Following her tweet expressing support for women who oppose the inclusion of biological men in women’s sports, ESPN broadcaster Sam Ponder has gained a notable admirer in radio talk show host Chris Stigall, who expressed his growing admiration for her.
Stigall addressed the issue on the “Chris Stigall Podcast” Thursday.
Despite the mainstream’s portrayal of Ponder’s controversial tweet, Stigall emphasized that her message is relatively innocuous and deserving of praise, as it promotes support for women’s sports.
“It’s not like she (Ponder) is saying much,” Stigall said. “A sports columnist at USA Today is calling Sam Ponder a bigot for supporting fairness in women’s and girls’ sports. I’m truly fascinated by this; women are in an epic battle right now, and you’re either on one of two sides; I don’t think theirs is a nuanced third way to look at this.”
According to Stigall, there are two precise positions: either one supports the notion of biological men participating in women’s sports by identifying as female, or one opposes it.
“Remember, Sam Ponder, being an ESPN employee, Disney-ABC owned; they’re in a bit of a pickle here, aren’t they? What do you do with a popular woman on your network when she doesn’t toe the line of the politics of corporate ownership? It’s easy to get rid of the straight white guy, not as easy to get rid of the lady,” Stigall added.
Stigall praised Ponder for her adept management of the purported controversy, lauding her tweet that declared, “Bigotry is unrelated to biology.” Additionally, Ponder emphasized, “Showing love to others does not necessitate the absence of boundaries.”
Sage Steele, a colleague of Ponder, has also expressed her endorsement for women’s sports and extended her support to Riley Gaines, a prominent college swimming star.
