OXFORD, Miss. — Former Mississippi basketball player Marshall Henderson says ESPN’s coverage of Michael Sam becoming the first openly gay player drafted by the NFL was “nasty ass shit” and that he is boycotting SportsCenter.
Henderson took to Twitter Monday morning using expletives to say that he would not watch the show until the network stopped running the Sam footage, adding “…. My brothers are 7 and 11 and saw that!!!.”
The comment drew a quick and sharp rebuke from Ole Miss athletic director Ross Bjork, who responded on Twitter saying that he’s “extremely disappointed & we do not condone the statements made by our former bball player. We believe in respect & dignity for all.”
Henderson at first defended his initial message, tweeting “Who is the worse person, me for what I said or any of the HUNDREDS who just cursed me??”
Never Miss a Beat
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights.
An hour later, following a barrage of criticism Henderson tweeted: “One of my best friends, WHO IS GAY, is about to graduate in psychology, asked me to say these things so he can have responses.”
In addition to his long-range shooting, Henderson also was known for his brash and sometimes questionable behavior at Ole Miss.
On Sunday, Miami Dolphins safety Don Jones was fined an undisclosed amount and will undergo educational training after sending a negative tweet about Sam.
