I really thought Gov. Jeff Landry's national anthem athletic stance had moved from a national bonfire to the remnants of what's left after a small campfire — a few embers from twigs and flickering coals smoldering as the guv realized that this is a no-win situation.
Perhaps it has.
In the spring, Landry created a firestorm when he pointed out that popular LSU women's basketball coach Kim Mulkey and the LSU women's basketball team were not standing courtside during the national anthem before the team's Elite 8 finale against the University of Iowa. Iowa players were standing courtside, but the LSU team was still in their locker room — where they typically had been all season during the anthem.
Landry, who regularly attends LSU basketball and football games, tried to ride a social media wave of complaints bashing Mulkey and her team.
"I just sent out a letter to each one of our college boards, telling them they should put in place a policy that respects the national anthem," the governor said when he was interviewed on Fox News in the spring. He suggested that athletes who did not obey the policy should lose their scholarships.
Soon after Landry's comments, LSU football coach Brian Kelly said he understood the governor's stance and that he and his team would abide by whatever university leaders decided.
Now, just in time for Sunday's LSU season opener against No. 23 Southern Cal in Las Vegas (6:30 p.m., ABC), LSU announced, "There will not be any changes to our pregame football processes this season." In other words, the team will not change its pregame routine. Players won't be on the field standing for the national anthem before this season's games.
LSU has nine men's sports and 12 women's sports, but what might happen with the nonfootball sports during the national anthem was not shared.
No word on whether LSU cross-country, golf and swim team athletes will be in the locker room or standing at the starting line, on the course or poolside as the national anthem plays.
LSU head coach Brian Kelly walks toward the line during a special teams session at practice on Saturday, August 17, 2024 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
I was clear when I wrote about Landry's national anthem demands in my April 9 "Gov. Jeff Landry, bench your mock national anthem crisis" column.
A few days later, on April 15, Landry clarified his national anthem intentions in a guest column in this newspaper, saying in part that "many have misconstrued my comments in the media regarding the importance of respecting and recognizing our national anthem."
I'm not many, but I may be one of those he referenced.
"We should never have a situation where one team is on the field or the court for the national anthem and the other is not," the governor wrote. "Either both teams should be on hand or neither should be. Otherwise, it will be interpreted by many observers exactly as this was: that the team not on hand isn’t patriotic."
"That is not right!"
Referencing Kelly's earlier comments that he would abide by whatever his university leadership decided, Landry wrote: "Kelly also said that his football team would stand proudly for the anthem if a decision were made that they should ... I commend him for those comments."
Now that the university has decided, I hope Landry will "commend" LSU for making a decision and Kelly for abiding by it.
Quoting Landry's own words from April, "It is my hope that Louisiana’s public colleges adopt a custom of having our sports teams on the field or the court for the national anthem. Because being American is more important than whether we’re Tigers, Bulldogs, Jaguars, Cajuns, Cowboys, etc."
"There are many important issues facing our state and nation."
Yes, governor, there are many more important issues to handle.
We haven't heard from Landry since the LSU announcement.
We also haven't heard from the Louisiana Board of Regents, the LSU System, the Southern University System, the University of Louisiana System or the Louisiana Community and Technical Colleges System whether they plan to include national anthem matters at upcoming staff and board meetings.
I certainly hope they deal with the issues that really matter.
We need system and university leaders to govern and lead with an academic focus and rigor that includes sports. The national anthem isn't — and shouldn't be — a policy issue.
Let it go, guv. Let it go.
