Sam Ponder and analyst Robert Griffin III have been fired by ESPN after Ponder spoke up about trans inclusion in women's sports.

 

Samantha Ponder

ESPN has fired Samantha Ponder and Robert Griffin III. Ponder didn’t immediately comment on the decision. Griffin joked on X about getting fired on his day off, using a clip from the movie "Friday."

The decision to fire Ponder sparked outrage on social media. Riley Gaines, the host of OutKick’s "Gaines for Girls" podcast, and former ESPN anchor Sage Steele were among those who defended Ponder.

Ponder was among the few personalities who called for fairness in women’s sports amid the ongoing debate over transgender inclusion. She also defended Kansas City Chiefs’ Harrison Butker for his faith-based speech at Benedictine College.

A source familiar with Ponder and Griffin’s firings told Fox News Digital they were business decisions. Griffin was off "Monday Night Countdown" in favor of the network's new hire, former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, and would still receive his full salary for a low-profile college football show. Ponder’s lone show was "Sunday NFL Countdown."

The source added that Ponder and Griffin will still get what they are owed in their contracts.

Ponder joined ESPN’s Longhorn Network in July 2011 and moved up the ranks as the host of one of the company’s top NFL shows.

Griffin, who played several seasons in the NFL, joined ESPN in August 2022. He was an analyst on "NFL Live" and a college football analyst. He joined "Monday Night Countdown" in 2022.