Cari Champion on Suspended ESPN Host Comments on Women: ‘It Is Disrespectful’

EXCERPT:

KEILAR: "And she is the host of 'Stick to Sports,' 'Naked with Cari Champion' and a former ESPN anchor. Cari, your reaction to this on Twitter caught our eye. You said in part, my dad wasn’t around when I was younger. I’m still black. I wonder what you felt when you heard Sage Steele saying that."
CHAMPION: "You know, I think two things that were happening. Even in describing who she is, she’s very popular, really well-known. And I think a lot of people, myself included, before I even started working at ESPN, Sage was considered a role model in a lot of ways for a lot of young brown girls. And so I think the reason why you’re hearing so much about this in the community is because it’s disappointing. And I think a lot of people, regardless of her experience or how she chooses to identify for many years related to Sage as the brown girl at ESPN or someone they could look up to or they could aspire to be like. And my reaction was simply disappointed. Because, first of all, it -- it implied so many things that were hurtful. And it also shows that there is just a lack of unawareness on her part. And there was no one there to say that sounds a little strange, don’t you think, Sage? For you to say that about the former president. And it’s actually disrespectful."