Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has doubled down on his call for athletes to be stripped of their college scholarships if they avoid listening to the national anthem before sports games.
Landry, who was elected governor of Louisiana in October, was one of many who criticized LSU this week for skipping the anthem before its Elite 8 game against Iowa on Monday night.
The LSU Tigers came under heavy criticism when images of the snub surfaced on social media, with Kim Mulkey’s players unseen while the Star-Spangled Banner was played in Albany. Meanwhile, Iowa’s stars were holding hands as they took it all in.
On Tuesday, Landry took to
And a day later, the Governor joined Fox News to double down on that claim, while revealing that he had been in contact with all university boards to urge them to adopt a new policy.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has redoubled his call for athletes to be stripped of their college scholarships if they avoid listening to the national anthem.
Landry was one of many who criticized LSU for skipping the anthem before the game against Iowa.
LSU Tigers stars sparked outrage before their game against the Iowa Hawkeyes (left) on Monday night after walking off the court before the US national anthem played.
‘I’m not criticizing the players or Coach Mulkey, I support Coach Mulkey. My statement said that,’ Landry stressed. ‘But look, I think this is a bigger question, a bigger issue for college sports nationally and in Louisiana.
‘I just sent a letter to each of our university boards telling them that those university boards should implement a policy that respects the national anthem. The national anthem is as much a part of American sports as it is of the game itself.
“The fact that there’s no policy that says ‘listen, these players are going to be out there and respect the flag and respect those who go out and protect us,’ is really disrespectful in and of itself.”
Then he added: ‘That’s what universities should implement. They should (stand up). Everyone should respect the flag.
‘If you don’t like it, guess what… you don’t have to play this sport. And I hope all the Final Four teams are there respecting our nation and letting everyone know that we are united under one flag.”
According Baton Rouge Proud Reporter Chessa BoucheLSU players are never on the field when the national anthem plays before games.
When asked about the incident after her team’s 94-87 loss to Iowa, Coach Mulkey said, “Honestly, I don’t even know when the anthem was played.
‘We have kind of a routine when they’re on the court and they come out at the 12-minute mark.
‘I don’t know, we go in and do our pre-game stuff. Sorry, listen, that’s nothing done intentionally.
Landry wants athletes to lose their scholarships if a similar slip happens in the future
LSU head coach Kim Mulkey claimed they didn’t miss the national anthem intentionally.
But fans took to Tiger Droppings to express their displeasure towards Mulkey and his routine.
Despite Mulkey’s explanation, LSU fans were still furious with the team for missing the anthem before Monday’s game, which ranked as the most-watched women’s college basketball game of all time with an average of 12.3 millions of viewers.
‘I looked at a couple of news sites and it says the LSU WB team did not attend or perform the national anthem.’ A user wrote in tiger droppings.
‘Are you kidding me? WTF Kim? What am I missing? We live in the deep south and you’re telling me LSU did this woke shit. Someone please help me understand what happened. For the life of me, I don’t understand why LSU would do this intentionally or not.
Another user called for Mulkey and athletic director Scott Woodward to be fired for the routine. The fan also expressed that he will no longer support the Tigers after decades of unconditional support.
“I’ve been an LSU fan since 1958,” the user wrote. ‘I live and breathe purple and gold. I am also a Vietnam era veteran who loves this country. I just learned of the lack of respect Mulkey and his team show toward America and those who sacrificed so much.
‘I’m glad they lost to Iowa. If they continue with this ‘routine’ of snubbing the National Anthem, I hope they never win a game again. The AD and Mulkey should be fired for allowing this “routine.”