Former ESPN anchor Sage Steele said she received abusive messages after she publicly criticized five NFL teams that did not hold moments of silence to honor conservative activist Charlie Kirk following his killing last week.
Steele, who left ESPN in 2023 and has since taken a more outspoken public role, posted on X that the Detroit Lions, Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts and Minnesota Vikings “chose to fully ignore” Kirk before their Week 2 games. She later shared a screenshot on Instagram of an insulting direct reply she said she had received after making the initial post.
In her X post, Steele wrote: “Disappointing. Especially considering how vocal these 4 teams were after George Floyd’s death. What a missed opportunity to condemn violence (as they did in 2020 & beyond) and preach diversify of thought and peace. Sad.” The abusive message she posted included the line, “Sad that you weren't aborted tbh. Go pillow talk with that cracka you married,” and referenced her husband, businessman Dave Barbuto. Steele wrote that the screenshot represented “one of many responses” she had received.
Steele, who was suspended by ESPN years earlier over comments related to Barack Obama and the COVID-19 vaccine, said she rarely gives her critics free publicity but felt the responses were worth highlighting. Her posts prompted a flood of replies from users who agreed with her criticism of the teams that did not pause weekend play.
Kirk, a conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed last week at Utah Valley University. The killing prompted a range of responses from NFL teams ahead of regular-season Week 2 games. The league allowed teams to decide individually whether to pay tribute. Several teams, including the Dallas Cowboys, New York Jets, Tennessee Titans, New Orleans Saints, Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals, observed moments of silence or other tributes before their games. The Green Bay Packers also observed a moment of silence for Kirk prior to their Thursday night game.
The Indianapolis Colts said they had planned a moment of silence to honor Forrest Lucas, the Lucas Oil founder whose death last month was already scheduled to be observed at the stadium. Daily Mail reported that the Lions, Bengals, Ravens and Vikings did not initially respond to requests for comment about why they did not hold tributes.
Steele’s post drew attention in part because she contrasted the teams’ decisions with their public responses to the killing of George Floyd in 2020. Several franchises and players, including those with the Ravens and Vikings, were highly visible in league-wide protests and statements after Floyd’s death. Steele argued the absence of tributes to Kirk represented a missed opportunity to condemn violence and emphasize the “human element” beyond political division.
League officials said teams could choose how to respond in the immediate aftermath of Kirk’s death. Some teams that observed tributes displayed a photo of Kirk on their jumbotrons, held a moment of silence before kickoff or adjusted pregame programming. The Dolphins combined a moment of silence for Kirk with observances for victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and “any other victims of violence,” while the Steelers lowered a flag to half-staff before their game.
News organizations and teams continue to report reactions and clarify why some franchises chose not to include a tribute in their pregame activities. Steele’s post highlights how decisions about public mourning by sports franchises can become entwined with broader political debates and public reactions on social media.