NFL Films doesn’t need to be shamed like it was recently. That resulted in them releasing a one-minute story that made Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch look awful. The video, part of the “Turning Point” online series narrated by ESPN’s Louis Riddick, was released following the Lions’ 30-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The fallout resulted in its deletion after overwhelming player and fan backlash.
Branch, now under suspension, has come under fire in recent days. This backlash comes after a recent video that blew up on the Internet featured a collage of his game lowlights. This brief video was included in a longer nine-minute analysis of the state of the Lions and their prime-time match-up against the Chiefs. Amon-Ra St. Brown, one of Branch’s teammates, couldn’t fathom the way the workout was portrayed in the short video. Instead, he focused on Branch’s positive qualities reminding everyone that he is an “awesome dude.”
Few things irritated Lions players more than the negative picture painted of Branch by NFL Films. In particular, they were insulted by the way the video portrayed their teammate. DJ Reader, one of the most prominent players in the league, clearly expressed his frustration about the NFL’s choice to put out such a thing. He questioned the integrity of the league, saying, “As a player, how can you trust the [NFL] shield now? If y’all want to release this and this is how you’re shedding light on it.”
Louis Riddick addressed some of the criticism through social media, explaining the purpose of “Turning Point.” In a recent interview about the series, he explained his motivation: To capture everything it takes to make a video game positive and negative. He dismissed any suggestion that he intended to portray Branch in a negative light.
“That being said, I can see how the short clip that was posted could be taken as an attempt to cast the #Lions or Brian Branch in a calculated, unfavorable manner,” – Louis Riddick.
Riddick said he was sincere in his assertion to prevent any future statements from being misconstrued. He promised to go further and ensure that no such resolve could ever happen again.
In response to the backlash, NFL officials later conceded that the whole sequence didn’t come across as such as a separate clip on social media. They understood this difference in context versus how it played within the complete narrative structure of the game. They realized that it just looked too damn mean and harsh toward Branch and opted to remove that line.
“That particular sequence felt different to us, as part of a nine-minute breakdown of the Lions-Chiefs game, than it did as a standalone excerpt on social media. On X, it felt overly critical to Brian, so we took it down.” – NFL.
The event has initiated larger conversations around trust and representation inside the league among players. Reader brought to light a new and troubling trend among athletes to restrict the way they are represented by media organizations owned by or connected to the NFL.
“I can’t believe that they’re truly gonna have my back or they care about my safety or well-being. People who care about you don’t do that,” – DJ Reader.
The controversy surrounding this video illustrates a significant tension between players and the narratives constructed around them in media outlets. The Detroit Lions’ response is a window into the broader attitudes of athletes seeking to be well-represented in their pursuit of professional careers.
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