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Sage Steele says Doc Rivers turned on her in nasty ESPN feud: ‘I’m going to show you my DMs’

Nypost · · 384 words · By Jenna Lemoncelli
Political Polarization in Sports Free speech and professional repercussions
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What to know about Political Polarization in Sports

Former ESPN broadcaster Sage Steele didn’t hold back while discussing “passive aggressiveness from NBA coaches,” such as Doc Rivers and Steve Kerr, that she received when she voiced her conservative views and support for President Donald Trump.

Claims checked 5
Techniques found 1
Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center50%
Right50%

2 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Former ESPN broadcaster Sage Steele didn’t hold back while discussing “passive aggressiveness from NBA coaches,” such as Doc Rivers and Steve Kerr, that she received when she voiced her conservative views and support for President Donald Trump.

Why it matters

During an interview with “The Rubin Report,” Steele claimed Rivers sent her “pages and pages of why I’m such an idiot to be a Republican or conservative and support Donald Trump” and unfollowed her on social media.

Common ground

“Just knowing that so many of them are full of s–t with what they say versus what they do.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/20/sports/sage-steele-says-former-nba-coach-blasted-h…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 5 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 5
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Claim 1: “Steele, who worked at ESPN since 2007”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources, including web search results, confirm she had been with ESPN since 2007.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Sage Marie Steele (born November 28, 1972) is a former television anchor and co-host of the 12 noon (ET) SportsCenter on ESPN. She also hosted SportsCenter on the Road from various sporting events su…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sage_Steele
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The School of Public Health-Bloomington is the school of public health of Indiana University Bloomington. Until 2012, it was the School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation (HPER). Now, the S…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_of_Public_Health_(India…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Up Close is an American sports interview show that aired on ESPN+ in 2021 and had aired on ESPN from 1981 to 2001.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Up_Close
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 2: “Steele claimed Rivers sent her “pages and pages of why I’m such an idiot to be a Republican or conservative and support Donald Trump” and unfollowed her on social media”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web sources report that Sage Steele claimed Doc Rivers sent her direct messages criticizing her conservative views and support for Donald Trump.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a partial listing of rivers in the state of Oregon, United States. This list of Oregon rivers is organized alphabetically and by tributary structure. The list may also include streams known as…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rivers_of_Oregon
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Sheffield DocFest (formerly styled Sheffield Doc/Fest; abbr.Sheffield International Documentary Festival or SIDF) is an international documentary festival and industry marketplace held annually in She…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheffield_DocFest
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic consisting of 50 states and a federal c…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 3: “Sage Steele was a former ESPN broadcaster”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web sources confirm Sage Steele was an ESPN broadcaster, including nj.com, The Mirror US, and other news reports.
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web search NEUTRAL — Sage Steele is one of ESPN’s most popular and respected commentators, currently serving as the co-anchor for the noon ET SportsCenter with Matt Barrie. Steele also is lead host for SportsCenter on the…
https://www.nj.com/sports/2021/09/espn-anchor-slams-worldwid…
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web search NEUTRAL — Indiana University graduate Sage Steele made a name for herself as a sports broadcaster and earned an anchor spot on ESPN for her talents in talking about sports and with sports figures.
https://thebtownbee.com/columns/the-waterboard-em-trustee/
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web search NEUTRAL — Steele, who worked for ESPN as a host and anchor from 2007 to 2023, made it clear she is not a fan of the Toronto Tempo’s new non-binary mascot, Dez, a Borealis Blue snapping turtle who identifies as …
https://www.themirror.com/sport/basketball/sage-steele-wnba-…
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Claim 4: “Steele — who was a former “SportsCenter” anchor with ESPN”
CORROBORATED
Web search results and Wikipedia confirm she was a co-anchor for the noon ET SportsCenter.
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web search NEUTRAL — During an episode of The Megyn Kelly Show podcast, the former SportsCenter claimed that Walters tried to assault her after a segment about Barack Obama.Last week, the network confirmed that Steele is …
https://www.theroot.com/say-what-sage-steele-says-barbara-wa…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Actor Will Ferrell’s visit to Emerson College on Dec. 4, 2013, in which he speaks to students as Ron Burgundy, the iconic character from his hit movie “Anchorman.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K18PrhOICk
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Sage Steele hosted SportsCenter, ESPN’s flagship show, for 5 years prior to her NBA assignment. Prior to this, Sage Steele served as a contributor to Mike & Mike in the Morning, ESPN First Take, and S…
https://republicmonews.com/2023/03/08/who-is-sage-steele-mar…
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Claim 5: “Steele left ESPN in August 2023 after both sides settled a lawsuit she filed following her being removed from the air in October 2021 for comments she made about the company’s COVID-19 vaccine policy.”
CORROBORATED
Three independent web sources explicitly state that Steele left ESPN in August 2023 after settling a lawsuit related to her removal from the air in October 2021 over COVID-19 vaccine policy comments.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The NBA on ESPN is a presentation of National Basketball Association (NBA) games produced by ESPN and airing on the ESPN networks and ABC in the United States. Games on ESPN air on Wednesdays througho…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NBA_on_ESPN_commentato…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Sage Marie Steele (born November 28, 1972) is a former television anchor and co-host of the 12 noon (ET) SportsCenter on ESPN. She also hosted SportsCenter on the Road from various sporting events su…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sage_Steele
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — SportsCenter (SC) is an American television sports news broadcasting show broadcast by ESPN and ABC. Originally anchored by Chris Berman, George Grande, Greg Gumbel, Lee Leonard, Bob Ley, Sal Marchian…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SportsCenter
+ 3 more evidence sources
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.