National anthem protests were common across the NFL on Sunday. But don’t expect to see such protests in NASCAR anytime soon.
Ahead of Sunday’s ISM Connect 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, NASCAR team owners Richard Petty and Richard Childress addressed the anthem protests, which even popped up in Major League Baseball on Saturday. And while it’s certainly possible that a driver could protest the anthem at some point, they better hope they’re not driving for Richard Petty Motorsports or Richard Childress Racing.
Here’s Childress on what his team’s policy is for someone who kneels for the anthem:
“Get you a ride on a Greyhound bus when the national anthem is over,” the RCR owner said, via NBC Sports. “Anybody that works for me should respect the country we live in. So many people gave their lives for it. This is America.”
Well, that settles that.
Petty, meanwhile, offered perhaps an even stronger take.
“Anybody that don’t stand up for (the anthem) ought to be out of the country. Period,” Petty said before the second race of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, which Kyle Busch won. “If they don’t appreciate where they’re at … what got them where they’re at? The United States.”
Although to slightly less emphatic degrees, fellow team owners Chip Ganassi and Joe Gibbs also denounced the anthem protests.
President Donald Trump, whose recent comments toward NFL players and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry reignited the focus on anthem protests, responded to the polarizing activity in a tweet Sunday.
And while he hasn’t yet reacted to the remarks coming out of NASCAR, it could be just a matter of time before we learn about “how many friends” the President has in the sport.
Thumbnail photo via Brian Spurlock/USA TODAY Sports Images
