ESPN College GameDay host Kirk Herbstreit says he is done worrying about those who would criticize him over his comments that men should not play in women’s sports.
During a visit with Outkick’s Don’t @ Me! with Dan Dakich, the sports host, said he had spent years staying quiet on the topic, but now he is “done giving any shits” what the critics say.
“I didn’t give a shit, though. I don’t really give a shit at all. Like, I’m done giving any shits at all about any of it,” Herbstreit said about the social media attacks he suffered after criticizing trans athletes in women’s sports.
“It’s almost like there are two different sets of rules, and if you have a view that’s a little bit more traditional — I’m a Christian guy — it’s like there’s a different set of rules for that viewpoint, and it’s hard to just turn the other cheek time after time after time. I didn’t really care,” he continued.
“So, yeah, I didn’t really care, and I don’t care at all, which is a good thing,” he continued. “I think it’s good and healthy to get to that place, compared to, ‘Oh, gosh, I don’t want to get canceled. I don’t want to get people upset.’ I don’t give a s–t. I’m just going to say certain things.”
His remarks caused controversy after he said it was a “ridiculous question” to ask whether men belong in women’s sports.
But he has added that he has already remained quiet on this question for too long.
“I’ve been biting my tongue on a lot of topics for three years,” he told Outkick. “I was just like, I’m just going to give a quick answer, ‘Ridiculous question, of course not.’ I didn’t dwell on it. I didn’t give a like a long answer — that was it, and I didn’t realize it would be way more positive than negative.”
Herbstreit acknowledged that some may be triggered by his comment, saying, “I’m sure people are upset about it. I think it’s kind of a no-brainer. I don’t have a daughter; I have four sons. If I had a daughter, I’d probably be way more outspoken about the discussion on the topic.”
“I’ve tried to stay on the sidelines for a lot of that, but you know, you can only take so much until you want to start to speak up a little bit and actually say what you think. When I retire … I’ll be able to say what I think a lot more,” he insisted.
The question is more relevant than ever after two boxers who reportedly tested with male XY chromosomes were allowed to fight as women in Olympics boxing in Paris and unsurprisingly tore through all the natural-born women to win top honors at the 2024 Games.
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