CLEVELAND — In a video that played on the jumbotron for fans who attended the Cavaliers vs. Bulls playoff game on Wednesday night, a Cavaliers fan is shown throwing his girlfriend to the ground after learning she is a Bulls fan.
In the Cavaliers version of the video, the woman reveals her Bulls shirt shortly before attempting “the jump.” The Cavaliers fan then throws the woman to the ground and says, “Bulls fan? I didn’t know you were a Bulls fan.”
Deadspin reported the video has since been removed from the team’s Vimeo page.
WJW talked to a team representative who said they were aware of the video.
The Cavaliers have issued an apology on their website.
During a timeout at last night’s Cavaliers vs. Bulls playoff game at The Q in Cleveland, we ran a 1-minute in-arena video that was intended to be a humorous spoof on a popular commercial centered on a song and dance from the classic movie ‘Dirty Dancing.’ While the video was not intended to be offensive, it was a mistake to include content that made light of domestic violence.
Domestic violence is a very serious matter and has no place in a parody video that plays in an entertainment venue. We sincerely apologize to those who have been affected by domestic violence for the obvious negative feelings caused by being exposed to this insensitive video.
The Cavaliers organization has a strong and lengthy track record of supporting domestic violence-related causes and efforts. We will continue to proudly work with our regional partners at the Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center in support of their numerous programs to end domestic violence in our country once and for all.
Several journalists who covered the game on Wednesday night tweeted about the video after it played inside the arena.
