KAMERON DUNCAN, SEP 27, 2023
Joe Exotic, the star of the pandemic-era Netflix hit series Tiger King, is making his voice heard in the sport of college football.
Exotic, whose real name is Joe Maldonado-Passage, called out Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis for what he believes is improper use of his intellectual property.
Travis released a shirt displaying himself sitting on a throne in front of two tigers to represent FSU's wins over Clemson and LSU this season.
“Sick of everyone else riding off my trademark I created before they were out of high school," Maldonado-Passage said about Travis and about Joe Burrow before him.
"I am living the hell from Tiger King and no one is going to profit from it," he said through his attorney while speaking to the Tampa Bay Times from a prison in Texas.
It's a continuation of comments Maldonado-Passage directed at Travis from social media.
"Jordan Travis was 6 years old when I became The Tiger King," he explained. "I will give ANY ATTORNEY 80% of a settlement to sue Jordan Travis and ALL companies selling stuff using Tiger King."
Interestingly enough, the so-called Joe Exotic said that he may be willing to pass the Tiger King moniker to another college quarterback in Florida's Graham Mertz.
"How can you claim to be king of anything when you’re not even king in your own state," he asked in another tweet, saying that he is giving Mertz and the Gators his support because they're a rival of Florida State's.