New York, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Several years ago in 2017, a controversial image appeared online. This image of a man straddling a shark took the Internet by storm as many began to recognize the man as none other than Jimmy John Liautaud. Jimmy John is the former owner of Jimmy John's Sandwiches, now owned by Inspire Brands. However, there may be more than meets the eye in the Jimmy John Shark image.
Origin of the Photo
The notorious image was first posted to Twitter by Anneka Svenska, a wildlife TV presenter and filmmaker. She posted the image hoping to learn the identity of the man in the photo, accusing him of "humiliating slaughtered animals".
Who is this man? Please RT, find him & ask him why he did this? Where is the humour in humiliating slaughtered animals? @ChrisGPackham pic.twitter.com/uHN37OywCx
— Anneka Svenska (@AnnekaSvenska) May 5, 2017
Soon the Internet pointed fingers at Jimmy John Liautaud as there was an uncanny resemblance.
Jimmy John Liautaud is Not the Man in the Photo
According to the former sandwich shop owner, he is not the man in the infamous image. It's worth noting that the restaurant chain he founded is no longer owned by him. Instead, the company is owned by Inspire Brands, and the original owner has stepped down from the board and is now merely an adviser.
Who is the Man in the Photo?
An alternative theory was that the man was Jim McElwain, a football coach for Central Michigan University. However, Coach McElwain denied the accusations.
The truth was finally revealed in an interview by Barstool Sports. Jim McSwiggan, a former police officer from upstate New York, confessed in the interview that he was the man in the photo.
"The coach said it wasn't him. I knew it wasn't him because it was me," McSwiggan explained. This proved both Jim McElwain and Jimmy John Liautaud innocent, finally putting the controversy to rest.
Now that Jimmy John Liautaud has been vindicated, the Internet can rest assured that he was definitely not 'the naked shark guy'.
