"That sucks, shame on you" - Martina Navratilova condemns ESPN for firing anchor known for opposing trans inclusion in women's sports
Former World No. 1 Martina Navratilova criticized ESPN for firing anchor Samantha Ponder, known for opposing the inclusion of trans athletes in women's sports. Navratilova has frequently supported this stance across various platforms.
Samantha Ponder, a renowned journalist and host of ESPN's 'Sunday NFL Countdown,' was reportedly in a three-year contract worth over $3 million. The Athletic recently reported that she was let gone of for financial reasons, marking the end of her 13-year tenure with ESPN. Along with her, the network also parted ways with analyst Robert Griffin.
The 38-year-old made headlines last year by supporting former collegiate swimming champion Riley Gaines, who spoke out against allowing transgender girls to compete in high school track and field events in California. Ponder later shared Gaines' post and wrote:
"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," Ponder said on X.
Ponder has since frequently advocated for keeping trans athletes out of women's sports, similar to Martina Navratilova, who recently expressed her frustration with ESPN after a fan shared the news on X.
"ESPN fired one of their sports commentators @samponder today. She was very outspoken about the injustices of males competing in female sports," the fan wrote.
Navratilova replied:
"Wow. That sucks. Shame on you ESPN!!!"
In addition to Navratilova, Riley Gaines and former ESPN anchor Sage Steele also voiced their support for Pondor after her dismissal.
Martina Navratilova spoke against Italian trans athlete's participation in the 2024 Paralympics
The BBC recently published an article revealing that Italy's Valentina Petrillo will become the first transgender athlete to ever compete in the Paralympics. Petrillo, 50, will compete in the T12 200m and 400 m category at the upcoming Paralympic Games in Paris.
Navratilova expressed her thoughts on the report on X.
"Including males in the women’s category means excluding females. It’s that simple," she wrote.
The 67 year old has been a consistent advocate for women's sports. Earlier this year, she criticized journalist, Jemele Hill, who pointed out that trans athletes posed no threat to women's sports.
In response, Navratilova expressed concern over lost opportunities for women, stating that more than 900 trans athletes had won in the women's competitions.