A Tennessee state senator says athletes kneeling during the national anthem before a game is like raising a middle finger to the United States flag.
State Sen. Jon Lundberg of Bristol made the comparison Wednesday during a budget hearing for East Tennessee State. His comments to ETSU president Brian Nolan came in the wake of the ETSU men's basketball team's decision to kneel during the anthem ahead of its Feb. 15 game against Chattanooga.
The team has been kneeling ahead of games at various points during the 2020-21 season. On Feb. 17, coach Jason Shay was asked after a loss to Mercer about the practice and defended his players.