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ESPN star Stephen A Smith makes stance on trans inclusion in women’s sports clear

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ESPN star Stephen A. Smith made his stance on trans inclusion in girls and women’s sports clear during an interview on radio row in New Orleans ahead of Super Bowl LIX.

Smith appeared in an interview for Bloomberg last week to talk about his political aspirations. The clip was published on Saturday. He said he considered himself to be a “centrist” when it came to political leanings, but when it came to trans athletes playing in women’s sports, that’s where he took a different line.

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Sadie Schreiner holds a transgender flag after finishing third in the finals of the 200m race at the NCAA DIII outdoor track and field championships on May 25, 2024. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

“So that’s how I look at it. LGBTQ rights and all that stuff, I’m in full support of that, but when transgender athletes, men are transitioning to women and they’re competing in female sports, that’s a different animal to me,” he said.

“That’s not just about LGBTQ rights. That’s about prying on the rights of females out there everywhere who were born female, and they’re at a decided disadvantage.”

Smith’s stance came as President Donald Trump signed an executive order to bar transgender athletes from competing against women and girls.

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Stephen A. Smith on the ESPN NBA Countdown live set at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, on Oct. 23, 2024. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

The NCAA followed Trump’s executive order and changed its policy.

Linda McMahon, Trump’s pick for education secretary, also said she didn’t believe trans athletes should compete against women and girls in sports.

“I do not believe that biological boys should be able to compete against girls in sports, and I think now that certainly not only have the people spoken, because that was something that Trump ran very heavily on, but I believe the court has spoken,” McMahon said.

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President Donald Trump signs an executive order barring transgender female athletes from competing in women’s or girls’ sporting events, in the East Room of the White House, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

A national exit poll conducted by the Concerned Women for America (CWA) legislative action committee found that 70% of moderate voters saw the issue of “Donald Trump’s opposition to transgender boys and men playing girls and women’s sports and of transgender boys and men using girls and women’s bathrooms,” as important to them. And 6% said it was the most important issue of all, while 44% said it was “very important.”

Fox News’ Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.

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February 16, 2025
ESPN star warns Chiefs’ Travis Kelce about turning into ‘diminishing player’ ahead of eventual retirement

The Kansas City Chiefs’ bid for a third consecutive Super Bowl title came to an abrupt end Sunday. The Chiefs’ offense was mostly ineffective against the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl.

Patrick Mahomes was sacked six times and finished the game with 257 passing yards. Travis Kelce, one of Mahomes’ most trusted targets, accounted for just 39 of those yards.

The Super Bowl loss also brought Kelce’s 12th NFL season to a disappointing end. He finished the regular season with 823 receiving yards, which marked the second consecutive year the star tight end did not reach the 1,000-yard receiving mark.

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Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce walks off the field after losing to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

He will also celebrate his 36th birthday during the 2025 season. While Kelce did receive Pro Bowl honors for a tenth straight year and remains a productive player, his age and lackluster showing in the big game continued to fuel questions about when he may decide to step away from the game.

Last month, during an appearance on “The Stephen A. Smith Show,” Kelce admitted his thoughts on retirement tend to fluctuate, but he plans to “reevaluate” during the offseason. As the Chiefs’ offseason begins, former NFL player and current ESPN analyst Ryan Clark cited Jason Kelce’s dilemma after last season and compared it to his brother’s current situation.

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“Isn’t Trav sort of in the same place our colleague and friend, his brother, Jason Kelce, was in last year?” Clark asked. “Still feeling like you can still do it and you still have it, but you know you don’t have it like you used to. And it’s gonna be based on whether or not Travis Kelce understands he’s a diminished player and is comfortable with that.”

After the Eagles were eliminated from the playoffs last season, reports surfaced that Jason informed his teammates he had decided to retire. Several weeks later, the offensive lineman confirmed his retirement in an emotional speech.

“When you’re at the highest of highs, when you’re the best pass-catching tight end in the history of the National Football League, it’s hard to go into a game last night, have two drops, not have any impactful catches or impact on the game,” Clark said. “Can Travis Kelce go forward in 2025 and be that person? Especially when so many lucrative opportunities await him in his second career.”

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce waves to the crowd after a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Kelce’s four receptions Sunday were enough to secure the record for most career Super Bowl catches with 35. Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice held the previous mark with 33. Kelce has also recorded more postseason receptions than any other Chiefs player in history.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce after making a catch during warmups before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Nov. 4, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann, File)

Clark suggested Kelce would weigh the “sort of player he wants to be” before making a final decision about retirement.

“Travis Kelce is going to have to take some time, sit down and know what sort of player he wants to be and what sort of life he wants to live, but he’s earned the right to take his time in doing so,” Clark added.

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Kelce has 12,151 career receiving yards and 77 touchdowns in 12 NFL regular seasons.

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Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

February 11, 2025
ESPN analyst reveals how ex-colleague’s Obama comments became point of contention

Sage Steele, in a lawsuit against her former employer, ESPN, accused analyst Ryan Clark of refusing to work with her due to opposing political views.

Clark admitted recently on “The Michele Tafoya Show” that part of the accusation wasn’t false, but he felt the need to clear the air.

Tafoya asked Clark about the lawsuit, which alleged Clark refused to work with Steele after she made controversial comments on former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler’s podcast in 2021.

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ESPN analyst Ryan Clark broadcasts from the field before a game between the San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets at Levi’s Stadium Sept. 9, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

On the podcast, Steele reflected on an appearance on “The View,” in which she said Barbara Walters “ripped me” for saying it was “important” to label herself as biracial.

Steele said Walters then brought up that former President Barack Obama, who is biracial, chose “Black” when filling out paperwork for a census.

“I’m like, well, congratulations to the president. That’s his thing. I think that’s fascinating considering his Black dad was nowhere to be found, but his white mom and grandma raised him. But hey, you do you. I’m going to do me,” Steele said on Cutler’s podcast.

Clark said he disagreed with Steele on many political topics, including her vaccination stance and Colin Kaepernick’s protests, but he had “no issue” with her being a conservative.

“Sage Steele being a conservative was, like, the worst-kept secret at ESPN,” the former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back quipped.

However, her comments on Obama were the “only” thing that “offended” him and prompted him to speak with a producer at ESPN about hosting a segment together.

Sage Steele takes the stage during a Donald Trump campaign rally at Lancaster Airport Nov. 3, 2024, in Lititz, Pa. (Getty Images)

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“As a Black man who understands that no matter what President Obama decides to check off as his race, he’s going to be seen as an entire country as a Black man. He’s going to be viewed if policemen say, ‘The suspect is a Black, tall, slender, light-skinned man,’ President Obama would fit that description,” Clark said.

“He’s also a man that was married to a Black woman. He was also a man that was raising two young Black daughters. And I felt that was disrespectful to say, ‘Why would someone with that blood running through their veins want to represent that culture?’”

Clark admitted he told a producer he wanted another host, Matt Barrie, to “conduct my segment.”

“Because what I know is this … chemistry is a large part of TV. It’s a large part of our ability to be able to entertain. And I didn’t want my discomfort with what she said to show on screen,” Clark said.

Clark said it was a one-time thing with Steele, and they were able to “work … in a very cordial way” until she left ESPN. He added they no longer speak, “but I obviously wish her all the best in all her endeavors.”

ESPN’s Ryan Clark chats with colleagues on air before a game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Jacksonville Jaguars Dec. 4, 2023, at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. (Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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“She now has found a place where, entertainment-wise, she feels like she fits, she feels like she has a voice and she has a passion. And I feel like we all should be entitled to that, whether you agree or disagree.”

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January 23, 2025
ESPN broadcaster reveals why he was brought to tears on broadcast after Ohio State won national championship

ESPN broadcaster Kirk Herbstreit was visibly emotional after watching his alma mater, the Ohio State Buckeyes, win the College Football Playoff National Championship game, and the reason is now known.

Herbstreit made an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” where he not only discussed medical complications his son, Buckeyes walk-on tight end Zak Herbstreit, went through, but he also revealed that his wife, Ally, has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

“It was almost like a perfect storm for me,” Herbstreit told McAfee and his crew about his emotions during the post-game show as Ohio State celebrated the victory. “My son had heart failure two years ago, and they were talking about a heart replacement for a while. He had to medically retire, and I think the gratitude I have for Ryan Day putting his arms around Zak and keeping him involved.

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ABC football analyst Kirk Herbstreit looks on before the college football game between the Oregon Ducks and the Arizona State Sun Devils on Nov. 23, 2019 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

“…Ally, my wife, faced some stuff. It’s been a tough year for me behind the scenes. My wife got diagnosed with breast cancer, you know (family dog) Ben dies. It was just a lot of emotion, and when you do what we do, you endure. You do your job.

“I think what happened, when they won, I was so happy for Ryan Day and those players, from what they faced and everything they went through. It was almost like a relief, and it just got the best of me.”

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The Herbstreits met during their time at Ohio State together, where Kirk was a four-year letterman as a quarterback and Ally was a cheerleader. They had four sons together after getting married, including Zak, who remained with the Buckeyes despite having to medically retire following his heart failure.

After calling the Buckeyes’ 34-23 victory alongside Chris Fowler, Herbstreit was on the postgame show when Scott Van Pelt decided to start with the Ohio State alum after seeing him teary-eyed.

Herbstreit did not mention what he said to McAfee, but he did discuss the resiliency of this Buckeyes group this season.

ESPN commentator Kirk Herbstreit is on the field prior to the College Football Playoff Semifinal game at the Chick-fil-a Peach Bowl between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Ohio State Buckeyes on Dec. 31, 2022 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. (Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

“Oh, don’t start with me, man,” Herbstreit, who grew up about an hour away from Ohio State in Centerville, told Van Pelt during the postgame show. “I’m a little emotional. I’m just fired up for these guys.

“When I call these games, I’m incredibly objective. You know, I love all these Ohio State teams, but this team, because of what they went through to get to this point, you’re just happy.”

When the cameras cut back to the broadcast booth, Herbstreit was spotted grabbing a handkerchief off camera to wipe tears away as Fowler continued to speak.

Kirk Herbstreit looks on from the sideline prior to the “Thursday Night Football” game on Amazon Prime at FedEx Field on Oct. 5, 2023 in Landover, Maryland. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

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As Herbstreit mentioned, it has been a trying year personally for him, but he has endured through the college and NFL seasons, as he also works alongside Al Michaels during Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football.”

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

January 23, 2025