ESPN Carolina Panthers insider apologizes to Xavier Legette over 'innocent mistake'

A reporter who covers the Carolina Panthers has apologized over an insensitive question he asked wide receiver Xavier Legette.

During Legette's media availability this week, David Newton from ESPN asked a question about the Panthers wide receiver being a Dallas Cowboys fan when he grew up, as that's who Carolina is playing this week.

Legette responded by saying he was when he was little, and that stemmed from the fandom of his late father, who passed away in 2019 due to a heart attack.

Despite the fact that Newton has written about Legette's parents passing away in a 2024 article, he didn't seem to recall that with his follow-up question. It's either that or Newton was making a sick joke.

“Yeah, when I was little. My daddy was a Cowboys fan,” Legette said initially, to which Newton replied, “I take it he won’t be this week?"

On Friday night, Newton took to social media to announce he has reached out to both Legette and the Panthers to apologize.

"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," he wrote. "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."

How Newton forgot what happened to Legette's father after he literally covered the sad topic is beyond anyone's comprehension. Knowing that, it's no surprise Newton isn't receiving any slack for what was either a horrific mistake or an inexcusable and sick joke.

Legette is a great guy and he will probably accept Newton's apology, although we're not sure the ESPN reporter actually deserves that.