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Samantha Ponder has been silent about her ESPN shot, so far.
Ponder had spoken of transgender athletes in female sports on social networks in 2023, which, according to her, caused a warning of ESPN leaders.
Ponder told Sage Steele on the latter’s podcast that she had shared “the story” of Paula Scanlan on swimming against Lia Thomas, but then, “one of the best, the high bosses, contacted the two former ESPN employees.
“I didn’t really think it was going to get a great answer, but it did,” said Ponder. “They weren’t comfortable with me to talk about the problem of women transport women in women and that they were not going to allow me to mistreat people.”
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Samantha Ponder recently broke her silence to be fired from Espn. (David Buchan / Variety / Penske Media via Getty Images)
Ponder then said that she had received a “detailed email” from the leaders who described “everything I had ever tweeted or preferred that they thought they were offensive and warned me”.
“I knew when I was a little clock, if you want,” said Ponder.
Ponder had remained silent until last summer, even choosing not to make a video on Riley Gaines when an ESPN initiative was for her employees to record a video on an inspiring woman.
In other words, until Imane Khelif drew her attention.
Ponder had shared the quotes from her Olympic opponent Angela Carini on having “enough” Khelif in the ring. Khelif was previously forbidden to participate in another boxing tournament due to the eligibility tests between the sexes.
“Enough, that’s what we should all say !! proud of this woman”, think Published at the time.
“And next week, I received an SMS who said:” Can you jump on a call with this person and this person in an hour. “And one of the bosses is someone I never hear, and I said to myself:” That’s “,” said Ponder.
Random Algeria’s Imane Khelif celebrates the victory against Anna Luca Hamori of Team Hungary after the 66 kg women’s match in the quarter -final on the eighth day of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in North Paris Arena on August 03, 2024 in Paris, France. (Images Richard Pelham / Getty)
The Olympic medalist dies in a tragic trague during the trip
Ponder said that she thought that other factors had led to her possible dismissal, including cheaper potential alternatives, while Ponder said she wanted to have a balance between professional and private life with her family.
“But the timing of this was almost certainly,” said Ponder, who revealed that the best ESPN executives agreed with her on the issue.
Ponder then said that letting go was “one of the best things that have ever been.”
“I was on this hamster wheel, and I was not going to jump by myself. I needed to be launched. As much as the part of the reasoning behind I think it is legitimate, I do not feel any bitterness or even frankly of sadness. I had a great career. I was 20 years old in this company. I have met great people, and there are still a lot of people. Blister when I knew what was good, “said Ponder.
Ponder asked why it was essentially forbidden to discuss the issue.
Samantha Ponder of Espn is preparing to go on stage at the Espnw summit held at Resort in Pelican Hill on October 2, 2018 in Newport Beach, California. (Meg Oliphant / Getty Images)
“You are not allowed to talk about another problem [other than sports]. But I thought it was sport, “continued.” We are talking about college athletes, Olympic athletes, and it’s wrong to highlight this and give another voice, another opinion. I was not against the health or healthy discussion. I just didn’t want someone to say to me: “No, no, no, you can’t talk about it.” I did not really give my own opinions on this subject, as much as I said: “Listen to these girls, they are in the locker room. Why do their opinions not deserve a platform when we give rewards for the month of the history of women to someone born? I couldn’t understand it, I still don’t understand it. “”
ESPN refused to comment.
Ponder is married to the former quarter-arre of the NFL, Christian Ponder.
