Published 17:10 IST, February 1st 2021
Carole Baskin slams fans for attending Super Bowl 2021 amidst COVID-19 pandemic
Actor of Tiger King fame Carole Baskin has slammed the NFL for allowing 22,000 fans into the Raymond James Stadium for the Super Bowl 2021 amidst the pandemic.
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Big Cat Rescue CEO Carole Baskin has slammed Super Bowl fans ahead of the big game for hosting the event amidst the coronavirus pandemic. The Super Bowl 2021 is scheduled for Sunday, February 7 (Monday, February 8 IST) will be played at the Raymond James Stadium, with 22,000 fans in attendance. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be the first team to host a SuperBowl tie at home when they take on the defending champions Kansas City Chiefs.
Carole Baskin slams fans for attending Super Bowl 2021 amidst COVID-19 pandemic
Carole Baskin rose to fame in the United States after the Netflix documentary “Tiger King” premiered in March last year. Joe Exotic, whose exotic animal park in southern Oklahoma was the focus of the documentary, was sentenced to 22 years in prison in just months before Tiger King's release for trying to have Baskin killed, among other things. The 59-year-old slammed the decision to host 22,000 fans for the Super Bowl 2021, calling it 'irresponsible' during the pandemic.
Home for #SBLV pic.twitter.com/D4A7eBMz70
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) January 31, 2021
Speaking to USA Today, Baskin said, "I just think it’s irresponsible for people to be gathering in large groups, even though I understand they’re saying this is a much smaller group than they’ve ever had. But it doesn’t matter that it’s a smaller group. It’s way more people than should be exposed to each other for the purpose of watching a game. We are right now dealing with life or death on this planet and I think everyone of us should be doing our part to stay home".
The Big Cats Rescue CEO said that she stopped offering tours at her Big Cat Rescue on March 15 because of COVID-19 concerns. She believes that there is nothing that justifies the sort of risk that the organisers are taking by bringing 22,000 people to the Super Bowl venue, from all over the place and an uptick in COVID-19 cases is likely to happen.
Despite her disapproval, the 59-year-old will still be endorsing the Super Bowl 2021, with one of her cats, Dutchess, set to predict whether the Kansas City Chiefs or Tampa Bay Buccaneers will win the contest. The event will be aired on YouTube. In previous seasons, a tiger named Kali made the predictions, but she was retired after her wrong prediction last year.
Of the 22,000 set to attend the Super Bowl, 7,500 will be fully vaccinated health care workers, the majority of whom will hail from hospitals or health care systems in the Tampa or central Florida area. Additionally, all 32 clubs will select vaccinated health care workers from their communities to attend the big game.
(Image Courtesy: Carole Baskin Instagram)
17:09 IST, February 1st 2021