Professional golfer tweets Michael Sam ‘handbag’ joke
By Nick Levine
Australian professional golfer Steve Elkington has caused controversy on Twitter this evening (February 25) by tweeting an offensive joke about Michael Sam.
NFL (National Football League) prospect Sam prospect took the sports world by storm earlier this month (February 9) when he came out as gay, and has received considerable press attention ever since.
Earlier today Elkington, a former World Top Ten golfer, took to Twitter to complain about the coverage Sam’s sexuality has received within the sports media, tweeting: “ESPN covering Michael Sam as a gay athlete is embarrassing …..”
Several hours later, 51-year-old Elkington tweeted the following “joke” to his 60,000 followers: “ESPN reporting Michael Sam is leading the handbag throw at NFL combine…. No one else expected to throw today.”
He then tweeted at golf journalist Shane Bacon: “I’m for Sam I’m against ESPN telling me he’s gay….”
During a press conference on Friday (February 21), Sam insisted that his sexuality should not define him, telling the reporters present: “I just wish you guys would see me as Michael Sam the football player, not Michael Sam the gay football player.”