They've got a host, they don't have a host, they've got a host, they don't have a host.
When NBC cut ties with "Miss USA" pageant owner Donald Trump because of perceived insensitive remarks he made recently, controversy immediately swirled around the pageant, and several people have opted not to be part of it - including multiple hosts.
The ladies? Hey, they're still down for it. This IS "Miss USA," after all. Fifty women from every state and the District of Columbia are competing in the pageant, and there must have been a collective sigh of relief when Reelz announced it would save the day and broadcast it on July 12.
Trump, for his part, will be sure to make Reelz sound like the second coming of Netflix now.
Bridget Wilmes, Miss Oregon USA, expressed concern for the “Showdown in Baton Rouge, La.!" The 22-year-old can now rest easy, as she prepares to "continue to pursue her dream to represent Oregon and have the chance of being hired for the job of Miss USA.” Her odds of winning aren't in the upper tier, but thanks to the controversy, there's a million ways this can play out.
Caroline Scott, Miss Wyoming USA, has strong odds as the pageant gets closer, even while folks signing contracts doesn't seem to. Lexy Schenk, aka Miss South Dakota, is a rare thing this time around: a blonde. There may be less than ever of those in a Miss USA pageant.
Miss Nevada, Miss Idaho and Miss Missouri have been reported at 25-to-1. That’s in the upper-third of favorites.
The winner of the Miss USA pageant will go on to compete in the Miss Universe pageant. Miss USA spokeswoman Jackie Shahinian confirmed that the pageant Sunday will stream on the Miss USA website, in addition to being broadcast on the Reelz channel.
Though the Reelz channel rescued the Miss USA pageant, Cox Communications does not carry the Reelz network. Cox said Monday that they have no plans to add the Reelz channel or air the Miss USA pageant, leaving many of Baton Rouge's television watchers without a venue to see their city showcased while the Miss USA contestants face off for the crown.
Equally outspoken, Miss California, Natasha Martinez, and Miss Texas, Ylianna Guerra, broke their silence on the backlash in an interview and explained why they're staying loyal to the competition.
"We were not going to let our states down," Guerra said. "It's taken a lot of hard work and determination to get here, and we're just really focused right now on the pageant and focused on Miss USA and being here. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
Martinez added that she never even considered quitting. "Not once did I think about dropping out of the pageant," she insisted. "I feel very passionate about my family's background and their ability to grow in this country."
Interestingly, Martinez's mother immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 12. "I know firsthand, as the child of an immigrant, that immigrants work extremely hard to come to this country," she said. "It was definitely hard to hear some of [Trump's] comments, but I think that this is a great opportunity for Latinos to rise up and prove themselves."
That is not only a positive way of spinning the controversy, it will also be seen as savvy by many, and could put her in a front-runner position.
In that respect, all the attention on the pageant could turn out to be a good thing. "It's definitely been an e experience that's going to separate our class from any of the other classes before," Martinez added. "In a way, it's been great, because it's given us a lot of opportunities to really be able to speak our minds about the issues."
That would quite the ending to all this scandal, wouldn't it, bettors? Check out BookMaker Sportsbook’s odds to win Miss USA.
The 64th edition of Miss USA will take place on July 12, 2015, airing on Reelz.
Miss USA odds for Sunday’s competition on NBC were first released by BookMaker. Cash in on futures odds to win the most decorated pageant in America by opening an account at BookMaker now! Now you can wager live while the show unfolds with BookMaker's live betting option.
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