ESPN aired its latest “E:60” feature on Tuesday night with Brandon Marshall as the subject, and the Chicago Bears wide receiver is not pleased with the way the segment turned out. According to Marshall, ESPN and reporter Lisa Salters misled him about the angle they were going to take with the profile.
“E:60 is running a piece on me tonight that they lied to me about,” Marshall wrote on Twitter Tuesday. “It was suppose to be a story on a camp. They followed me around 2 years ago and at the end put a camera in my face to talk about it and asked nothing [about] the camp or the community weekend.
“I’m disappointed that ESPN and Lisa Salters continue to try and tell my story in ESPN’s words. Better yet I’m pissed off – beyond disappointed. This is the second time ESPN did this. I trust ESPN to tell my story & they lied to me once again to get my interview. Media exploits & tells thier own stories. Disappoints again. Well I guess I probably should use my coping skills now. Thanks ESPN.”
We haven’t had a chance to watch the full feature, but our friend Michael David Smith from Pro Football Talk felt the profile should leave most people with a more favorable opinion of Marshall than they had before. Marshall has a history of alleged domestic violence, and ESPN had to acknowledge that. But according to Smith, the feature painted the 30-year-old as someone who sought help and has turned his life around.
Given the drama that is currently surrounding the NFL because of people like Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson and Greg Hardy, Marshall was likely unhappy that ESPN focused so much time on that and less on his foundation and all he has done to raise awareness for mental health. ESPN responded to Marshall’s complaints in a statement.
“This story was originally told two years ago on E:60, and we felt it was particularly worth telling again at this point given what’s been in the news the past week,” the statement said, via The Chicago Tribune. “Marshall’s story brings an important perspective: the story of a player who faced similar circumstances and through persistent dedication, changed his life, in an effort to regain the respect of fans and players.”
Marshall is in his third season with the Bears and has not been a distraction — at least that we know of. He has done a fine job of keeping his nose clean off the field and producing on it. That’s probably the main reason he felt ESPN was wrong in focusing on his checkered past.
