• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, July 1, 2025

ESPN’s Jason Kelce Avoids Discipline After Viral Fan Confrontation

The dust continues to settle from Jason Kelce’s viral confrontation with a Penn State fan caught on multiple videos and circulated throughout social media.

Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The dust continues to settle from Jason Kelce’s viral confrontation with a fan at Penn State on Saturday.

ESPN is not punishing Kelce, who joined the cast of Monday Night Countdown this season, for slamming a fan’s phone to the ground after the male student used a homophobic slur to instigate the situation. Kelce then used the same slur in his reaction, which was caught on multiple videos that circulated throughout social media.

Kelce had appeared on ESPN’s College GameDay on Saturday morning. He waited to address the situation publicly for the first time at the top of Monday night’s show ahead of the Buccaneers-Chiefs Monday Night Football game at Arrowhead Stadium. 

“I’m not happy with anything that took place,” Kelce said in his minute-long explanation on ESPN. “I’m not proud of it. And in a heated moment, I chose to greet hate with hate, and I just don’t think that’s a productive thing. … I try to treat people with common decency and respect, even though I fell short this week. I’m going to do that moving forward and continue to do that.”

Kelce is expected to address the situation further on his weekly podcast, New Heights, which will be released Wednesday. “I don’t think this is the platform to go into more detail,” he said Monday on ESPN. Kelce was spotted in Taylor Swift’s suite at Arrowhead Stadium during Monday night’s game, as his brother, Travis, caught 14 passes for 100 yards in the Chiefs’ 30–24 overtime victory.

In the past, other former high-profile ESPN personalities like Bill Simmons, Colin Cowherd, and Jemele Hill have been suspended for various actions and comments made on ESPN airwaves and social media. 

Penn State police are investigating the incident, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. An officer “observed a visitor damaging personal property,” per the crime logs.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

ESPN, MLB Relationship May Not Be Over After All

The parties restart rights talks amid a high-profile divorce in February.

College Sports Revenue-Sharing Underway As More Changes Loom

July 1 marks the first day schools can directly pay players.
Jun 10, 2025; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) drops back to pass during minicamp at their South Side facility.
opinion

Steelers Win-Now Mode Is Good News for NFL Media Partners

The conservative “Steeler Way” has finally adapted—and media partners are happy.

Pac-12 Hits Football Membership Threshold With Texas State Entry

The school is paying $5 million to leave the Sun Belt Conference.

Featured Today

The Battle Over Wimbledon’s Ambitious Expansion Plan

A classic NIMBY standoff on one of the most hallowed grounds in sports.
Seattle Rough & Tumble
June 28, 2025

Women’s Sports Bars Are on the Rise. Survival Isn’t Guaranteed

Some women’s sports bars are cashing in. Others are clawing for funding.
June 27, 2025

Shitposters Have Taken the Reins of Pro Sports’ Official Voices

Meet the social media pros turning sports teams into internet trolls.
Jun 17, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) hoists the Stanley Cup after winning game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena
June 26, 2025

Stanley Cup’s International Summer Tour: Rules, Repairs, and Raucousness

No pro trophy tour compares to the NHL’s three-month global victory lap.
Leo Messi

TNT, Club World Cup Ride Messi to Surprisingly Solid Debut Ratings

TNT Sports carries about a third of matches in the U.S.
June 23, 2025

NBA Finals Game 7 Is Most-Watched Since 2019, but Series Drops 9%

Game 7 drew 16.35 million viewers, the most-watched NBA game since 2019.
June 24, 2025

Fever vs. Aces Draws 5th-Largest TV Audience of 2025 WNBA Season

ESPN will carry seven more Indiana Fever games this year.
Sponsored

Hottest Matchups Following NFL Schedule Release

The NFL released the 2025 regular-season schedule, and anticipation is already building in the ticket marketplace with four months to go.
June 19, 2025

Pacers Force Game 7, Could Spark Big Ratings Boost for NBA Finals

Game 7 could boost NBA Finals ratings after a slow start this year.
June 17, 2025

Stanley Cup Final Delivers Drama but Struggles for Eyeballs in U.S.

U.S. viewership fell while Canadian audiences for the event rose slightly.
June 17, 2025

Streaming Tops Linear for First Time, Sports Still Key to TV’s Resilience

Streaming hits another critical milestone in an accelerating media transition.
June 17, 2025

Zaslav Takes Pay Cut, TNT Sports Future Unclear in WBD Shake-Up

The TNT Sports parent company retools its executive pay after shareholder pushback.