network's covid-19 mandate, women's fashion, Barack Obama's racial identity, and women in journalism.
In a statement, ESPN announced: "At ESPN, we embrace different points of view — dialogue and discussion make this place great.
"That said, we expect that those points of view be expressed respectfully, in a manner consistent with our values, and in line with our internal policies."
In response, the broadcaster commented: "I know my recent comments created controversy for the company, and I apologize.
"We are in the midst of an extremely challenging time that impacts all of us, and it’s more critical than ever that we communicate constructively and thoughtfully."
During the episode that resulted in her suspension, Sage told Cutler: "I respect everyone's decision. I really do but to mandate it is sick, and it's scary to me in many ways.
"I'm not surprised it got to this point, especially with Disney. I mean, a global company like that.
"I work for a company that mandates it and I had until September 30 to get it done or I’m out."
When did Steele announce she was leaving ESPN?
On August 15, 2023, Sage announced she was ending her tenure at ESPN.
"Having successfully settled my case with ESPN/Disney, I have decided to leave so I can exercise my first amendment rights more," she tweeted.
"I am grateful for so many wonderful experiences over the past 16 years and am excited for my next chapter!"
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The network confirmed she was parting ways with them and confessed: "ESPN and Sage Steele have mutually agreed to part ways.
"We thank her for her many contributions over the years."