ESPN NFL broadcaster Sam Ponder made headlines for more reason than one this weekend.
Ponder, a mainstay at the football desk for the Worldwide Leader in Sports, caused something of a stir on Sunday ahead of Deshaun Watson making his regular season debut for the Cleveland Browns.
She offered a tearful monologue on the topic that immediately went viral.
Some NFL fans didn’t focus on the substance of what she said, however, but rather the outfit she was wearing while saying it.
Case in point:
She should be reprimanded for dress code violations….smh so unprofessional!!! All the men are dressed in suits, while she is dressed like she just left the club last night. Then she calls DeShaun Watson a sexual predator while dressed in sexually suggested clothing??
— Dual Audio Pro DJ’s (@DualAudioProDJs) December 4, 2022
What was the offending outfit? It largely speaks for itself:
Some very powerful words here from @samponder on the return of Deshaun Watson. pic.twitter.com/gKnYpSGH9k
— Miles Garrett (@MilesGarrettTV) December 4, 2022
It is worth noting, not all NFL fans took issue with Ponder’s choice of attire. She had her fair share of supporters as well:
Moron
— Coach Barnes (@CoachJBarnes) December 4, 2022
This isn’t the first time in recent months Ponder has caused something of a stir with one of her outfits. Last month, her choice of clothing for a college football gameday also left quite the impression.
Ponder is a pretty massive star in sports broadcasting, so in a lot of ways this most recent controversy shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.
Charissa Thompson’s choice of outfit for her big Patrick Mahomes interview last week also generated some headlines.
Ditto for Erin Andrews and what she wore to a recent New Orleans Saints outing.
Deshaun Watson’s girl is going nuts at the #Browns game.https://t.co/5R5WJgsb9r
— Game 7 (@game7__) December 4, 2022
In a lot of ways, Ponder’s little brouhaha from Sunday is just par for the course.
Will she ultimately opt to address the NFL fans she angered this weekend? Or will she move on and ignore the fuss?
Time will tell.
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A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
