Los Angeles Mayor Garcetti caught maskless at Super Bowl and offers dubious excuse

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti faced another firestorm of criticism after he was caught without a mask at the Super Bowl on Sunday, and his office gave a dubious excuse for his pandemic hypocrisy.

Garcetti was among many of the celebrities who were caught without a mask at the game at SoFi Stadium where the Los Angeles Rams took on the Cincinnati Bengals.

The photograph was widely circulated on social media.

On Monday, Garcetti's office released a brief statement denying that he had ignored the distancing guidelines.

"The mayor was wearing his mask the entire game, except when he was eating or drinking," the statement read.

The dubious excuse was similar to that he gave after he was caught without a mask in several photos at the Rams NFC championship game two weeks prior.

"I wore my mask the entire game," claimed Garcetti to reporters at the time.

"When people ask for a photograph, I hold my breath, and I put it here, and people can see that," he added. "There is a zero percent chance of infection from that."

Other celebrities who were caught maskless at the big game included Charlize Theron, LeBron James, Matt Damon, and Sean Penn.

The NFL required spectators at the game to follow local social distancing guidelines, which called on everyone in attendance to wear a mask at all times except when drinking or eating.

"All persons attending indoor and outdoor Mega Events are required to wear masks, regardless of vaccination status, at the event, except while actively eating and drinking in designated areas," read the Los Angeles County Public Health guidelines.

The Rams defeated the Bengals by a score of 23 to 20 and were only the second team in NFL history to win a Super Bowl at their home stadium.

Here's more about Garcetti's excuses:

LA Mayor Eric Garcetti says he holds breath when removing mask for photos | ABC7www.youtube.com