LA Chargers rep shuts down CNN after outlet asks if animated promos are going 'too far': It's okay to 'make a joke'



The Los Angeles Chargers' director of social media defended the team's right to make humorous content after other teams removed posts that were determined to be "insensitive."

The controversy started when the Indianapolis Colts took part in what now seems like a tradition for NFL teams to release lighthearted videos to announce their upcoming schedules. The Colts apparently went too far, however, when they turned Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill into a cartoon dolphin and mocked his 2024 run-in with Miami-Dade Police.

'Luckily we work at a place that values social [media] and the ability to make a joke.'

The perceived backlash — which apparently no one could pinpoint — was enough that the Colts took down their video and issued an apology.

"We removed our schedule release video because it exceeded our rights with Microsoft and included an insensitive clip involving Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill. We sincerely apologize to Microsoft and Tyreek," the team said in a statement.

The retraction included an apology to Microsoft due to the Colts' video animation style mimicking Microsoft's game Minecraft.

In fact, the video seemed strikingly similar to that of the Chargers, who actually acquired permission from Microsoft to use their intellectual property in their schedule release video.

Given the similarity and the subsequent apology, CNN asked the head of the Chargers' social media about the content of their video and the reaction the Colts had received, wondering, "How far is too far?"

RELATED: Indianapolis Colts cave to invisible mob, delete hilarious video poking fun at Tyreek Hill despite his approval

Allie Raymond (left) and Megan Julian (right) of the Chargers' social media team. Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Dolphins reporter Joe Schad said the Chargers' social media head defended making a joke and putting out witty content.

"Luckily we work at a place that values social [media] and the ability to make a joke," said Megan Julian, director of digital and social media for the Chargers.

"Not everything has to be serious all the time," she added.

— (@)

It did not take long for fans to react positively to the refreshing take from Julian, which was seemingly the inverse of how the Colts organization handled the situation.

"We desperately need that mind set for the social media team with the Dolphins," one fan replied.

"Make America joke again!" another fan chimed in.

A photojournalist for a Fox outlet added, "A lot of NFL organizations could learn from this."

RELATED: NFL cancels DEI event, yet still makes ridiculous diversity statement about its fans and hiring women

The Chargers' social media team produces content at Chargers HQ on Friday, May 9, 2025 in Los Angeles, CA. (Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

"If you're going to go for the joke, and take a page from the Chargers' social media, just go for it," sports reporter Alejandro Avila told Blaze News.

He added, "I have no idea why the Colts would take that down," as it did not seem to offend anyone.

Not even Hill, the apparent victim in the ordeal, took offense to the video.

"He laughed about it and didn't think they needed to take it down on his account," Hill's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, stated.

The agent noted that his client was also willing to accept the Colts organization's apology, even though it was not necessary.

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Indianapolis Colts cave to invisible mob, delete hilarious video poking fun at Tyreek Hill despite his approval



The Indianapolis Colts have bizarrely apologized for a seconds-long video that portrays Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill as a cartoon dolphin.

The Colts participated in a social media trend in which NFL teams created unique videos to launch the release of their upcoming schedule. For their video, the Colts decided to use the stylings of the ultra-popular video game Minecraft and animated it accordingly. For their Week 1 matchup against the Dolphins, the Colts included a short video that mocked a 2024 incident involving Hill.

'We sincerely apologize to Microsoft and Tyreek.'

The animation lasted just six seconds but featured a pixelated dolphin in the ocean with "Hill" captioned above it, wearing the wide receiver's No. 10 jersey. A Coast Guard boat then approaches the dolphin/"Hill" as an officer rings a siren.

The short video was meant to mock Hill's 2024 police encounter during which Miami-Dade Police handcuffed and placed Hill on the ground during a traffic stop before a home game. Traffic citations against Hill were later dropped.

RELATED: 'Get out of the car!' Miami Dolphins' Tyreek Hill considering legal action after release of intense police bodycam footage

Tyreek Hill addresses the media after he was apprehended by police before a game. Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images

According to ESPN, not only did the Colts retroactively find its Hill segment to be mean, but also the team said it may have violated Microsoft's intellectual property at the same time. Minecraft is owned by Microsoft, and the near-identical animations may have been enough to get a warning from the software giant, but that much is unclear.

"We removed our schedule release video because it exceeded our rights with Microsoft and included an insensitive clip involving Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill. We sincerely apologize to Microsoft and Tyreek," the team said in a statement.

Interestingly, the Los Angeles Chargers made a similar video for their schedule release but indicated through a disclaimer that they had Microsoft's permission to use their animation style.

RELATED: NFL star Tyreek Hill sued by plus-size model who says he broke her leg performing offensive lineman drills in his back yard


Hill's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, relayed to outlets that Hill actually thought the Colts' video was funny and did not support its removal.

"He laughed about it and didn't think they needed to take it down on his account," Rosenhaus said.

'The Colts bailed on their gag like cowards.'

Sports reporter Alejandro Avila certainly was not one of the allegedly offended parties, and he told Blaze News that if a team is going to attempt a joke like that, it should "go for broke."

"Tyreek has landed himself in enough trouble over his bad decisions that we can all point and laugh," Avila added. "The Colts bailed on their gag like cowards. Don't take down a heavily produced video and apologize for it. Don't apologize! If the joke doesn't land, own it."

Pouring a little more salt on the wound, Rosenhaus told the Associated Press, "Tyreek accepts the Colts' apology."

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Chicken-chucking, screaming teens just might save Hollywood



Upon its release earlier this month, “A Minecraft Movie” exploded onto the scene in more ways than one. On a positive note, the film has drawn large audiences to once-empty cinemas and is on track to earn more than $1 billion globally — a welcome vital sign for the American film industry after its decline during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unfortunately, “Minecraft” has also sparked literal explosions of chaos in theaters. Fans, overcome with excitement at scenes like a baby zombie riding a chicken or the introduction of Jack Black’s character, Steve, have reportedly screamed, hurled popcorn and toilet paper, and even tossed live chickens at the screen — leaving staff with colossal messes to clean up afterward.

For most Zoomers, passionate moments of shared interest and fun are virtually nonexistent.

According to my high school students who watched the movie and could explain this bizarre behavior, these outbursts came from people who actually liked the movie. Reading through the mediocre movie reviews, I assumed that fans were disappointed and consequently engaged in shameless hooliganism. Quite the opposite. They were expressing their excitement at the movie’s many references and Easter eggs to the beloved video game.

Reckless or simply fun?

Of course, causing a public ruckus raises concerns about today’s youths who react so strongly to an otherwise silly movie. Such outbursts suggest that the younger Zoomers have pent-up rage, lacking healthy outlets for their aggression. The recent TV series “Adolescence,” which controversially portrayed radicalized youth engaging in violent acts, may have struck closer to the truth than we’d like to admit.

Then again, there might be a good reason to see these rampant outbursts as a salutary development. Not only are young people going to movie theaters and thereby reviving a moribund entertainment industry, but they are also charging a previously stagnant environment with some much-needed energy. This isn’t the glassy-eyed, TikTok-scrolling crowd we’ve come to expect. These lively crowds of young people are sharing an intense moment with a piece of entertainment they all love — not Beatlemania, but “Minecraft mania.”

Dwindling social outlets

Older generations, which have their own experience with various social crazes that brought them and their peers together in effusive exuberance, may not understand just how special this is for young people today.

Previous generations enjoyed countless concerts, movies, video games, and even books that routinely brought together fan communities that frequently became rowdy and occasionally chaotic — and hardly any of it, even for Millennials, was coordinated through online social media.

As a Millennial myself who’s about to turn 40, I remember the insanity at the cinema when the original “Star Wars” trilogy was re-released in anticipation of the prequels. People gasped and cried when they saw a remastered Han Solo or Luke Skywalker. I can also recall driving by bookstores — before Amazon put most of them out of business — observing the long lines of “Harry Potter” devotees decked in their Hogwarts uniforms, eagerly anticipating the next book in the series. More recently, similar fan frenzies were seen with the latest Taylor Swift concert or “Avengers” movies.

At the time, I pitied these nerds who, for all appearances, lost their minds over something seemingly insubstantial. Now, I envy them and yearn for a return to this kind of enthusiasm.

These days, pop culture has become hyper-individualized and mediated through online streaming and social media platforms. Algorithms, not authenticity, inform everyone’s taste. Nothing about it is natural or real. For most Zoomers, passionate moments of shared interest and fun are virtually nonexistent.

Zoomers don’t realize that physically gathering with fellow fans is normal and that such events add up to more than the sum of their parts. They represent rare moments of authentic public celebration. Yes, they usually center around some shallow piece of pop-culture fluff, but they generate a collective spirit that only happens when fans are allowed to “nerd out” and let go with one another for a little while.

Welcome ‘Minecraft mania’

The “Minecraft” chicken jockey mania continues this tradition. One of my students told me that watching “Minecraft” in the theater was the most fun he’s ever had at the cinema. He conceded that the movie is mostly Hollywood slop, but the audience’s reactions made it worth the annoyingly high price of admission.

He and his peers should understand the value of sharing experiences with friends and fellow fans. Active participation beats passive consumption on the couch every time.

Let the next cultural craze bring the same energy and excitement — minus the chicken feathers.