We've Got Controversy At The Dr Pepper Challenge
Fans took a turn against one of the corporate sponsorships on Sunday during the SEC Championship in Atlanta, according to Business Insider. A surprise ending to the soda giant's tuition giveaway contest had spectators booing from the stands. Ordinarily, Dr. Pepper would have given $100,000 in tuition funds to whoever chucked the most footballs into a giant soda can across the field. But this year, a tied game resulted in stadium upheaval.
At halftime, when Georgia and Louisiana State University football players headed to the locker rooms, Dr. Pepper kicked off the contest. Competitors Reagan Whitaker from Baylor and Kayla Gibson from the University of St. Augustine emerged from the first round of the competition having scored 11 passes, per Yahoo Sports. They continued to heave chest passes toward the oversized Dr. Pepper cans and wound up with a tie again in the second round. Then, a controversy ensued.
Dr. Pepper awards both players with $100,000
Dr. Pepper hosted its halftime tuition giveaway on Sunday during the SEC Championships in Georgia, but instead of naming a clear-cut winner, the company had to deal with a tied game situation, according to Business Insider. When competitors Reagan Whitaker and Kayla Gibson tied in the first and second rounds, Dr. Pepper declared that Whitaker was the winner, citing a little-known rule that validated points from a previous round, instead of having them complete a third round.
Fans did not accept this declaration and began to boo, and the hashtag #justiceforkayla began trending on social media. On Twitter, one user wrote, "The fact they let the Dr. Pepper Challenge end in a tie is the worst thing I've ever seen #JusticeforKayla." Hearing the lamentations of spectators in the stands and on social media, the soda company announced it would give both participants the $100,000 prize, Yahoo Sports reported.