ABC News has come under fire on social media for its coverage of the death of former Cowboys running back Marion Barber.
The national news outlet published a tweet noting that Barber had "scored plenty of touchdowns without recording a 1,000-yard season."
Many users read the description as a backhanded compliment.
The copy in question appeared to come from the opening paragraph of an article written by the Associated Press. The AP story was later revised, but the ABC News tweet with the old copy remained.
The insensitive framing was at least the second such high-profile incident in recent weeks, after ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter apologized for a similarly insensitive tweet about the death of former Commanders and Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins.
While the questionable description of Barber was probably more a case of awkward phrasing than malice, that was beside the point for the many fans and journalists who felt that stats shouldn't be a part of the lede in the obit for a player's tragic death.
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