Aries Spears -- I LIKE MICHAEL SAM ... But I Won't Apologize for Gay Joke!

Aries Spears says he will NOT apologize for cracking a gay joke about Michael Sam on ESPN last week -- telling TMZ Sports, "There's nothing to apologize for. It's a joke."

Spears was at LAX Monday -- and acknowledged he ruffled some feathers when he appeared on "Sportsnation" and said, "I went out and got my first Michael Sam jersey. It's got 15 S's on the back."

"Disney runs [the network]," Spears told us ... "They got their guidelines."

But Spears was adamant that he did NOTHING wrong -- saying he likes Michael Sam ... wishes him well in the NFL ... and was just being funny, NOT malicious.