2 months ago
NEWYou tin now perceive to Fox News articles!
Former ESPN colleagues Stephen A. Smith and Sage Steele reunited connected nan latter's podcast to talk a plethora of issues, 1 of which focused connected transgender athletes competing successful women's sports.
The chat sewage alternatively contentious astatine first, arsenic Steele asked Smith why it took him "three years" to speak out, but Smith clarified that he said astir Lia Thomas astatine UPenn from "day one" connected ESPN's "First Take."
In immoderate case, nan 2 do work together connected nan subject, and Steele asked Smith why he thinks men of powerfulness person been quiet connected nan issue.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Stephen A. Smith speaks onstage during nan 2024 HOPE Global Forum successful Atlanta, Georgia, connected Dec. 11, 2024. (Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
"Why do you deliberation truthful galore antheral athletes — we activity pinch these men each azygous day, NFL, NBA, immoderate it is, who’ve sewage not arsenic overmuch to consequence - they’ve sewage $150 cardinal successful their pocket, aliases possibly it’s overmuch less, I don’t care. This is communal sense," Steele asked Smith. "And galore of them, for illustration you, person daughters who are athletes. Are you going to fto a young man astatine nan volleyball nett play against your girl knowing what’s astatine risk? We person seen nan injuries.
"And truthful location are measurement excessively galore men… successful salient positions who person nan financial security. This is not your $65,000-a-year job, personification who’s a janitor and is trying to talk successful a schoolhouse committee gathering who really could suffer his occupation for this opinion, which is insane. These men successful sports who cognize damn good a female could not compete are staying silent. Why?"
A protester for protecting women's sports gathers extracurricular nan Supreme Court connected January 13, 2026, successful Washington, D.C. Groups from some sides of nan statement gathered connected Tuesday greeting to protestation while 2 cases that prohibit transgender girls from joining girls' and women's sports teams are heard wrong nan Supreme Court. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images)
SAGE STEELE RECALLS HOW STEPHEN A SMITH WARNED HER AGAINST SPEAKING OUT WHILE STILL AT ESPN
"Some guys, immoderate people, and this is very, very sad, immoderate group don't attraction astir a damn point unless it affects them directly. We conscionable sewage to telephone it for illustration we spot it," Smith obliged. "Some of america are conscientious capable to say, 'Bump that, I sewage this nationalist platform, ain't nary measurement I tin beryllium silently and opportunity nothing.' Some people, erstwhile it comes to politics, it's a cesspool. It's been a cesspool. This is nan latest issue."
Smith's reply seemed to return Steele by surprise, arsenic it's been studied that astir 80% of group work together that transgender athletes should not compete against biologic females.
"This is nan 1 point that I really judge would bring much group together. I said this from time 1 pinch women successful my industry, if half of america sportscasters had stood up and said, 'You cognize what? As women, we're going to protect these women,' we would not beryllium successful this position," Steele answered.
"There's plentifulness of women that didn't, conscionable for illustration there's plentifulness of men did not," Smith deed back. "So successful different words, Sage, what that intends is those who are courageous capable to put themselves retired connected beforehand thoroughfare and tackle issues for nan betterment of nan full of others are fewer and acold between."
Smith past week said "Real Time pinch Bill Maher" that "biological men should not beryllium competing against biologic girls successful sports, period."
Stephen A. Smith looks connected from nan section during warmups anterior to nan NFL crippled betwixt nan Arizona Cardinals and nan Dallas Cowboys astatine AT&T Stadium successful Arlington, Texas, connected Nov. 3, 2025. (Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
"What astir protecting nan young ladies? Young ladies going up against biologic men — biologic men — location is nary excuse for that."
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports sum connected X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
