Fans wish to learn why Samantha Ponder was fired by ESPN. Her exit from the network sent shockwaves across the sports news world. Moreover, this comes off the back of another recent firing in ESPN in the form of Robert Griffin III, who found success as a sports analyst prior to his axing, which has made fans question ESPN’s decision.
So, why was Samantha Ponder fired by ESPN? Was it due to business decisions? Was it due to her opinions on sports not aligning well with what others thought? Let us dive deep into the reasons for Ponder’s shocking firing.
Why did ESPN fire Samantha Ponder?
ESPN fired Samantha Ponder reportedly due to financial reasons and a broader cost-cutting effort as the network neared the conclusion of its fiscal year in September.
This is according to sources close to The New York Times’ The Athletic. The sources briefed the outlet about both Ponder and Robert Griffin III’s firing. The source claimed that Ponder and Griffin made more than seven figures annually.
At the time of her firing, Ponder was only entering the final season of her three-year contract with ESPN. This contract was worth more than $3 million. She has yet to address her firing or the reasons behind it publicly.
However, Michelle Tafoya, a longtime sideline reporter for ESPN, shared her belief in a Fox News interview that Ponder’s firing had nothing to do with the widely reported “financial reasons” or “budget cuts.” “I think that they clearly wanted to find an off-ramp for Sam,” she opined. Tafoya also expressed her surprise and shock that Ponder’s firing took place only three weeks before the NFL season’s commencement.
Here, Tafoya and the interviewer also brought up Ponder’s rather controversial X (formerly Twitter) tweet from 2023, where she opined that it was unfair for transgender women (biological males) to compete in regular women’s sports. Both Tafoya and the interviewer agreed upon the reasonable nature of the tweet and the valid points it raised. Moreover, Tafoya also shared how Ponder had been called a “bigot” for expressing this opinion but affirmed her belief that she is far from being one.
