Twitter Blasts ABC News for Tweet About Deceased Former NFL Player: ‘Today’s Edition of Tasteless Headlines’
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Twitter users blasted ABC News for a tweet about the death of former NFL running back Marion Barber III, which noted that he never reached 1,000 rushing yards in a single season in the league.
Barber was in the NFL between 2005 and 2011 and made the Pro Bowl in 2007.
The Dallas Cowboys, where he played all but one season, announced Barber’s death, the cause of which is unknown, on Thursday. Barber was 38 years old.
“We are heartbroken by the tragic death of Marion Barber III. Marion was an old-school, hard-nosed football player who ran with the will to win every down,” said the Cowboys in a statement posted on Twitter. “He had a passion for the game and love for his coaches and teammates. Our hearts go out to Marion’s family and friends during this difficult time.”
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) June 1, 2022
The Chicago Bears, where he played his final season, tweeted, “We are saddened to learn of the passing of former Bears RB Marion Barber III. Our hearts go out to his family & friends.”
We are saddened to learn of the passing of former Bears RB Marion Barber III. Our hearts go out to his family & friends.
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) June 2, 2022
ABC News ran with the Associated Press story of Barber’s death that mentioned “he never had a 1,000-yard rushing season.”
In a post with the story, ABC tweeted, “JUST IN: Marion Barber III, the former Dallas Cowboys running back who scored plenty of touchdowns without recording a 1,000-yard season, has died, the team said Wednesday. He was 38.”
JUST IN: Marion Barber III, the former Dallas Cowboys running back who scored plenty of touchdowns without recording a 1,000-yard season, has died, the team said Wednesday. He was 38. https://t.co/VF35lExbpb
— ABC News (@ABC) June 2, 2022
Twitter users blasted the tweet.
Today’s edition of Tasteless Headlines: https://t.co/EjYMMfB2ql
— Ted Goldberg (@TedGoldbergTV) June 2, 2022
Once again, unless a person is a monster, there’s no reason to neg them in their obituary https://t.co/Y8mZPc7gtF
— David Gardner (@byDavidGardner) June 2, 2022
How in the world is this allowed to be the headline and still be online 9 hours after it was initially written. https://t.co/JKLEVuFosn
— Jason_OTC (@Jason_OTC) June 2, 2022
JUST IN: the person who wrote this tweet, who has plenty of people looking at the ABC News account without recording 1 single positive reply, but plenty of scolding due to the lack of respect they showed Marion Barber III, has still not deleted this post, twitter shows Thursday https://t.co/dZukhlxROI
— J-Si Chavez (@JSi5) June 2, 2022
How is this still up https://t.co/i6LKU6a8Zi
— lindsey ok (@lindseyyok) June 2, 2022
Is this headline a spoof? https://t.co/apDQ8pSZ8N
— Evan Roberts (@EvanRobertsWFAN) June 2, 2022
Writing an obituary headline is the easiest thing in the world to do.
Despicable, ABC. https://t.co/mNtQCsNL41— Tim Roberts (@21stCenturyTim) June 2, 2022
We as media really, really need to be on point when someone passes away. Who the hell approved this? https://t.co/JXZvQRFRG6
— Matt Verderame (@MattVerderame) June 2, 2022
this has to be purposefully neglectful because i refuse to believe anybody could be this mind-numbingly stupid and insensitive intentionally https://t.co/hnVfpDKFW9
— Saad Yousuf (@SaadYousuf126) June 2, 2022
Why would you talk about him not having a 100 yard season?? Does anyone work at your news desk? It isn’t relevant. He died. Young. It‘s tragic. How would you like ‘young reporter who worked three years but never refilled the water cooler, dies at 28’? https://t.co/RLkukjE1Md
— Dileep Rao 🇺🇦 (@leepers500) June 2, 2022
what the hell is this https://t.co/oVdt2TPqPW
— Brandon Warne (@Brandon_Warne) June 2, 2022
I wrote on this. I’m an editor. Have been for eons. And not once was this even close to the headline that even popped into my mind.
Do better. https://t.co/6Mi9fvj8yI
— Vincent Frank (@VincentFrankNFL) June 2, 2022
Is it really THAT HARD to be respectful of a person’s passing without dragging his career stats into the tweet? There’s 280 characters. You don’t need to use them all. https://t.co/LXWv7fvor6
— Mac Robinson (@MacRobinson95) June 2, 2022
A couple Twitter users referred to the tweet as similar to the one posted by ESPN NFL insider Adam Suchefter, who posted, then deleted and apologized, that former NFL quarterback Dwayne Haskins was a star in college before “struggling to catch on” in the NFL.
From the adam schefter school of editorialising a man’s death https://t.co/VQMekqtQp1
— Stephen with a v (@steveohrourke) June 2, 2022
I guess we learned nothing from Adam Schefter. https://t.co/eW5xOg8WBN
— Devon Clements (@DevclemNFL) June 2, 2022
