Sam Ponder Receives "Disturbing" DMs After Mourning Charlie Kirk
Former ESPN star Sam Ponder has reported receiving a barrage of “disturbing” direct messages following her public expression of mourning for Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old conservative activist who was assassinated at a campus event at Utah Valley University. Ponder's post on X ignited a firestorm of reactions, leading to the unsettling influx of messages.
Ponder's Initial Reaction and Subsequent Backlash
Ponder, who spent over a decade at ESPN, initially shared her sentiments on X, writing, “I mourn for Charlie’s family. I mourn for our country. But I have renewed hope that many, like me, will find the courage to lovingly speak the truth boldly in the public square, as he often did.” This post, expressing grief and hope, was met with a wave of criticism and negativity, culminating in the disturbing direct messages she later described.
Two days after her initial post, Ponder described the content of the DMs. “My DMs are more disturbing than ever (and trust me, that’s sayin something). Apparently only perfect people can be mourned when they’re murdered in their 30s with a wife and young children,” she wrote. She further lamented the perceived expectation of ideological purity in order to warrant sympathy, emphasizing the importance of empathy even for those with differing opinions.
“God forbid every word we’ve ever spoken be the prerequisite for sympathy when we die.”
Wider Reactions and Consequences in the Sports World
Ponder was not alone in mourning Kirk’s death within the sports community. Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart publicly condemned the shooting, and the Yankees observed a moment of silence in memory of the Turning Point USA founder. Seven home NFL teams also paid tribute to Kirk, following the Packers' tribute on Thursday night.
However, expressing support for Kirk came with consequences for some. A Carolina Panthers staffer was fired, and a member of Joe Burrow’s charity board was removed from their position due to controversial posts about Kirk in the aftermath of his death. This highlights the sensitivity surrounding public figures expressing opinions on divisive topics.
