Fantasy football auction criticized

ESPN admits ‘optics could be ... offensive’

It’s not the most popular form of fantasy football, but auction drafts are common.

However, ESPN2’s approach to auctioning players as part of its Fantasy Sports Marathon on Monday night drew criticism from some on social media who said it resembled a slave auction.

While white players — including New England quarterback Tom Brady and tight end Rob Gronkowski — were part of the draft, the footage of an auctioneer “selling ” New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. led to some on Twitter to voice their outrage.

“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. Without that context, we understand the optics could be portrayed as offensive, and we apologize,” ESPN said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports.

The auction came after white nationalists led a rally last weekend in Charlottesville, Va., where a 32-year-old woman died and nearly 20 were injured when a car rammed into a group of counter-protesters.

“Certainly, a situation like this calls into question whether ESPN has enough people in leadership positions who would instinctively understand and make note of the potential reaction to this segment,” Matthew Zimmerman, an assistant professor of sport studies at Mississippi State University, told USA TODAY Sports via Facebook Messenger.