Get ready for another round of sports media drama. This time, it’s former NBC Sports sideline reporter Michele Tafoya versus ESPN’s Mina Kimes, and the sparks are flying over a political comment.
The latest clash began when Kimes, during her appearance on the “Pablo Torre Finds Out” podcast, praised Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz for “modeling a different kind of masculinity.” Kimes compared Walz’s approach to the modern masculinity seen in NFL figures like the Kelce brothers and Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell, emphasizing that tough, masculine figures can also show emotion and empathy. “There’s something, to me, really important about seeing someone like this modeling a different kind of masculinity,” Kimes said, while also noting that her comments were not an endorsement of Walz. She highlighted how Walz, while serving as a football coach, also ran a gay-straight alliance at the high school where he worked, which she found to be a powerful example of inclusive leadership.
However, Tafoya was not impressed. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Tafoya expressed her disappointment in Kimes’ remarks, writing, “I am sincerely embarrassed for @minakimes. And how pathetic that her kind of ‘masculinity’ means more than the candidate’s record, which is abysmal. Sincerely, A Minnesotan.” Tafoya’s pointed critique reflected her deep disapproval of what she saw as Kimes prioritizing a symbolic gesture over Walz’s political record.
Kimes responded in a way that many interpreted as dismissive, posting a two-second video clip of LeBron James pretending to be afraid during a Lakers game—a clear indication that she wasn’t fazed by Tafoya’s critique.
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The disagreement is perhaps unsurprising given Tafoya’s recent shift from sports media to political commentary. Tafoya left NBC after the 2022 Super Bowl, citing a “palpable pull at my gut” to engage more directly in political discussions. She’s since been vocal about her conservative views and even co-chaired the campaign of Republican candidate Kendall Qualls, who ran for governor in Minnesota against Walz. Her alignment with Qualls and her recent political activity make her critique of Kimes even more pointed.
This isn’t the first time sports media personalities have clashed over political issues. ESPN, in particular, has seen its fair share of controversy. Sage Steele, another ESPN personality, faced a lengthy suspension after speaking out against the network’s vaccine mandates, leading to a very public fallout. Recently, college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit indicated that he’s done “biting his tongue” on the topic of transgender athletes in sports, while NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky stirred the pot by posting—and then quickly deleting—a tweet that read “Protect our daughters” during the early stages of the Imane Khelif Olympic boxing controversy.
Tafoya’s criticism of Kimes is just the latest example of how sports and politics continue to intersect, often leading to heated exchanges among media figures. As sports personalities become more outspoken about their political views, these kinds of clashes are likely to continue, reflecting the broader societal debates that influence both sports and public discourse.
Whether Kimes will choose to further engage with Tafoya or let the matter rest remains to be seen, but for now, the tension between these two media figures highlights the increasingly blurred lines between sports commentary and political advocacy.
