Stephen A. Smith and Sage Steele Discuss Transgender Athletes on Podcast
Stephen A. Smith and Sage Steele, both former ESPN colleagues, recently reunited on Steele’s podcast to tackle various topics, including the controversial matter of transgender athletes participating in women’s sports.
Their conversation started off a bit heated when Steele questioned Smith about his delay in speaking out, noting it took him “three years” to address the issue. Smith responded, clarifying that he had actually been discussing UPenn’s Leah Thomas from the very beginning on ESPN’s “First Take.”
Eventually, they found common ground on the issue. Steele pressed Smith on why so many powerful figures remain silent about this topic. “Why do you think there are male athletes in leagues like the NFL and NBA who aren’t willing to take a stand? They have millions in their accounts, and yet they choose to stay quiet. Many of them have daughters who compete—would they allow a young man to play against their own daughter? We’ve seen the injuries,” Steele pointed out.
Smith agreed, emphasizing that many influential men in the sports world are well-off and, thus, don’t face the same risks as those in less secure positions, like a janitor who might lose his job for voicing an opinion in a school board meeting. “It’s outrageous. They know women can’t really compete and still, they stay silent. Why is that?” he asked.
Smith noted a rather disheartening reality: “Some people only care when something impacts them directly. It’s sad, really. But when you have a platform, you have to speak up.” Turning to the political landscape, he suggested it’s become quite a mess, similarly to the current controversies surrounding sports.
This perspective seemed to catch Steele off guard, especially considering a reported 80% of people agree that transgender athletes shouldn’t compete against biological women. “I genuinely believe this issue could unite people,” Steele expressed. “If half of us in sports media stood up together to protect women, we wouldn’t be in this predicament.”
Smith countered that there are both bold men and women who haven’t spoken out. “It shows how few have the guts to tackle these challenging issues for the greater good,” he remarked.
He concluded firmly, “Biological males shouldn’t compete against biological girls. We must protect young women. There’s simply no justification for allowing biological men in their arena.”
