Jeff Landry, Kim Mulkey, and Angel Reese
The Iowa Hawkeyes prevailing over last year’s Champions, the LSU Tigers, in one of the hotly-anticipated matchups of the NCAA Women’s Tournament drew a ton of reactions.
But one section chose to focus on something that happened before the game even began. During the national anthem ceremony, the Tigers’ players were not present on the court, having retreated to the locker room.
This did not sit well with Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, who even proposed a severe punishment for students who missed the national anthem, claiming that they should risk losing their scholarship. As reported by Fox 8 New Orleans, he said:
“It’s a matter of respect”
However, fans were quick to call out Landry’s comments. Most took issue with Jeff, who did not know that the practice had been in place in every LSU game.
“Damnit, Jeff. They do this every game.”
“Clearly hasn’t watched a game this season”
“Do your research before having strong opinions.”
Others cited LSU players’ freedom and First Amendment rights in response to Jeff Landry’s strong stand.
“Why does Governor Landry hate the First Amendment so much?”
“This doesn’t sound like freedom…..”
“He wants to violate the student athlete’s first amendment rights I see.”
“So he wants to infringe on constitutional rights.”
One fan was quick to point out the double standard of Jeff’s comments. The LSU incident grabbed attention, but in the second Elite Eight matchup of the night, neither USC nor UConn were present on the court for the national anthem, which is relatively a normal sight for college sports.
“Neither the USC or UConn teams were on the court for the national anthem prior to the other Elite Eight game Monday night.”
Even fans who didn’t necessarily agree with the actions of Kim Mulkey and her team, did not agree with the governor’s approach, stating that their freedom came above such punishments.
“I believe in the players right to express themselves, even if I vehemently disagree.”
After the game, when the point was brought up to Head Coach Kim Mulkey, she stated that she had no idea the national anthem was playing and that their absence from the court was an unintentional coincidence.
As a result, fans couldn’t help but notice that the situation felt like Jeff was trying to appeal to his voting contingency.
“They already stated it was unintentional and they weren’t aware the anthem was going on. Now the politicians trying to score points has entered the conversation.”
What is Jeff Landry suggesting as a solution?
In a lengthy post on X, the Louisiana governor told a story about how his mother was a huge fan of Coach Mulkey. But, that did not mean he could support the transgression at play, citing a “deeper respect.”
“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. However, above respect for that game is a deeper respect for those that serve to protect us and unite us under one flag !”
That is when he made a call for action from all college boards to inflict a policy regarding the risk of scholarships for student-athletes.
“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.”
How did the game between LSU and Iowa play out?
In a rematch from last year’s NCAA Finals, the Elite Eight matchup drew 12.3 million viewers, which is more than every NBA game last season, barring one. It easily cleared every college basketball game, both men and women, while thrashing the records of every MLB, NHL, and MLS game last season.
The game lived up to every bit of its historic billing. A back-and-forth first half that ended in a 45-point tie saw the two teams’ prize fighters, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, give it their best shot.
The second half is where the Hawkeyes started to pull away. While Angel cooled off from a scoring standpoint, her defense and rebounding were on point for much of the night, finishing with 20 rebounds.
But, the 3rd and 4th quarters became the Caitlin Clark show. Guarded by Hailey Van Lith to the point that the LSU guard became a meme, #22 turned a 12-point first half into a 41-point, 7 rebounds, and 12 assists explosion to power Iowa to victory.
With UConn and Paige Bueckers winning their Elite Eight matchup against USC, it might once again be a case of only one team being present during the national anthem ceremony.
Do you think it draws a similar reaction again? Let us know in the comments below.
