ESPN reporter reaches out to Panthers star after | Sports News

The reporter who requested star wideout Xavier Legette an insensitive query has apologized amid backlash on social media after the Carolina Panthers’ win over the Miami Dolphins which noticed Bryce Young give their opponents a reward. 

In the Panthers‘ 27-24 win over the Dolphins, Carolina battled back and by all accounts, the vitality after the sport was a hopeful one. However, the second was soured after a reporter requested if Legette’s mother and father have been going to be rooting for the Dallas Cowboys.

ESPN’s David Newton requested the query, although seemingly forgot that each Legette’s mother and father handed away, along with his mom dying from most cancers whereas he was in high faculty and his father struggling a deadly coronary heart assault in 2019. This led to an awkward second between the star and the reporters. 

“I have been in touch with the Panthers and have also reached out to Xavier Legette to apologize for my question Thursday regarding his late father’s Cowboys fandom,” Newton wrote on X after his interplay with the Panthers star made its method round social media. 

“There is no excuse for my forgetting a hard moment in X’s life. I have nothing but respect for Xavier. It was an innocent mistake on my part, but a hurtful one, and I hope he will accept my apology.”

Fans on social media weren’t shopping for Newton’s attempt to apologize, nevertheless, with some claiming that the apology was as a result of the ESPN reporter was known as out by followers for his insensitive query.

“If you remembered his dad was a Cowboys fan you remembered that his dad had passed. Your [sic] aren’t fooling anyone with your lame attempt to backtrack because you got called out,” a fan commented beneath Newton’s post on X. 

Another added: “Ok, but beyond ‘it was an honest mistake,’ let’s raise the bar a lot. Just have the decency to never make wise-cracks about parents/family as a rule! Like why????” A 3rd wrote that it was a sample Newton had exhibited up to now that makes it arduous for followers to take his apology as real. 

“Nah this is that moment you step away. Respectfully I never liked your line of questions anyway BUT THIS was next level and honestly @espn should be letting you go. You have no respect for the players and honestly the fact you haven’t stepped down is embarrassing enough,” the fan wrote.

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And whereas some followers imagine that Newton’s mistake was punishable by him shedding his job, one other believed that he needed to be faraway from protecting the Panthers transferring ahead. “You can apologize all you want. That’s great of you. But not knowing that info should exclude you from being this team’s reporter,” the fan mentioned. 

Newton’s apology and the fan outrage that ensued got here after the reporter was asking Legette questions within the locker room. Legette was requested if he or his mother and father have been Cowboys followers up to now and the Panthers large receiver took to a second to compose himself earlier than answering the query. 

The Panthers are set to tackle the Cowboys in entrance of a home crowd in Carolina this weekend.