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Jacksonville Jaguars Mascot Jokes 'Terrible Towels' Carry Ebola
October 5, 2014
Some things are better not to joke about. That's something Jacksonville Jaguars mascot Jaxson de Ville apparently needs to be taught.
During Jacksonville's game against Pittsburgh on Sunday, the mascot joked that the Steelers' iconic "Terrible Towels" carry Ebola—a deadly virus.
Updates from Monday, Oct. 6
ESPN.com's Michael DiRocco provides a statement from Jaguars president Mark Lamping:
Improvisation and humor have both been key elements to the character of Jaxson de Ville, especially when he performs at home games. On Sunday, the person who has played Jaxson de Ville over the past 20 seasons made an extremely poor decision in that regard.
The team was unaware of this inappropriate sign, which was hand-made by Jaxson during the fourth quarter of yesterday's game, until after it had been displayed. We are handling the matter internally and taking it very seriously. We extend our sincerest apologies to anyone who was offended.
End of Updates
According to Jaguars PR, via DiRocco, "Curtis Dvorak, who has worn the cat costume for 18 seasons, was in the suit Sunday."
News-Medical.net's Dr. Tomislav Mestrovic, MD notes:
Infections with Ebola virus are characterized by immune suppression and a severe inflammatory response that damages vascular, coagulation and immune systems, subsequently resulting in bleeding, multiorgan failure and shock.
The current outbreak, which began in Guinea, West Africa, in March, has been a huge, worldwide topic. The World Health Organization recorded on Oct. 3 that there are 7,470 confirmed, probable and suspected cases and 3,431 deaths from the current outbreak of Ebola in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
[Twitter]