{"id":3142,"date":"2026-02-18T12:49:03","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T12:49:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/?p=3142"},"modified":"2026-02-18T12:49:05","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T12:49:05","slug":"former-espn-star-shares-thoughts-about-sitting-with-jd-vance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/?p=3142","title":{"rendered":"Former ESPN Star Shares Thoughts About Sitting With JD Vance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover aligncenter is-light mycontentblock has-medium-font-size wp-duotone-7bdcb5-ffffff-1\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;min-height:132px;aspect-ratio:unset;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"186\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-198 size-large\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-04-at-2.47.25-PM-1-1024x186.png\" style=\"object-position:50% 50%\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" data-object-position=\"50% 50%\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-04-at-2.47.25-PM-1-1024x186.png 1024w, https:\/\/vibepress.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-04-at-2.47.25-PM-1-300x54.png 300w, https:\/\/vibepress.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-04-at-2.47.25-PM-1-768x139.png 768w, https:\/\/vibepress.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-04-at-2.47.25-PM-1-1536x279.png 1536w, https:\/\/vibepress.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-04-at-2.47.25-PM-1-2048x372.png 2048w, https:\/\/vibepress.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-04-at-2.47.25-PM-1-1320x239.png 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim-0 has-background-dim\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-cover-is-layout-4d396166 wp-block-cover-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center my-cover-title has-ast-global-color-8-color has-pale-ocean-gradient-background has-text-color has-background has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-8ee812e296f5663336a2bd73de7c07a9\"><strong>Former ESPN Star Shares Thoughts About Sitting With JD Vance<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-39128d368cdeb338c7ba4e630131ba67\">Former ESPN host and respected sports journalist <strong>Sarah Spain<\/strong> recently opened up about an unsettling experience she had while attending the 2026 Winter Olympics. Speaking on her podcast, <strong>Good Game with Sarah Spain<\/strong>, Spain described feeling physically uncomfortable while seated near U.S. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n    atOptions = {\n        'key' : '9e49f4ce267f7bab92bbdb38b733742b',\n        'format' : 'iframe',\n        'height' : 90,\n        'width' : 728,\n        'params' : {}\n    };\n<\/script>\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"\/\/brillianceremisswhistled.com\/9e49f4ce267f7bab92bbdb38b733742b\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-7120534f8cca84d98207ebc1e2367f9f\">Vice President <strong>JD Vance<\/strong> during a women\u2019s hockey game. What was meant to be an exciting Olympic event, she said, turned into a frustrating and tense experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-9f804296cda75648cd2d3dc20a06b2ff\">The incident took place during the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, where Vance and other U.S. officials were present to support Team USA. According to Spain, about twelve minutes into the first period of the game, a large security presence suddenly surrounded her section. Secret Service agents filled the area as Vance arrived with his entourage, followed by Secretary of State <strong>Marco Rubio<\/strong>. Spain said the sudden influx of security created a physical barrier between her and the ice, obstructing her view and disrupting her ability to fully follow the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-167.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3143\" style=\"width:389px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-167.png 600w, https:\/\/vibepress.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-167-300x270.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-14f769dd179d6ec2a653216eb8fdf944\">Beyond the blocked sightlines, Spain described having a strong physical reaction to Vance\u2019s proximity. On her podcast, she used vivid and emotional language to explain that she felt unexpectedly \u201cill,\u201d comparing the sensation to being startled or spooked. She emphasized that she was not prepared for the close encounter and that her body reacted instinctively. While her comments sparked debate online, she framed her response as a genuine physical feeling rather than a calculated statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-1b2bfa8043cd13226e78fa78d7ebfdea\">Spain also expressed frustration over how the heavy security presence affected the spectator experience. The U.S. women\u2019s hockey team ultimately secured a decisive 5\u20130 victory, but Spain said she could not fully enjoy or properly observe the action because security personnel were blocking portions of the rink. For journalists covering live events, unobstructed visibility is essential, and Spain argued that the setup compromised both enjoyment and professional coverage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"923\" height=\"923\" src=\"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-168.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3144\" style=\"width:357px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-168.png 923w, https:\/\/vibepress.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-168-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/vibepress.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-168-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/vibepress.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-168-768x768.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 923px) 100vw, 923px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-4d6d4e4872a1c308d1dc585b3c0dd643\">The episode has since fueled broader conversations about the intersection of sports, politics, and media access. High-profile political figures frequently attend global sporting events, bringing necessary security measures with them. However, Spain\u2019s experience highlights the logistical and emotional challenges that can arise when political presence intersects with live sports coverage. Her candid remarks have prompted discussion about balancing national representation, security needs, and the integrity of the spectator and journalistic experience at major international competitions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Former ESPN host and respected sports journalist Sarah Spain recently opened up about an unsettling experience she had while attending [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3143,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3142","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-media"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3142","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3142"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3142\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3145,"href":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3142\/revisions\/3145"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3143"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3142"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3142"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vibepress.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3142"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}