Tim Brando Gives Level-Headed Defense of LSU, Kim Mulkey Amid Anthem Controversy On 'OutKick: Hot Mic"
Fox Sports college football broadcaster Tim Brando wants to bring a balanced perspective to LSU's scandal over the national anthem.
LSU women's basketball was noticeably absent during Monday's national anthem before an Elite-8 meeting against Iowa.
OutKick's Dan Zaksheske captured the pre-game moment, setting off a chain reaction of responses.
The move from coach Kim Mulkey and the LSU Tigers quickly made headlines; many of them negative.
Some remarks were critical of Mulkey, suggesting a lack of reverence for the nation by skipping the anthem.
Others offered that Mulkey and LSU did nothing unusual on Monday night, not necessarily intending to jab the American flag.
Watch OutKick Hot Mic w/ Hutton & Withrow live from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry entered the conversation. His message in response to LSU sitting out the anthem was to threaten to revoke scholarships for college athletes attending the university.
Tim Brando joined "OutKick: Hot Mic" to discuss Kim Mulkey, LSU and Landry's proclamation, offering some pushback against the assumed ‘conservative’ stance on this issue.
WATCH:
Tim Brando On Louisiana Governor's Anthem Stance | Hot Mic With Hutton And Withrow
NEWARK, NJ - NOVEMBER 16: Fox sports play-by-play announcer Tim Brando before the game between the Seton Hall Pirates and the Iowa Hawkeyes at Prudential Center on November 16, 2022, in Newark, NJ. (Photo by Porter Binks/Getty Images)
Even as a Republican and former Landry voter, Brando said the governor's declaration against Mulkey and LSU was wildly off the mark.
Landry's position disregarded Mulkey's longstanding integrity. Brando challenged Jeff Landry to refrain from making rulings based on a viral video. Based on the events, Brando's counterargument made sense, but they'll still likely draw criticism from the anti-Mulkey, -Angel Reese and -LSU crowd.
"For those of us who have known Kim Mulkey since she wore those pigtails, she hasn't changed very much at all," Brando said, calling back to Mulkey's time as a player for Louisiana Tech, sporting a signature look.
Brando brought the heat, reminding audiences of Mulkey's cavalier personality, often capable of neglecting the status quo.
ALBANY, NEW YORK - APRIL 01: Head coach Kim Mulkey of the LSU Lady Tigers reacts during the first half against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the Elite Eight round of the 2024 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament held at MVP Arena on April 1, 2024 in Albany, New York. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
"[Mulkey] is exceedingly comfortable being uncomfortable. She was the player you most wanted on your team if you were her teammate, and she was also the player that pissed you off the most if she wasn't your teammate."
He added that sharp reactions to Kim Mulkey and LSU's anthem absence may have more to do with rampant political ideology overtaking social media.
"She's still doing that today as a coach now, because of the changes we've seen in our country politically, particularly in media. Without question, her being comfortably uncomfortable is really problematic for a lot of people in media. And now she's getting it. … The governor of Louisiana, who, by the way, is a good man, I voted for him, Jeff Landry, but he's a little further right than I am.
"His statement was just that dumb. You clearly haven't been following college basketball for very long, sir, and you haven't been following LSU women's basketball all season until this game. And you're putting her and potentially that basketball program and another program at LSU [at risk]. If you make certain statements like that in parallel when it comes to recruiting because not everybody that's going to be playing sports at LSU is going to be a right-wing Republican.
"So you need to temper your comments and at least have an understanding of what's going on. And as I said, I'm a Republican, too, not as far right as our governor, but he needs to understand a few things before he makes such blanket statements."
(Did Tim Brando's defense of Kim Mulkey ring true? Debate … discuss … send us your thoughts on the matter: alejandro.avila@outkick.com)
Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela
Send a message: alejandro.avila@outkick.com