Kirk Herbstreit said he has not been contacted by ESPN regarding his recent comments regarding his stance that men do not belong in women’s sports.
The ESPN “College GameDay” host has been outspoken about his feelings in recent interviews and on social media, explaining that in his 29 years at the sports media giant, he has never tried to control what he says on television or posts on social media.
“This year marks the 29th year [at ESPN]”I can say with 1,000 percent certainty that I have never had a producer tell me what to say or say, ‘The SEC likes it, you’re going to fake it,'” Herbstreit said during a television appearance. “SI Media With Jimmy Traina” Podcast Thursday.
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“…That has never happened to me. In 29 years, I have never had anyone say to me, ‘Be careful,’ or ‘You should never say that.’ Maybe it has happened to other people, but I have never had that happen to me in my career.”
This came after Traina asked if ESPN tells him what he can and can’t tweet.
“With the firing of Sam Ponder and Robert Griffin III last week, there’s a theory that some are claiming ESPN is anti-religion or against people who speak out,” Traina said.
ESPN reportedly fired Ponder and football commentator Robert Griffin III on August 15 for budgetary reasons.
Herbstreit, who has been a commentator for College GameDay since 1996 and is ESPN’s top college football game commentator, said he was addressing “people who were attacking me” for his comments.
“What happened last week made me a bit [when] I was talking to Dan [Dakich]”I’m an introvert, but if someone pushes my buttons, it lights a fuse and I get excited about the things I’m passionate about,” he said during an appearance on Outkick last week.
“The reason I say I don’t care is because I’m so frustrated with the way our country is divided, with people hating each other, with people not getting along and attacking each other. And there are people in the college football world who are making up conspiracy theories that aren’t true and attacking me.”
Herbstreit was referring to when he said he was “chewing.” [his] He has long been known to say “foul language” about transgender people in sports, but during an appearance on Outkick he said he “just doesn’t care about it anymore.” “Don’t @ Me! with Dan Dakich” last week.
A week earlier, Herbstreit had been asked by user X, “Should men participate in women’s sports?”
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“Of course not,” He replied“That’s a stupid question.”
Ponder publicly supported Herbstreit regarding X at the time.
