Cavaliers Apologize For Promo Perceived To Make Light Of Domestic Violence

The Cavaliers "apologized Thursday afternoon for a video that has drawn criticism on social media for being insensitive to domestic violence," according to Chris Haynes of the Cleveland PLAIN DEALER. In the video, which is a spoof of a commercial by UnitedHealthcare based on the hit '87 movie "Dirty Dancing," a male Cavs fan "is all set to lift the woman, a Bulls fan, into the air." But instead of "lifting her, he throws her to the ground." The video was shown at Quicken Loans Arena during a timeout in Wednesday's Cavaliers-Bulls NBA Eastern Conference semifinals Game 2. Haynes reports members of the Cavaliers' Video Creation & Concepts Department on Thursday met at the arena, where they "went through a thorough walk-through of the controversial video to insure a mistake such as this is not duplicated." The matter "was addressed internally with everyone in attendance of the understanding that the video was deemed unacceptable" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 5/8). In Cleveland, Terry Pluto writes the fault here rests "with the people who made" the video, which "someone approved." Whoever did "is the person who should be in trouble" and "should apologize." Pluto: "There's no excuse for a promotion like this" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 5/8). Also in Cleveland, Bill Livingston notes a "serious contribution" made in the Cavaliers' name to educational efforts about spousal abuse and to women's shelters "would help the sincerity of the apology" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 5/8). ESPN’s Dan Le Batard: “I am willing to call this the worst idea in the history of marketing” (“Highly Questionable,” ESPN, 5/7).