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New York Post
Kirk Herbstreit: ESPN hasn’t said a word to me since revealing strong transgender stance
By Jenna Lemoncelli,
5 hours ago
Kirk Herbstreit said he hasn’t heard from ESPN about his recent remarks regarding his stance that men don’t belong in women’s sports.
The ESPN “College GameDay” host — who was vocal about his feelings in a recent interview and on social media — explained that the sports media giant hasn’t once tried to control what he says on television and posts on social media in his 29 years.
“This will be my 29th year [at ESPN]. I can say with 1000-percent certainty I have never in my life had a producer tell me what I need to say or ‘we like the SEC, you need to fake’ — never in my life,” Herbstreit said during an appearance on the “SI Media With Jimmy Traina” podcast Thursday.
Kirk Herbstreit talks on the set of ESPN’s “College Game Day” program at Soldier Field before an NCAA college football game between Wisconsin and Notre Dame on Sept. 25, 2021, in Chicago. AP Pete Dawkins, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit on the set of “College GameDay” at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ on December 11, 2021. Scott Clarke / ESPN Images
“… Never happened. Now, 29 years later, I’ve never had anybody say to me “be careful” or “you better not say that, ever. Maybe other people that’s happened with. I’ve never experienced that in my entire career.”
It came after Traina asked him if ESPN tells him what he can and cannot tweet.
“There is this theory out there, because obviously, last week Sam Ponder and Robert Griffin III were let go, people are trying say ESPN is anti-religious or anti-people speaking out,” Traina said.
Robert Griffin III during the NFL game at State Farm Stadium on December 12, 2022 in Glendale, Arizona. Getty Images
Herbstreit — who has served as an analyst on “College GameDay” since 1996 and is ESPN’s top game analyst for college football — went on to explain that he dealt with “people attacking me” over his remarks.
“The stuff that happened last week, I got kind of caught up [when] I was talking with Dan [Dakich],” he said, referring to his appearance on the Outkick show last week. “I am an introverted guy, but when you push my buttons, you can light a fuse and kind of get me excited about the things I’m passionate about.
“I think the reason I said I don’t give a s–t is just, I get so frustrated with the country and being so divided and not liking each other — and people just not getting along and people are lashing out. And in the college football community, people creating conspiracy theories that aren’t true or people attacking me.”
Host Sam Ponder participates in the “Sunday NFL Countdown” panel during the ESPN Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour at the Beverly Hilton on Wednesday, July 26, 2017, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
A week prior, Herbstreit was asked “Do men belong in women’s sports?” by an X user.
👏🏼👏🏼
— Samantha Steele Ponder (@samponder) August 6, 2024 Kirk Herbstreit on the set of “College GameDay” in Atlanta, GA on September 2, 2017. Allen Kee / ESPN Images
“Of course not,” he replied . “Ridiculous question.”
Ponder publicly supported Herbstreit on X at the time.
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