Shaun White wasn’t invited to X Games due to disparaging comments

ESPN made the decision to not invite snowboarder Shaun White to X Games Aspen after he made negative comments about the event.

ESPN made the decision to not invite snowboarder Shaun White to X Games Aspen after he made negative comments about the event, according to the Sports Business Journal. 

White made the comment while promoting his Air + Style event, an extreme sports and music festival that takes place in Los Angeles, Innsbruck and Beijing.

The Denver Post first reported that White had not been invited to the X Games on Jan. 28. At the time, ESPN vice president Tim Reed, who runs X Games operations, declined to comment on why the most successful snowboarder ever would not be competing.

White has won 23 medals at the X Games, including a record 15 gold medals. He has competed at the event the last 16 years.

He also has gold medals in halfpipe from the 2006 and 2010 Olympics.