Louisiana governor responds after LSU's women's basketball team skips national anthem: 'This is a matter of respect'



Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) suggested Tuesday that college athletes who disrespect the national anthem should face consequences.

Ahead of the much-anticipated matchup between LSU and Iowa in the women's NCAA tournament on Monday, LSU caught flak for apparently skipping the national anthem. The Iowa Hawkeyes, however, were on the court during the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner."

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After the game — a 94-87 Iowa victory — LSU women's basketball head coach Kim Mulkey addressed the incident.

"Honestly, I don't even know when the anthem was played," she said.

"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 pre-game stuff," she explained. "I'm sorry, listen, that's nothing intentionally done."

But the damage was done, at least in the eyes of Gov. Landry.

On Tuesday, the Republican governor advocated for university officials to enact a policy that requires student athletes be present for the national anthem — or risk losing their scholarship.

"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," Landry said in a statement.

"However, above respect for that game is a deeper respect for those that serve to protect us and unite us under one flag!" he continued.

"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!" he said. "This is a matter of respect that all collegiate coaches should instill."

But is this a matter of student athletes disrespecting the national anthem?

It appears not.

According to a Louisiana sports reporter who covers the LSU women's basketball team, the players are never on the court during the national anthem. Instead, the team leaves the court before pregame festivities after their warm-ups, before reentering the court for team introductions — just as Coach Mulkey said.

A spokesperson for LSU, associate athletic director Cody Worsham, confirmed that LSU's basketball teams are never on the court for the national anthem.

"Our basketball programs have not been on the court for the anthem for the last several seasons. Usually the anthem is played 12 minutes before the game when the team is in the locker room doing final preparations," Worsham said.

Landry's idea, meanwhile, is already receiving pushback from state leaders, according to the Louisiana Illuminator.

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'Well, I'mma take this d**n mask off!': New LSU coach tosses aside her COVID-19 mask as crowd cheers. But leftists are very, very offended.



When Kim Mulkey was introduced as the new women's basketball coach at Louisiana State University, the very first thing she did as she stood before the microphone Monday was pull off her COVID-19 face mask.

Mulkey — who took Baylor University to three national championships since 2000, TMZ Sports reported -- let her mask hang from her right ear as she told the crowd, "Well, I'mma take this damn mask off!"

Then she tossed it to the side:

Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @mercash22

And the cheering crowd loved it.

"'Cause I have a lot to say," Mulkey added.

Check it out:

Well, Kim Mulkey has arrived at LSU https://t.co/iRvNJqObZr
— Meredith Cash (@Meredith Cash)1619476268.0

How did folks react?

As you might expect, when leftists got an earful and eyeful of Mulkey's statement, they were none too pleased:

  • "Does LSU have to pay the buy-out when we learn that she stormed the Capitol?" one commenter quipped.
  • "She's employed by an institution of higher learning. How is this acceptable?" another user wondered.
  • "Does everyone in the south get a carton of cigarettes and an ounce of meth at birth, or is it just in-breeding?" another commenter asked.
  • "She just lost any respect that I had for her," another commenter declared. "Any player with an ounce of ethical standards should go elsewhere. Kim obviously is a Trump supporter and should know something about physiological reactions to viruses! Pathetic."
  • "If I were a parent of a top recruit....no way I send her to play for this lunatic.....probably the most stupid introduction ever," another user said.
  • "@KimMulkey you're trash. Grow up and start acting like you care about a pandemic that has disproportionately been killing African American people — women with the same color skin as the ones you profit off!" another commenter noted. "I'm so sick of this woman."

Anything else?

TMZ Sports said that before Mulkey left Baylor for the LSU job, she got some big-time attention for insisting the NCAA cease coronavirus testing at the men's and women's Final Four rounds so as to ensure player availability.

"They need to dump the COVID testing," Mulkey, 58, said in March, according to the outlet. "Wouldn't it be a shame to keep COVID testing, and then you got kids that test positive or something, and they don't get to play in the Final Four?"

TMZ Sports said the NCAA didn't agree with Mulkey and added that it was important to continue testing all the way through the end of the tournament so as to prevent an outbreak.