ESPN apolgizes for a graphic emphasizing the mother of an NFL Draft prospect's 16-year battle with drug addiction

Boston.com

ESPN had been criticized for focusing on "tragedy porn" in repeatedly bringing up tragedies connected to players who were just drafted between Thursday and Saturday. One egregious example was Clemson wide receiver Tee Higgins, whose TV draft graphic stated: "Mom, Camillia, fought drug addiction for 16 years." While Higgins, who was drafted Friday by the Cincinnati Bengals, had no problem with the graphic, ESPN apologized on Sunday. "It was a mistake and we apologize for it,” ESPN vice president of production Seth Markman said in a statement. “We want our draft coverage to personalize players and, where appropriate, acknowledge the obstacles they’ve had to overcome on their journey to the NFL. This graphic lacked proper context.” In a separate interview with NBC Sports' Peter King, Markman adds that he's heard the criticism. "It’s not unfair," he says. "It’s something we should self-scout for the future. It’s something we can examine. We didn’t want to be Debbie Downer, but we wanted to show how some of the players overcame major issues in their lives. Maybe how Javon Kinlaw drew inspiration from growing up homeless, or a player overcoming a father’s suicide to achieve his dream.” ALSO: NFL Draft's Day 2 and Day ratings join Day 1 in setting new draft records.