Lions’ Locker Room Upset Over NFL Films Video About Brian Branch
The Detroit Lions’ locker room expressed its discontent over a now-deleted NFL Films video that criticized safety Brian Branch. The social media post generated controversy due to its tone, perceived as overly critical. Amon-Ra St. Brown, star receiver for the Lions, expressed his surprise at the content about Branch, included in the “Turning Point” series by NFL Films. The video, narrated by Louis Riddick, showed negative plays by Branch during the game against the Chiefs, which the Lions lost 30-17.Branch was suspended for one game due to unsportsmanlike conduct following an altercation with JuJu Smith-Schuster of the Kansas City Chiefs. The suspension was upheld after an appeal. DJ Reader, Lions defensive lineman, also called the video “weird”.I thought that video was crazy. I don’t know why it was released, the reason behind it. Brian Branch is an incredible guy. In the building, he’s one of the nicest guys. He’s quiet; you never really see him angry. He’s always smiling. He made a mistake, he knows it and apologized, and I don’t know why it’s still being dragged on, but I don’t think that video was right.
Amon-Ra St. Brown
Reader was also surprised by the video’s narration and Riddick’s words. Riddick issued a statement on social media, where he explained that the intention of “Turning Point” is to document the events of a game, both positive and negative, and denied that it sought to harm Branch. The NFL also issued a statement explaining the removal of the video, arguing that the excerpt on social media, out of context, turned out to be too critical.If you say you don’t want to glorify something, you don’t want something in the game or this, that and the other thing, then why release this new video about it and it’s narrated and you’re literally highlighting plays over and over and over again? So, you’re shedding more light on that than the internet did on something that already happened. If you’re trying to move on, then move on. It doesn’t seem like that’s what you guys were doing.
DJ Reader
