Louisiana Governor Knew Little Of College Sports' Anthem Routines, But He's Still Right | Glenn Guilbeau

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - Sometimes when you know very little about something and just wade in, as uninformed as you may be, you can still have a refreshing and more objective approach.

Such is the case with Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, who had an epiphany Monday night while watching his LSU Tigers lose to Iowa in a women's NCAA Tournament Regional championship game in Albany, New York. Iowa was on the court for the national anthem as a team holding hands. LSU was not.

What the hell? And Landry has been working to change this ever since. It doesn't matter that he knew virtually nothing of the pre-game routines of LSU and most college teams in all sports that exclude the national anthem for no particular reason other than habit.

OPINION: Kim Mulkey Got Outcoached  

On the other hand, sometimes people can be so embedded in a situation, they don't notice how ridiculous it can be. They're so used to it, they don't even think about it.

Such is the case with the anthem, and why so many college teams are not on the field or on the court when it is played shortly before a game or a match. When OutKick's Dan Zaksheske asked LSU women's basketball coach Kim Mulkey - a very patriotic American and mega Donald Trump supporter - about it, it was the furthest thing from her mind. 

LSU women's basketball coach Kim Mulkey lost to Iowa on Monday in an NCAA Regional final game at MVP Arena in Albany, New York. LSU won the national championship last year under Mulkey. (Gregory Fisher, USA TODAY Sports)

She had just lost. But that's not it. LSU's women's team, like so many teams in all the various college sports around the country, were not on the court because they're busy with last-minute preparations before a game - such as going to the bathroom, assignment reviews, prayer, alone time, orange slices, whatever.

National Anthem Not On The Radar, But It Should Be

It has become so commonplace over the years for college athletes to skip the anthem, that no one thinks about it. It was not any kind of protest by the LSU women's team or any other team. Out of habit, they're just not out there. 

There is a theory circulating that Mulkey purposely doesn't have her high-personality and controversial team on the court for the anthem because she fears some sort of protest or disrespect. Not the case. They don't leave the court shortly before the anthem is played to get away from the anthem. That just happens to be when they leave. Again, this is what they've always done, usually without thinking about it. 

Yet, players are on the field for the anthem in so many professional sports, including the NFL, the NBA and Major League Baseball. If professional teams can find time around their precious pre-game rituals to get their butts on the field for a three-minute song when you're standing with your brothers and sisters, why can't all college athletes?

One of the better NFL Films segments I've seen focuses on how much players enjoy being out for the anthem before a big game and how they find it inspiring and emotional, which is precisely how one should feel before a game. The time for strategy was days prior. It's too late by the time game day hits.

College baseball teams are out there for the national anthem. And I have to tell you, it's quite a moment when they play it with both teams and everyone else standing in uniformity at the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. 

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry Wants National Anthem Consistency

Landry noticed this when he threw out the ceremonial first pitch for a Florida-LSU baseball game on March 22 here at Alex Box Stadium. 

"If you have consistency, you don't have these kinds of problems," he said on FOX News' America Reports with Sandra Smith on Wednesday.   

RELATED: Governor Jeff Landry Doubles Down On Anthem On FOX News

There is plenty of time to do whatever there is to do before or after the anthem, depending on when it's played. This is not that hard. Plan around it. Get over it. It can be done uniformly. They do it at Little League games for crying out loud. What's the problem?

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry wants all college athletes in his state to be present and accounted for during the National Anthem before games. (Getty Images)

This is precisely the argument of Governor Landry.

"The kids are more behaved during the national anthem than during the sport itself," Landry said. "Because it's a respect for our nation."

Since Landry came out with his original thoughts on the subject Monday night on X, he has been ripped by the right and the left.

A lot of the criticism comes from folks who just don't like politicians like Landry - right or left - jumping into sports and trying to get headlines for political reasons. His motivation likely is political. Backing the national anthem is strong strategy, like being against crime. Regardless of his motivation, though, he has accidentally fallen on a great idea. Why aren't more college teams out there for such a brief and symbolic moment of unity with everyone in the building? So, don't blame the messenger because he's a politician or you don't like him, focus on the message.

Much of the criticism has been confused. Mulkey's team was not trying to make any kind of political statement or protest. They just weren't out there, like all the other college teams who aren't out there for the national anthem. They're not even thinking about it. LSU's players didn't leave the floor just before the anthem as a protest. That's when they leave all the time.

The anthem is not on the radar of most college teams. That's it. They're not anti-American. The song is played so much, it tends to lose its impact. And player and coaches are thinking about the game. It's a routine. But a routine that should change because that would make sense.

"Our basketball programs have not been on the court for the Anthems for the last several seasons," LSU athletic department spokesman Cody Worsham said after Mulkey's answer to OutKick's Zaksheske Monday night. "Usually, the anthem is played before the game when the team is in the locker room doing final preps."

OK, thank you, but that doesn't make it right. Just because you've done something a certain way for a long time is not a good argument.

Again we're talking about a three-minute song. Wake up. There is no reason why every athlete about to play in a game can't be on the field or court for a few minutes for a great, historical and significant song.

National Anthem Should Be The Pre-Game ‘Routine’ Above All Others

Forget the precious routine already.

"That's not intentionally done," Mulkey accurately said when Zaksheske asked her what her team was doing while the anthem played. "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 pre-game stuff."

After that tape played on "America Reports," FOX's Sandra Smith, an LSU graduate and former Tiger track athlete, said it best.

"Well, then get your stuff done earlier to get out there," she said. "I'm one of the biggest LSU fans out there. I don't understand."

Neither does Landry, who is growing smarter about all this by the day. 

"I urge the boards to create a policy that mandates all student-athletes be present on the field, court, etc., for the national anthem, or risk losing their athletic scholarships," said Landry's letter of Wednesday to all the Boards of Supervisors and Boards of Regents at the various colleges and universities in Louisiana. "This would ensure that our student-athletes and their coaches understand the significance of our anthem, our flag, and work to instill the respect for it within their teams."

Oh, say, can you see how simple and common sense that is? 

And the best argument from opponents is a precious routine? "That's how we've always done it." Really? That's all you got? 

Please.

Interrupt your freakin' routine, and get your butt out there for three minutes for the national anthem. Then, feel free to roam about the land of the free and home of the brave.

You'll be OK. And you just might feel proud. And if it's a big game, or your first college game, or your last, you may just shed a tear.