By Oliver Salt
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Louisiana Governor 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 sporting fixtures.
Landry, who was elected Governor of Louisiana back in October, was one of many who hit out at LSU this week for skipping the anthem prior to their Elite 8 game against Iowa on Monday night.
The LSU Tigers drew heavy criticism when footage of the snub surfaced on social media, with Kim Mulkey’s players nowhere to be seen as the Star-Spangled Banner played out in Albany. Iowa stars, meanwhile, stood hand-in-hand while taking it in.
On Tuesday, Landry took to X to call for athletes to lose scholarships for a similar move in the future, insisting it is a ‘matter of respect’ to listen to the anthem.
And one day later the Governor joined Fox News to double down on that claim, while revealing he has been in touch with every college board to urge them to bring in a new policy.
Louisiana Governor 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
Landry was one of many who hit out at LSU for skipping the anthem before their game vs Iowa
LSU Tigers stars sparked outrage prior to their game against Iowa Hawkeyes (left) on Monday night after leaving the court before the American national anthem was played
WATCH:@JeffLandry joins @SandraSmithFox to discuss the controversy following LSU women’s basketball missing the pregame national anthem, and explains what he thinks should be done about it and what the policy should be for future games. #AmericaReports pic.twitter.com/26sptpXPli
‘I’m not calling out 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 problem for collegiate sports nationally and in Louisiana.
‘I just sent out a letter to each one of our college boards telling them that those college boards should put in place a policy that respects the national anthem. The national anthem is as much a part American sports as is the actual game that’s being played.
‘The fact that there’s not a policy that says “listen, these players are gonna be out there and respect the flag and respect those that go out there and protect us”, is really disrespectful in itself.’
He then added: ‘That’s what the universities should put in place. They should [stand]. Everybody should respect the flag.
‘If you don’t like it, well guess what… you don’t have to play the sport. And I would hope that all of the Final Four teams will be out there respecting our nation and letting everyone know that we’re united under one flag.’
According to Baton Rouge Proud reporter Chessa Bouche, LSU players are never on the court when the national anthem is played before games.
When asked about the incident in the aftermath of her team’s 94-87 loss to Iowa, head coach Mulkey said: ‘Honestly, I don’t even know when the anthem was played.
‘We kind of have a routine when they’re on the floor and they come off at the 12-minute mark.
‘I don’t know, we come in and we do our pregame stuff. I’m sorry, listen, that’s nothing intentionally done.’
Landry wants athletes to lose their scholarships if a similar slip-up happens in the future
LSU head coach Kim Mulkey claimed they did not miss the national anthem intentionally
But fans took to Tiger Droppings to express their displeasure towards Mulkey and her routine
Despite Mulkey’s explanation, LSU fans were still furious with the team for missing the anthem prior to Monday’s game, which went down as the most watched women’s college basketball fixture of all time with an average of 12.3 million viewers.
‘I look up a couple news sites and it says that LSU WB Team did not attend or stand for the national anthem?’ One user wrote on Tiger Droppings.
‘Are you kidding me? WTF Kim? What am I missing? We live in the Deep South and you are telling me LSU did this BS woke crap. Someone please help me understand what happened. For the life of me I don’t understand why LSU would do this intentionally or unintentionally.’
Another user called for Mulkey and Athletic Director Scott Woodward to get fired for the routine. The fan also expressed that he will no longer be rooting for the Tigers after decades of whole-hearted support.
‘I’ve been an LSU fan since 1958,’ the user wrote. ‘I live and breathe purple and Gold. I’m also a Vietnam era veteran who loves this country. I just learned about the disrespect Mulkey and her team show for America and those who sacrificed so much.
‘I’m glad they lost to Iowa. If they continue this ‘routine’ to snub the National Anthem, I hope they never win another game. The AD and Mulkey should be fired for allowing this ‘routine.’
Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd
Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group
