Chargers’ Social Media Director Responds to Content Critique
The social media director for the Los Angeles Chargers has stood up for the team’s right to produce comedic content, following the deletion of posts that other teams found “insensitive.”
This situation kicked off when the Indianapolis Colts, seemingly participating in a lighthearted trend of sharing funny videos for announcing game schedules, crossed a line. They animated Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill as a cartoon dolphin and made light of a future run-in with Miami Dade police, which did not sit well with many.
In response to the backlash—which, frankly, was rather ambiguous—the Colts opted to remove their video and issue an apology. “We pulled the schedule release video as it included a clip we consider insensitive, involving Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill. We apologize to Microsoft and Tyreek,” the statement read.
The apology to Microsoft stemmed from the fact that the Colts’ animated style bore a strong resemblance to Microsoft’s game Minecraft, something that had been previously approved by the Chargers.
When CNN probed the Chargers’ social media director about their take on the Colts’ reaction and the video, she pondered, “Are they all out?”
Dolphins reporter Joe Schad relayed that the Chargers’ social media head, Megan Julian, defended their approach to humor. “We are lucky to work in environments that value society and [media] the ability to joke,” she stated.
“Not everything has to be serious all the time,” she added. Her sentiments quickly resonated with fans who appreciated her refreshing perspective, contrasting sharply with the way the Colts handled their situation.
One fan remarked, “We need that heart, desperately, for the Dolphins and their social media team.” Another echoed, “Just make America a joke again!”
Sports reporter Alejandro Avila commented that “Many NFL organizations could learn from this.”
Interestingly, even Tyreek Hill, the person at the center of the original joke, didn’t take issue with it. His agent mentioned that Hill laughed it off and believed there was no need for the Colts to retract it on his behalf.
