ESPN's Sam Ponder Joins Riley Gaines' Crusade Against Trans Athletes, Lia Thomas Destroying Women's Sports

Well, well, well...look what we have here...the highest-profile ESPN on-air personality just broke rank and joined forces with Riley Gaines in her war for biological women and sports.

The "Sunday NFL Countdown" on ESPN host made a major career decision Wednesday when the Liberty University alum dared to go against the grain at a company that a month ago celebrated biological male trans swimmer Lia Thomas as part of a Women's History Month feature that was a complete slap in the face to biological females.

She joins fellow ESPN anchor Sage Steele as biological women at the Worldwide Leader who've spoke out over this madness.

"This would take away so many opportunities for biological women and girls in sports," Ponder tweeted Wednesday in response to a Biden White House proposal that bans on transgender athletes from participating on teams "consistent with their gender identity" would violate Title IX.

"It is a shame that we are needing to fight for the integrity of Title IX in 2023 and the reason it was needed in the first place. #savewomenssports," Ponder continued.

And just like that, we have ourselves an official story because ESPN/ABC/Disney has been a very comfortable home for Lia Thomas ever since the 2022 NCAA Swimming National Championship where the Penn swimmer beat three Olympic medalists for the 500 freestyle title.

This is a wild time to be outsiders at a company that has been openly pro-transgender athletes for years going all the way back to when ESPN The Magazine made sure to include a transgender athlete in its 2016 "Body Issue."

That same year, OutKick's Curt Schilling was fired by ESPN for sharing his transgender bathroom opinions.

“ESPN is an inclusive company,” ESPN said in a statement at the time. “Curt Schilling has been advised that his conduct was unacceptable and his employment with ESPN has been terminated.”

Fast-forward to 2023. Now we have Steele and Ponder building what looks like a united front to ESPN's trans cheerleading that was led by Elle Duncan in 2022. Remember when Duncan called for a moment of silence over Florida’s Parental Rights in Education bill?

You're nuts if you think Elle Duncan is just going to sit there and take this Sam Ponder news. Just wait, things will boil over at the Worldwide Leader.

Just give it time.

Written by
Joe Kinsey is the Senior Director of Content of OutKick and the editor of the Morning Screencaps column that examines a variety of stories taking place in real America. Kinsey is also the founder of OutKick’s Thursday Night Mowing League, America’s largest virtual mowing league. Kinsey graduated from University of Toledo.