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ESPN apologizes for fantasy football segment compared to slave auction
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Ubiquitous
Aug 18, 2017, 5:48:10 PM8/18/17
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(CNN)ESPN apologized on Tuesday for a fantasy football segment of an
auction draft where black players were sold to mostly white male bidders.
"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 statement said.
"Without that context, we understand the optics could be portrayed as
offensive, and we apologize."
On social media, reaction to the segment that was part of the 28-hour
fantasy marathon was mixed, with many comparing the outdoor scene to a
modern-day slave auction.
New York journalist Shaun King tweeted video of the auction with the
message, "Apologize now for doing a sketch where you auctioned a black
man off to the highest bidder."
Shaun King ? @ShaunKing
Dear @ESPN,
Apologize now for doing a sketch where you auctioned a Black
man off to the highest bidder.
Other questioned the timing of the segment, which came days after
Saturday's bloody white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia,
ended with the death of counterprotester Heather Heyer.
"Soooooo ESPN just did an 'auction' sketch," a man named Jason wrote on
Twitter.
The tweet included video of a segment in which the auctioneer says, "Next
on the auction block, we have Odell Beckham Jr."
The fast-paced pitch ends with the sale of the New York Giants wide
receiver, who is black, for $34 to a white man the auctioneer calls
"Shiny Top."
Over the weekend, white nationalists and other right-wing groups clashed
with counterprotesters over the planned removal of a statue of
Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from a city park.
Heyer, 32, was killed when a car rammed into a crowd walking down a
street. James Alex Fields Jr., a 20-year-old Ohio resident, was charged
with second-degree murder in Heyer's death.
Others on social media noted that white NFL players were also part of the
bidding.
"Fam-The optics aren't good-agreed," Kenny Mayne tweeted from Seattle.
"But it was replicating Fantasy Football auctions--whites up for bid.
too. We appreciate you."
ESPN released a video showing an auction segment involving New England
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who is white.
"The auction involved top players from throughout the NFL," the statement
said.
--
Dems & the media want Trump to be more like Obama, but then he'd
have to audit liberals & wire tap reporters' phones.
auction draft where black players were sold to mostly white male bidders.
"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 statement said.
"Without that context, we understand the optics could be portrayed as
offensive, and we apologize."
On social media, reaction to the segment that was part of the 28-hour
fantasy marathon was mixed, with many comparing the outdoor scene to a
modern-day slave auction.
New York journalist Shaun King tweeted video of the auction with the
message, "Apologize now for doing a sketch where you auctioned a black
man off to the highest bidder."
Shaun King ? @ShaunKing
Dear @ESPN,
Apologize now for doing a sketch where you auctioned a Black
man off to the highest bidder.
Other questioned the timing of the segment, which came days after
Saturday's bloody white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia,
ended with the death of counterprotester Heather Heyer.
"Soooooo ESPN just did an 'auction' sketch," a man named Jason wrote on
Twitter.
The tweet included video of a segment in which the auctioneer says, "Next
on the auction block, we have Odell Beckham Jr."
The fast-paced pitch ends with the sale of the New York Giants wide
receiver, who is black, for $34 to a white man the auctioneer calls
"Shiny Top."
Over the weekend, white nationalists and other right-wing groups clashed
with counterprotesters over the planned removal of a statue of
Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from a city park.
Heyer, 32, was killed when a car rammed into a crowd walking down a
street. James Alex Fields Jr., a 20-year-old Ohio resident, was charged
with second-degree murder in Heyer's death.
Others on social media noted that white NFL players were also part of the
bidding.
"Fam-The optics aren't good-agreed," Kenny Mayne tweeted from Seattle.
"But it was replicating Fantasy Football auctions--whites up for bid.
too. We appreciate you."
ESPN released a video showing an auction segment involving New England
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who is white.
"The auction involved top players from throughout the NFL," the statement
said.
--
Dems & the media want Trump to be more like Obama, but then he'd
have to audit liberals & wire tap reporters' phones.
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