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Lawyer: Sage Steele Suing ESPN Same As Disney Suing Florida

“This case is about one thing and one thing only, and that’s retaliating against Sage Steele for exercising her right to free speech under Connecticut law.”

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ESPN’s Sage Steele was under fire in September 2021 after she appeared on Uncut with Jay Cutler and expressed her thoughts on The Walt Disney Company’s mandate for employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. She stated that she did not want to receive the vaccine but did so in order to keep her job. Despite making other comments that raised debate, her comments pertaining to the vaccine reportedly perturbed ESPN leadership.

The company coerced Steele to apologize in a statement and duly suspended her thereafter. Upon her return, she was removed from various coveted assignments, such as the Rose Parade and New York City Marathon.

Steele filed a lawsuit against ESPN and The Walt Disney Company last April, and the legal battle is beginning to intensify in the Connecticut Superior Court. Her lawyer’s argument is that Connecticut does not allow private employers to discipline their employees when they engage in speech protected by the U.S. Constitution, the location of that speech notwithstanding. She ascertains that since the comments were stated “on her own time and on matters of significant public interest,” they are protected under the law.

Additionally, it is noted how the company neglected to discipline co-workers who criticized and/or harassed Steele for her viewpoints. Steele initially filed a human resources complaint with the company last February, and she was quickly offered the chance to co-host The Masters Tournament. Her attorneys call the move “a blatant admission of liability,” and compelled Steele to file a lawsuit two months later.

“If you’re an anchor for a network, you are the face of that network,” Devin McRae, a partner at Early Sullivan Wright Gizer & McRae, told Variety. “And anytime somebody is the public face of the company, and they start talking about the company, they might be opening themselves up to some kind of discipline from the company, including termination. But Connecticut has this interesting law that protects her.”

ESPN’s executive editor and head of event and studio production Norby Williamson told Steele during her suspension that she had “whacked the company” and checked in to see if she was okay. Former senior vice president of production and content strategy Jill Frederickson told Steele of colleagues who were hurt by the comments, but purportedly was looking to get a response by asking others directly for their thoughts.

The Walt Disney Company is currently in the midst of a lawsuit against Florida governor Ron DeSantis, alleging it was punished after publicly criticizing the Parental Rights in Education Act. The legislation, colloquially referred to as the “Don’t Say Gay” law, prohibits instruction pertaining to sexual orientation and gender identity to students ranging from kindergarten to the third grade. 

After its public statements, DeSantis signed a bill that revoked the company’s control of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, instead being subject to oversight by Orange County. Following arguments by Disney that it could not happen after the state paid $1 billion of outstanding bond debt, DeSantis called for a special legislative session to finalize the decision. In the end, Disney was granted the ability to retain its special tax district; however, DeSantis was bestowed the ability to appoint a board governing it, which he subsequently stacked in his favor. Little did DeSantis know that the outgoing board completed an agreement that transferred a preponderance of control back to The Walt Disney Company, rendering the new board somewhat impotent. Once the new board approved a resolution nullifying the secret deal, Disney sued DeSantis.

“I wholeheartedly agree with Disney’s position that in America, the government cannot punish you for speaking your mind,” Steele said in a statement. “In my opinion, it begins and ends with diversity of thought. We must fight to preserve that fundamental constitutional right.”

Just how Steele’s lawsuit ends up unfolding could guide the progression of the case involving DeSantis, who is now vying for the Republican nomination for president of the United States.

“This case is about one thing and one thing only, and that’s retaliating against Sage Steele for exercising her right to free speech under Connecticut law,” said attorney Bryan Freedman, who has been in private meditation with the company. “Disney’s legal position concerning the actions that led to this lawsuit with Sage Steele is a significant legal inconsistency that could cause Disney self-inflicted harm in the Florida courts. Disney should be very careful here.”

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Final ‘Good Morning Football’ Episode from New York Studio Airs Before Hiatus, Move to LA

After today, ‘Good Morning Football’ will take a brief hiatus, then move to LA. But outside of host Jamie Erdahl, who else will join the show on the West Coast?

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Good Morning Football

Today marks the last Good Morning Football episode to air from its New York studios on NFL Network. After today, the show will take a brief hiatus, then move across the country to Los Angeles. But which of the shows beloved cast members will move along with it?

We already know host Jamie Erdahl will be there once she gives birth to her child. The newest GMFB show member gave an emotional send-off to the show’s New York studios before announcing she was headed for maternity leave and would see everyone in LA.

Host Kyle Brandt delivered this message late last night, saying that viewers should tune in to he and his colleagues and that “he has a lot to say.”

Earlier this week, however, host Peter Schrager delivered his own goodbye message — one that may sound like a man who’s not ready to move his family across the country at a moment’s notice:

However, no hosts outside of Erdahl have given confirmation that they’re either staying or going.

The NFL’s move to take the show from New York to Los Angeles has been widely criticized by fans and media members alike. Bill Simmons wondered if the move wouldn’t spell just the end of GMFB but the NFL Network as a whole. It has some wondering if this is the end of football’s best show.

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ESPN Coverage of Men’s NIT Tournament Quarterfinals Up 33% vs. 2023

Viewership of the Men’s NIT Quarterfinals on ESPN were up 33 percent compared to last year and featured two games that averaged over one million viewers.

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Even the NIT is riding the recent hot streak of live sports viewership numbers. According to data provided by ESPN, the 2024 NIT Quarterfinals are up 33 percent compared to last year’s tournament. Perhaps more surprisingly, two NIT quarterfinal games topped one million viewers.

The network’s Georgia/Ohio State matchup averaged 1.03 million viewers, while the Cincinnati/Indiana State contest averaged 1.02 million viewers. These two games were the most-watched NIT games since 2017 — including title games. Both Georgia and Ohio State have rabid fanbases, while many thought Indiana State was unjustly left out of the March Madness tournament, which could be a reason why viewers tuned in.

Much of the focus this season has been on the women’s game, thanks to Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and the undefeated South Carolina Gamecocks, led by Dawn Staley. ESPN just had its most-watched women’s college basketball season since 2008-09 because of the increased interest in the women’s game. The men’s game, however, hasn’t been heralded as much this season for whatever reason, mostly because numbers seem to be holding steady compared to previous years. However, if the NIT is posting viewership wins, that should bode well for the NCAA Tournament’s incoming viewership totals.

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Report: NFL to Put Christmas Day Doubleheader Up For Bids

Bidding is expected to start at $50 million among the current NFL media partners but some think the games could sell for $75 million to $100 million apiece.

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The NFL will reportedly put its Christmas Day games up for auction, allowing its current media partners to bid for the games. Now, it’s up to CBS, FOX, ESPN, NBC, and Prime Video to pay up for rights to one of these two marquee games.

According to Front Office Sports Michael McCarthy, preference will be given to linear networks, so Prime Video and Peacock may sit this one out. Bidding is expected to start at $50 million but McCarthy and his sources expect that number to rise. John Kosner, the former ESPN executive, thinks the new Christmas Day games could sell for $75 million to $100 million apiece.

The NFL announced a Wednesday Christmas Day doubleheader during its annual league meetings. The league originally said it wouldn’t force games on Christmas Day if the holiday fell on an odd day of the week, though as the NFL continues to put games on days outside of Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays, and sometimes Saturdays, we’re running out of days that don’t feature NFL football.

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