INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts have apologized to Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill and Microsoft for a video released on social media during Wednesday night’s NFL schedule release.
The video was a spoof of the popular video game Minecraft, which is owned by Microsoft, and poked some fun at Hill with a dolphin wearing a Hill jersey being stopped by a U.S. Coast Guard boat with a blaring siren. The post was quickly deleted.
Indy opens its season Sept. 7 against the Dolphins.
Many teams compile videos to accompany the league’s annual schedule release and most use them to try to attract new and younger fans. But the Colts’ video drew attention for other reasons.
“We removed our schedule release video because it exceeded our rights with Microsoft and included an insensitive clip involving Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill,” the Colts said Thursday. “We sincerely apologize to Microsoft and Tyreek.”
Indy has replaced its video with a series of animated logos intended to help illustrate this season’s games.
Hill was involved in a confrontation with Miami-Dade deputies last September. He was dragged from his vehicle, forced to the ground and handcuffed after arriving at the Dolphins’ stadium just hours before a home game. Traffic citations issued against Hill were later dropped.
“Tyreek accepts the Colts apology,” Hills’ agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said in an email to The Associated Press. “He thought the video was funny and laughed when he watched it.”
