We can’t imagine the pressure professional athletes are under during high-stakes games. A single mistake might cost you the game — and earn you the ire of hot-tempered sports fans.
That’s been the situation for Buffalo Bills kicker Tyler Bass, who missed a potentially game-tying field goal on Sunday, ending the team’s hopes for the playoffs and unfortunately making him enemy #1 for some Bills fans.
But these uncalled for attacks have led to an unexpected silver lining — and a windfall for Bass’ favorite animal charity.
At Sunday night’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs, the 26-year-old kicker had a chance to tie the game with a 44-yard field goal. But Bass’ kick swerved right, and the team ended up losing to the Chiefs 27-24, dashing their hopes of the playoffs and the Super Bowl.
While it’s far from guaranteed that the Bills would’ve won the game even with the tying field goal, Bass quickly took the blame for the disheartening loss.
“Ultimately, it’s completely on me,” Bass said in the locker room after the game, per NFL.com. “Hit a good ball, it didn’t work out. I feel terrible. I love this team, and it hurts. This one hurts bad. I’ve got to do a better job.”
If Bass blamed himself for the loss, fans were even more unforgiving and brutal. The kicker received so much harassment that he had to deactivate his social media accounts.
But while Bass has gone quiet, his friends at an animal charity have stepped up in his defense.
Ten Lives Club, a nonprofit cat adoption charity, shared a post on social media urging people to stop harassing Bass. “WE STAND WITH TYLER BASS. DON’T BULLY OUR FRIEND,” they wrote on Facebook.
“Tyler doesn’t deserve any of the hate he’s receiving. He’s an excellent football player and an even better person who took the time to help our organization and rescue cats last year,” they wrote, sharing a photo of the NFL kicker holding a cat. “Leave our friend alone.”
While no one should be the subject of online harassment like this, some good ended up coming out of it: Ten Lives Club says they have received a surge of donations in Bass’ name. They’ve reportedly been donating $22, in honor of Bass’ #2 Bills jersey.
Donations have been pouring in: according to CNN, Ten Lives Club has received a whopping $155,000 in donations in support of Bass, including a $5,000 donation from Tito’s Handmade Vodka.
It’s a shame that so many sports fans would harass Tyler Bass like that, but we’re glad some good came out of it and people have rallied behind his favorite charity, helping cats in need.
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