ESPN Apologizes For Fantasy Football Sketch That Some Say Looked Like A Slave Auction
BRISTOL, Conn. (CBSNewYork) -- ESPN apologized Tuesday after some viewers accused the network of airing a sketch that resembled a slave auction.
In the fantasy football-related sketch Monday night, an auctioneer accepts bids from a largely white group for Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who is black.
Many on social media criticized the network.
Soooooo are we gonna pretend that this didn't look like a slave auction because it's "fantasy football". Yeah @espn DO ????????BETTER????????
— Outspoken Aries????????✨ (@TrulyJones21) August 15, 2017
Really @espn A slave auction seemed like a good idea? All involved should be fired.
— P Walker (@PamelaW31986513) August 15, 2017
Nobody at @espn was like maybe, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW, is not a good time to auction of a Black man to White people, slave style?!?!?
— DJ Steph Floss (@djstephfloss) August 15, 2017
ESPN released a statement to USA Today's The Big Lead blog Tuesday saying it did not intend to re-enact a slave auction but understood how some might have had a problem with it.
"Auction drafts are a common part of fantasy football, and ESPN's segments replicated an auction draft with a diverse slate of top professional football players," the network said. "Without that context, we understand the optics could be portrayed as offensive, and we apologize."
Some people felt critics of the sketch were overreacting.
I'm with you on 99.8% of things, but this is a type of fantasy football draft, auction style, where all players are auctioned off. Calm down
— Ernie Estrella (@ErnieEstrella) August 15, 2017
Anyone who is in all seriousness complaining about the ESPN Fantasy Football Auction segment as being racist needs to get a clue.
— Chad White (@DynastyWiseChad) August 15, 2017
Beckham responded to the controversy with one word on Twitter: "Speechless."
Speechless. https://t.co/CddZ917y4u
— Odell Beckham Jr (@obj) August 15, 2017