NHL team allegedly photoshopped masks on fans in stands. And the backlash was swift
After fans were allowed inside the PPG Paints Arena to see their Pittsburgh Penguins take on the Philadelphia Flyers for the first time in almost a year, the team is facing some harsh backlash after appearing to photoshop masks onto folks in a Twitter post.
On Wednesday, the team had tweeted out the photo along with a caption thanking fans for their support, and Twitter sleuths were quick to point out that the photo might have been the product of some talented photoshop editor.
Along with a quote from head coach Mike Sullivan talking about the loyalty of the Penguins fan base, the photo was edited to show that three fans — who apparently didn’t cover their noses — were wearing their masks properly.
People were not exactly thrilled.
The original photo was posted by Penguins sports reporter Taylor Haase, according to Insider. Haase also pointed out that health and safety violations were running rampant at the team’s first home game with fans since the COVID-19 global pandemic shut down the sports world in March of 2020.
The Penguins have not responded to a request for comment from McClatchy News.