ESPN issued an apology Wednesday for their SportsCenter report from St. Louis Rams camp that focused largely on Michael Sam’s showering habits.
“ESPN regrets the manner in which we presented our report. Clearly yesterday we collectively failed to meet the standards we have set in reporting on LGBT-related topics in sports,” Josh Krulewitz, a network spokesperson, said in a tweet.
During a segment on Tuesday, ESPN’s Josina Anderson was asked about how the rookie defensive end was fitting in with his new teammates.
Anderson answered by quoting an anonymous Rams player, saying he told her that “Sam is respecting our space and that, from his perspective, he seems to think that Michael Sam is waiting to take a shower, as not to make his teammates feel uncomfortable.” Anderson added that defensive end Kendall Langford and linebacker Alec Ogletree weren’t “tracking” his shower habits.
The report immediately drew criticism on social media, with Rams star Chris Long joining in to defend to his teammate.
Sam is on the team’s 75-man roster after surviving the latest round of cuts.
