Too soon, Jaxson de Ville.
The Jacksonville Jaguars' mascot is in hot water after a gimmick-gone-bad insinuated that the Pittsburgh Steelers' trademark "terrible" towels are inflicted with the Ebola virus.
#Jacksonville Jaguars mascot catches heat for Ebola sign http://t.co/pzfjzPf5Hb via @espnnfl
— Jessica Palombo (@JessicaPubRadio) October 6, 2014
President Mark Lamping issued an apology of behalf of the Jaguars on Monday.
Via ESPN.com:
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.
The Ebola virus - which carries a 90 percent death rate - is an epidemic centralized in West Africa but is now spreading into other parts of the world, including North America.
There is one confirmed case in the United States, currently being treated in Dallas.