ESPN on Michael Sam's kiss: We weren't making a 'political statement'

Screenshot/YouTube

ESPN on Michael Sam's kiss: We weren't making a 'political statement'
(Image credit: Screenshot/YouTube)

When Michael Sam got the call saying he'd been drafted by the St. Louis Rams — thus making him the NFL's first openly-gay player — he broke into tears and kissed his boyfriend. Then the backlash began from some less-tolerant fans who were outraged that ESPN would air the spontaneous embrace.

Well, ESPN has responded to the complaints, with producer Seth Markman saying the network was "there to document the moment, not make a political statement."

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Jon Terbush

Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.