ESPN anchor Sage Steele went through hell, but God lifted her up

By Alex Brick –

At the same time, TV anchor Sage Steele was going through a divorce, got suspended by ESPN, caught COVID and began receiving death threats.

“I’ll just never forget that time being stuck in bed and reading some of the things that were being said and never feeling so alone in my life ever,” Sage told the 700 Club Interactive.

Sage survived the ordeal with resilience and grace, the grace that God supplied her.

Born to an African-American graduate of West Point and an Irish-Italian mother, Steele grew up as a “military brat” with conservative values, unique view on race relations, devotion to God and a love for sports.

As one of the first women to report and anchor sports news, Sage rose quickly to prominence because she always did her homework and asked intelligent questions. She joined ESPN in 2007, becoming co-anchor to the centerpiece SportsCenter show, where she was a mainstay until the fateful suspension.

Appearing on Jay Cutler’s podcast, Sage angered liberals by opposing vaccine mandates and criticizing former President Barak Obama for calling himself black when his mother is white, a birth status that Sage shares.

Obama’s self-identification is “fascinating, considering his black dad is nowhere to be found, but his white mom and grandma raised him,” Sage said.

When her comments were aired, a controversy erupted within ESPN. Even though she was not speaking on ESPN, the Disney-owned network suspended her.

In conjunction with her suspension, Steele issued an apology: “I know my recent comments created controversy for the company, and I apologize. We are in the midst of an extremely challenging time that impacts all of us, and it’s more critical than ever that we communicate constructively and thoughtfully.”

After her suspension, she got a severe case of Covid. She had recently divorced her husband of 20 years. She sat alone at home reading hatemail and threats against her life and her family’s life.

As her world collapsed, she wept. “I was in tears over what was said when there were death threats, when people threatened to rape my daughters,” she recalls.

Sage turned to God and prayed. She remembered her parents. Her father was the first African-American to play on the West Point football team in the 1960s. Her mother was cut off by her parents for marrying an African-American.

“My faith had gotten me through,” she says. “I woke up that morning. God had a plan for me.”

Sage sued ESPN for unlawful suspension and violation of her First Amendment rights. The network settled the case out of court.

“I do try to pray for those who haven’t been so nice,” Steele said, lightly touching the bracelets on her wrist that stood for grace. “God has proven that to me a million times over, even when I wasn’t paying attention.”

To learn more about a personal relationship with Jesus, click here.

About this writer: Alex Brick studies at the Lighthouse Christian Academy near West Los Angeles.