Fans are blasting ESPN over their treatment of popular female reporter Laura Rutledge following a recent significant development.<\/p>\n
Rutledge has been with the network since 2014, starting as a college football reporter and SEC Network host. She is now the host of \u2018NFL<\/a>\u00a0Live.\u2019<\/p>\n The 35-year-old was expected to replace Sam Ponder on \u2018Sunday NFL Countdown\u2019 after the latter was terminated last week, with reports naming her as a candidate along with Mike Greenberg. However, the company has opted to go with the \u2018Get Up\u2019 host, much to the annoyance of folks on social media.<\/p>\n Popular outlet\u00a0Awful Announcing<\/a>\u00a0also had a lot to say about the decision.<\/p>\n \u201cNFL Live has become one of ESPN\u2019s most dependable programs and the chemistry Rutledge produces with regular castmates like\u00a0Mina Kimes<\/a>, Ryan Clark, Dan Orlovsky, and Marcus Spears is special,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0they wrote.\u00a0\u201cYou would be hard-pressed to find anyone say a negative word about Laura Rutledge regarding her hosting work at ESPN. She should be someone ESPN builds around as a present and future cornerstone of the network.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAnd yet, when it comes to ESPN\u2019s Sunday and Monday NFL pregame shows, ESPN has decided to pass over her in favor of male talent that quite frankly, don\u2019t need the extra work or the extra platform. The optics of Rutledge being overlooked obviously aren\u2019t great for ESPN. And it makes even less sense from a programming and talent perspective.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n The site shared the article on X\/Twitter, attracting multiple like-minded reactions.<\/p>\n When will Laura Rutledge get the opportunity she has earned at ESPN? https:\/\/t.co\/lzSP9koTbc<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/XXcF7xr4XI<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 21, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\nFans Were Hoping Laura Rutledge Would Replace Sam Ponder<\/h2>\n
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