Sage Steele Has a ‘Bright and Long-Term Future at ESPN, Network Boss Says

ESPN president John Skipper says “SportsCenter on the Road” anchor has his “complete support” following Twitter backlash

Sage Steele and Kevin Hart at the 2015 All-Star game
ESPN

ESPN president John Skipper spoke out in support of Sage Steele after the “SportsCenter” anchor was the victim of Twitter trolling earlier in the week.

“Sage has done a wonderful job for us in a number of important roles. As previously announced, her ‘SportsCenter’ presence has grown and this week alone she has led our coverage from the men’s Final Four and the Masters,” Skipper said in a statement to TheWrap on Thursday.

“Sage definitively has a bright and long-term future at ESPN and my complete support,” he added.

Skipper’s public defense of the sportscaster comes in the wake of a slew of mean tweets aimed her after it was announced that Michelle Beadle will be the new host of ESPN’s “NBA Countdown.”

Some wrongly believed that Beadle’s new position meant that Steele was being fired — which is far from the truth.

In fact, Steele is leading “SportsCenter on the Road” show and is currently heading coverage from the Masters PGA tournament in Augusta, Georgia, following other high-profile assignments such as the Final Four, Super Bowl and MLB World Series.

Steele, who joined ESPN in March 2007, also signed a new multi-year deal with the World Wide Leader in Sports last September.

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