ESPN Re-Signs Anti-Caitlin Clark Race Baiters After Firing Sam Ponder For 'Budget Cuts'

ESPN fired Sam Ponder in August, citing "budget cuts." We remain skeptical.

Ponder was the network's lead NFL studio host. Yet ESPN fired her three weeks before the start of the NFL season. Secondly, Ponder had become the network's only female talent to speak out against transgenderism in women's sports, a non-grata topic at the Disney-owned media operation.

Specifically, Ponder had posted "XY= male XX= female" on X – in response to the International Olympic Committee permitting a fighter with XY chromosomes to box against women in the 2024 Olympics – just weeks before her firing, which sources tell OutKick infuriated ESPN executives.

ESPN's reasoning for laying off Ponder would be more believable if the network were actually cutting down on salary expenses. ESPN is not. In fact, the network announced on Thursday that it had re-signed three basketball analysts: Kendrick Perkins, Chiney Ogwumike, and Monica McNutt.

Hmm.

While Ponder had become a political pariah inside ESPN – for believing that men should not play women's sports – Perkins, Ogwumike, and McNutt have firmly established themselves as soldiers on the other side of the culture war.

Perkins is best known as an analyst for, without merit, accusing NBA MVP voters of racism in 2023. He cited since-debunked "facts" about the number of white voters and white MVP winners to make the case that Nikola Jokic could not win the MVP if he were not white.

Perkins then fumed in a now-deleted Twitter rant that white people are allowed to make mistakes on television because of their "privilege" and black men like him are not.

Well, it turns out black men are allowed to make mistakes. 

Not only did Perkins' commentary seemingly cost Jokic the award (voters were afraid to be called racist), but ESPN rewarded him with a new contract, a raise, and a seat in the NBA Finals.

Let us know when the next white person goes on ESPN, spews lies about black people, and receives a multi-million dollar contract afterward.

#Privilege.

Speaking of raises, ESPN increased the pay of Chiney Ogwumike and Monica McNutt. They can thank Caitlin Clark for that. 

Ogwumike and McNutt fronted the ESPN crusade against Clark this season. They vigorously defended the black players who cheap-shotted Clark on the court, namely Chennedy Carter.

For a refresher, Carter stormed at Clark during a game in June, called her a "bitch," and purposely slammed into her. Ogwumike downplayed the play as merely "physical."

Oh.

At least Perkins and Ogwumike had some success in their playing careers. 

McNutt is a total product of the Clark phenomenon. And for her faux outrage over the coverage of Clark.

In July, McNutt criticized her own employer (ESPN) and its biggest star (Stephen A. Smith) for focusing more on Clark than the black players in the league. She told Smith, to his face, that he should have been promoting the WNBA long before the little white girl from Iowa arrived.

Nonetheless, McNutt soaked up the social media responses that depicted her as a sympathetic figure who stood up to Stephen A. Smith. It worked. It landed her on "The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart, where she called the notion that "it’s the league versus Caitlin" Clark "absolutely false."

How could McNutt claim that there were not players in the WNBA targeting Clark during the season?

OutKick called her after her appearance with Stewart to ask her that question and provide her with various examples. However, she immediately hung up the phone when she learned the author of this story was calling.

Not many pundits receive a new contract after bashing their own employer on-air. McNutt did.

Apparently, Ponder should have spent more time diminishing white players. It works. Race-baiting is a form of job security.

In reality, ESPN doesn't have "budget concerns." The network offered Stephen A. Smith an $18 million-a-year extension in August, per Puck, which he turned down. 

Smith is seeking around $25 million to $30 million annually, to which sources say ESPN will likely cave.

The network has the money to pay and keep whoever it wants. Put simply, "budget concerns" are an excuse to lay off people who it doesn't want – like acclaimed basketball journalist Zach Lowe earlier this month.

One just has to have the right skin color and political opinions to be a part of ESPN's budget.

Ponder had neither.