Louisiana Governor calls for a change after LSU women’s team snubs national anthem

The ugly display of anti-Americanism by the LSU women’s basketball team has brought shame and dishonor upon the state of Louisiana and the governor is calling for big changes.

During this weekend’s NCAA tournament’s Elite 8 rematch pitting the reigning champion Tigers against last year’s finals opponent the Iowa Hawkeyes, coach Kim Mulkey’s squad chose to snub the national anthem by leaving the court in Albany, NY before the Star-Spangled Banner, a stunt that drew widespread criticism.

The Hawkeyes – who stayed on the court and held hands during the anthem – would go on to beat LSU, its thuggish star Angel Reese and her trash-talking teammates 94-87. Classy star Caitlin Clark dropped 41 points on the unladylike Tigers.

LSU’s disrespectful conduct drew a stern rebuke from Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry who slammed Mulkey and her squad while calling for it to be made mandatory for Bayou State teams to stand for the national anthem.

“My mother coached women’s high school basketball during the height of desegregation, no one has a greater respect for the sport and for Coach Mulkey,” the governor said in a post to X. “However, above respect for that game is a deeper respect for those that serve to protect us and unite us under one flag!”

“It is time that all college boards, including Regent, put a policy in place that student athletes be present for the national anthem or risk their athletic scholarship! This is a matter of respect that all collegiate coaches should instill,” Landry added, calling for entitled athletes to have their scholarships stripped if they don’t respect the flag.

When asked about why her team refused to take the court for the national anthem, Coach Mulkey played dumb, acting like she didn’t even know it was being played before the tip-off as it always is.

“Honestly, I don’t even know when the anthem was played. We kind of have a routine where we’re on the floor and then 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,” she explained during the postgame press conference.

Chris Donaldson

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