ESPN reporter Sage Steele felt “defeated” after getting a COVID vaccine so she could continue working for the Disney-owned sports channel, but she took one for the team anyway.
“It’s scary to me in many ways, but I have a job that I love and frankly a job that I need,” Steele said on Wednesday’s “Uncut with Jay Cutler” podcast.
The 48-year-old “SportsCenter” co-host said she had until Sept. 30 to get the shot that protects against the virus that has killed nearly 700,000 Americans and greatly altered the sports world. Steele’s issue was that the inoculation was mandatory for her and her 5,500 traveling colleagues at ESPN.
“I do know, for me personally, I feel… defeated,” she said of her futile resistance. “To mandate it is sick.”
Steele said giving in to the vaccine mandate was an “emotional” experience, but she wasn’t surprised a “global company” like Disney would impose measures to curb a worldwide pandemic.
Cutler started his show by saying he was looking forward to his interview with Steele, whom he described as outspoken, but he said he was “not sure if she’s going to dive into” anything controversial. The former Chicago Bears quarterback admitted he was a bit nervous to see what Steele would say and intended to respect her game plan.
Steele, who’s been with ESPN for 15 years and said it was her “dream since (she) was a little kid,” came ready to play.
Former ESPN personality Allison Williams said she’d sit out the 2021 college football season rather than getting vaccinated. Though the CDC recommends vaccinations for “people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant now, or might become pregnant in the future,” Williams cited her desire to have a second child as reason for her vaccine hesitancy.
