ESPN’s Sage Steele is off the air for now after a podcast appearance caused controversy. Plus: Bomani Jones’ ESPN tenure is reportedly expected to end soon; the DeChambeau-Kopeka rivalry is headed to “The Match”; and more.
Steele off ESPN for now, apologizes
ESPN SportsCenter anchor Sage Steele will be off the air for the time being and has apologized for comments she made on a recent podcast that she says “created controversy for the company.” According to Front Office Sports, Steele is expected to remain off the air for a week, though there is no official word on whether that is the result of a suspension. On the podcast, hosted by former NFL QB Jay Cutler, Steele spoke negatively about Disney’s vaccination mandate and seemed to question former U.S. president Barack Obama’s identification as African American.
Steele has been with ESPN since 2008 and for a time was the network’s lead NBA studio host. [Front Office Sports 10.5]
Bomani Jones’ ESPN tenure expected to end
ESPN commentator and “The Right Time” host Bomani Jones is expected to leave the company upon the expiration of his contract in March, the New York Post reported this week. Per the report, Jones’ current contract pays him half of what he earned in his previous deal, when he co-hosted the daily ESPN talk show “High Noon” with Pablo Torre. Since the cancellation of “High Noon,” Jones had primarily appeared on ESPN’s “Highly Questionable,” which itself was canceled last month. Jones joined ESPN full-time in 2013. [NYP 10.4]
Next “Match” to pit DeChambeau, Koepka
The next edition of golf’s “The Match” is set to feature a head-to-head matchup of Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka, it was announced Tuesday, marking a return to the event’s original concept of rival golfers going head-to-head, as opposed to the more recent format of golf pros pairing with stars from other sports. The DeChambeau-Koepka matchup is scheduled for Black Friday on TNT, TBS, TruTV and HLN. [Turner Sports PR]
Plus: Harvey, Wahl, YouTube-NBC
Former ESPN reporter Coley Harvey has returned to the company after a stint with Fox Sports and BTN. … CBS Sports announced Tuesday that it has hired soccer writer Grant Wahl as an analyst and editorial consultant, debuting Thursday. … YouTube TV and NBC Universal reached a carriage agreement over the weekend, ending a brief standoff. [ESPN PR, CBS Sports PR]
