Lightning Strike Victims Are Upset Over PointsBet-Drew Brees Ad-Slash-Publicity Stunt

A new PointsBet USA commercial in which former NFL quarterback Drew Brees is struck by lightning has made ACTUAL lightning strike victims upset.

Unlike any real lightning strike, one could have seen this coming from a mile away.

Lightning Strike and Electric Shock Survivors International released a statement condemning both parties involved.

"The recent Drew Brees lightning commercial is an inappropriate, disgusting method of promoting gambling or any TV commercial campaign," LSESSI wrote. "This is a deadly injury, and it is disappointing to see the continual ridicule of lightning and electrical injury survivors in comical light in which it is presented for commercial gain and profit."

POINTSBET WAS PROMOTING A NEW "LIGHTNING" BETTING FEATURE

On Friday, the gambling company released a bizarre tweet in which they claimed that the former Super Bowl champion quarterback was okay after being struck by lightning. Immediately the sports world questioned if the report was accurate.

Eventually PointsBet and Brees admitted that the whole thing was a giant publicity stunt to promote the sportsbook's new "Lightning Bets" feature.

Let the outrage begin.

IN 2022 YOU CAN'T MAKE JOKES ANYMORE

Welcome PointsBet and Drew Brees to social media in 2022 - where somebody, somewhere is upset about ANYTHING.

I'm amazed that people really believe that PointsBet would be the first to report on a Hall of Fame quarterback being struck by lightning while filming a damn commercial? It was preposterous from the get go.

LSESSI continued in their statement, "Much progress through hard work and education has been made over the last twenty years to lower the lightning/electrical deaths and risk of injury through education and informed knowledge of the dangers."

They said the viral commercial is going to set them back decades.

DREW BREES HASN'T APOLOGIZED YET - DOES HE EVEN HAVE TO?

I'm not sure how how many people are mocking people that were struck by lightning? Seems like pretty faux-outrage. But what do I know, I've never been actually struck by lightning. I like to stay indoors when there's a serious storm. Clearly it had to have sucked but I truly don't believe there is some sort of anti-lightning strike movement out there.

My advice would be, as if anything that bothers someone is to just own it. Turn it around and be like damn right I was stuck by lightning. Use it as a bragging right. "Even lightning couldn't take me down!"

Regardless, you can be sure Brees is going to go through the motions of someone who has upset people in 2022. He'll probably issue an apology, do a couple charity things or maybe a real commercial supporting lightning victims. So far, he hasn't said anything.

Sure, the PointsBet rollout ad was pretty cringe. But guess what? People are talking and reacting to it, so I guess it worked out after all.

The lightning bet feature is currently available on the online sportsbook.