In a recent episode of Dan Abrams Live, former ESPN anchor Sage Steele weighed in on the controversy surrounding Caitlin Clark, a star basketball player, and an alleged “eye poke” incident during a game. Some had accused Steele of being racially insensitive for merely questioning whether Clark’s actions were intentional, sparking a broader debate about race and sports.

Steele, known for her forthright opinions, dismissed the racism charge as “ridiculous” and emphasized that her question had nothing to do with race but was purely focused on the incident itself. On Dan Abrams Live, Steele clarified that her comment stemmed from observing the game and analyzing Clark’s play, which is something routinely done with athletes of all backgrounds.

Abrams supported Steele’s position, pointing out that sports analysis often involves tough questions about an athlete’s behavior on the court, regardless of their race. Both Abrams and Steele stressed the importance of keeping conversations about player actions separate from racial narratives, unless there is a clear reason to connect them.

This debate highlights the ongoing tensions in sports media, where discussions about race, intent, and action are often intertwined, even when the focus should be on the game itself. Steele’s stance underlines her belief that such accusations can detract from fair and objective sports analysis.