Commentary: California Softball Team Given Brutal Reception After It Kneels for National Anthem at the Start of a Game in the South

Fans of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s women’s softball team responded most unfavorably when players of the University of California, Berkley kneeled for the playing of the National Anthem.

This from westernjournal.com.

Such behavior was best categorized by the iconic television character Tony Soprano (actor James Gandolfino) during an episode of The Sopranos in 2001 when dealing with an unbalanced relative who had been living out West and had forgotten how things were done in North Jersey:

No, no, no. I don’t want any of that California bullsh*t.

During a Feb. 9 home game, every member of the Ragin’ Cajuns softball team stood to honor their country as the national anthem was played.

Most of Cal’s players also stood to honor their country, but six of them took a knee. Again, the response to this unpatriotic behavior was most unfavorable—and appropriate.

For an added measure of California bullsh*t, the SF Gate attempted to portray the kneelers as victims of some sort of a hate campaign:

These ladies each made the decision to kneel in a deeply conservative part of the country—a place where Americans are more likely than not to honor God and country and respect their communities.

One man shouted:

WOKE! WOKE! WOKE! 

And another screamed:

Stand up!

Still another man shouted:

Stand up, California!

And another fan bellowed out the words:

Liberal wokeness!

Eventually, the shouting became so widespread much of the verbal grief the Cal ladies were receiving could not be understood.

But the booing was heard loud and clear. Apparently, all or most of those in attendance eventually realized what was happening and participated in sharing their feelings.

The message was clear:

We don’t want any California [bullsh*t] here in Lafayette.

The Cal Bears women who had decided to stand for the anthem approached their kneeling teammates and stood behind them in some apparent show of solidarity.

People with California values came into a place where people love their country and are proud of their flag and anthem.

Cultures clashed. And an appropriate, patriotic tone was set.

SFGate reported:

The Ragin’s Cajuns ended up routing the Bears—shutting them out 8-0 and [forcing] game officials to invoke the mercy rule.

Freedom of Speech is a beautiful thing, but it can simultaneously be a hateful, destructive tool. The behavior during the playing of our National Anthem before this softball game was one of those situations.

According to SFGate:

The anthem controversy arose at the start of the first game of a two-game weekend series. California won the second, which was played on Feb. 11.

The anthem wasn’t played before that game because it had already been played at the field for another game earlier in the day.

In other words, the Bears did not have a second chance to make a good first impression.

The California Bears were likely relieved to leave the stadium. Their hosts, The Rajin Cajuns of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, were most likely pleased to have them leave.

Final thoughts: Showing disrespect toward anyone’s national anthem—particularly your own—is a severely improper and selfish way to act. To better understand this, these Cal Bears softball players would be well served to read first-hand accounts by people who have had their country forcibly taken from them.