Espn Panelist Says 'trans Kids Deserve To Play Sports' In Final Appearance Before Show's Cancellation

"Around nan Horn" leaves nan airwaves later this month, which intends immoderate of nan show's panelists are making their last appearances successful nan coming weeks.

That includes Kate Fagan, who appeared for nan past clip connected nan show Thursday. Fagan, a longtime writer and reporter, besides played college hoops astatine Colorado.

Fagan has made appearances connected nan show since she was first hired by ESPN successful 2012. She near nan web successful 2018 but has continued to look connected nan program.

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President Donald Trump signs nan "No Men successful Women's Sports" executive bid into rule successful nan East Room of nan White House successful Washington, D.C., Feb. 5, 2025. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP)

Fagan was wished to beryllium nan "winner" of Thursday's show against Jemele Hill, who made a return to nan show since leaving nan web successful 2018. The victor of nan section typically delivers a short monologue, and Fagan said "being connected this show has been a privilege and a platform."

With Thursday marking her last episode, she utilized that level to make a plea for transgender athletes.

"I cognize it's my past clip connected it, and I want to opportunity thing worthy of that platform, and that's trans kids merit to play sports," she said. "Think astir what you retrieve from your clip playing sports. Ninety-nine percent of it is uncovering that jersey for nan first time, your favourite number, community, joy, those high-fives. 

"It's that infinitesimal erstwhile you person a awesome play pinch a teammate. It's nan emotion of belonging. And it does not cognize gender. Trans kids merit nan aforesaid arsenic everyone other does.

"Sports is joy. Sports is humanity. And nan much group who person that, nan better."

Transgender jock protagonist Kyle Harp, left, holds nan advancement pridefulness emblem arsenic "Save Girls Sports" supporters Lori Lopez and her dad, Pete Pickering, perceive to statement extracurricular a Riverside Unified School District gathering Dec. 19, 2024.  (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

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There is nary rule aliases bid that bans transgender children from participating successful sports. President Donald Trump signed an executive bid successful February that prohibits biologic males identifying arsenic girls aliases women from competing against biologic females.

ESPN announced nan show's cancellation successful March, and soon after, former panelist Jay Mariotti, who was a regular connected nan show until a home unit apprehension successful 2010, said successful an question and reply nan show is being canceled because it went "woke."

"I deliberation what John Skipper wanted from immoderate of nan shows was he started to instal group connected nan shows who became anti-Trump," Mariotti told Front Office Sports.

In a caller station connected his ain Substack, "Around nan Horn ended a agelong clip agone ¸— erstwhile I near nan show," Mariotti reiterated that immoderate of nan panelists went "woke" while others were "on dope."

Sadie Schreiner puts a transgender emblem successful her hairsbreadth earlier heading to nan awards guidelines aft finishing 3rd successful nan finals of nan 200-meter title astatine nan 2024 NCAA Division III outdoor way and section championships astatine Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium oMay 25, 2024, successful Myrtle Beach, S.C. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

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There are now conscionable 11 episodes near of nan show, which is complete 20 years old.

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