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ESPN reporter Allison Williams leaving network over COVID-19 vaccine mandate

By Elsie A. Dotson 6 days ago
ESPN sideline reporter Allison Williams

Allison Williams said last month that she was remaining unvaccinated while she and her husband are trying to get pregnant. (Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

ESPN reporter Allison Williams is leaving the network over her decision not to get a COVID-19 vaccine, Williams said Friday on Instagram.

Disney, ESPN’s parent company, has implemented a coronavirus mandate for all employees that will go into effect Thursday. Williams said last month that she was unvaccinated and planned to remain that way while she and her husband were trying to have a second child.

Williams said in a video that she was denied a “request for accommodation” from ESPN, and that she will be “separated” from the company next week.

“Belief is a word I’ve been thinking about a lot lately, because in addition to the medical apprehensions regarding my desire to have another child in regards to receiving this injection, I am also so

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Kirk Herbstreit has one-word message for Crimson Tide entering Mississippi State game

By Elsie A. Dotson 7 days ago

Alabama football aims to bounce back Saturday with the No. 5 Crimson Tide (5-1, 2-1 SEC) at Mississippi State for a 7 p.m. ET kickoff. The Week 7 game for Alabama follows a 41-38 loss in last Saturday at Texas A&M. Turning the page from Week 6 and entering the Bulldogs (3-2, 1-1), ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit shared a one-word message for the Tide.

“Simplify,” Herbstreit said Saturday morning on SportsCenter. “They looked like a very confused team last (week). Again, when you play a physically dominant team in college football, you can’t just line up and play football. You’ve got to do a lot of different things with your formations, your personnel groupings and your motions.

“And (Texas) A&M did a heck of a job of confusing Alabama’s defense. Alabama, many times, on their heels looking at each other, kind of shrugging their shoulders, confused with

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‘Leave no stone unturned’ | Soccer

By Elsie A. Dotson 1 week ago

“Passionate. Caring. Competitive.”

All words that have been used to describe fifth year forward Sarah Griffith.

The same Sarah Griffith who is on pace to have one of the greatest offensive seasons in Purdue soccer history.

Currently tied for the most goals in the Big Ten at 11, Griffith has led the Boilermakers (10-2-2, 5-1-0 Big Ten) to the No. 19 spot in the United Soccer Coaches Poll, their first top-25 ranking in over 12 years.

Griffith started her season with Purdue’s game-tying goal, a shot that was aired on Sportscenter’s Top 10 plays. She said the incredible support the team received from the record-breaking Folk Field crowd was one of her favorite memories so far into the season.

From there, Griffith would continue to rack up goals and accolades, winning 3 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week awards and another Sportscenter Top 10 goal.

Against Ball State,

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‘It is Important for Black Women to be Amplified in Every Field’

By Elsie A. Dotson 1 week ago

Being a person of color in the sports world remains difficult. Its positions of power are monopolized by white men. So a Black woman hosting a sports media giant’s signature show is more than an accomplishment; it’s part of a hopeful trend of inclusion.

ESPN‘s Elle Duncan is co-anchor of the 6 p.m. weekday SportsCenter. She just signed a new multi-year deal with the sports network that virtually guarantees her spot for several more years. Duncan began her career in broadcasting in 2003 as an entertainment reporter for former Atlanta sports radio station 790 the Zone. Two years later, Duncan began a seven-year stint as an on-air personality with Atlanta hip-hop station V103.

She then moved into the sports arena as co-host of pre-game, halftime, and post-game shows for the Atlanta Falcons Radio Network in 2010 and 2011. After working stints in the Atlanta

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