Steve O’Donnell: “From our standpoint, we view ourselves as a sport”
Over the weekend, respect for the American Flag as well as the National Anthem is a hot topic. Following a single-knee display from NFL players, President Trump has called for a boycott of the NFL.
At the same time, President Trump went on to praise NASCAR. “So proud of NASCAR and its supporters and fans,” Trump tweeted yesterday.
NASCAR has issued their own statement. However, NASCAR Executive VP Steve O’Donnell has put a bow on it.
Related: Donald Trump responds to NASCAR team owners
Does NASCAR have National Anthem rules?
“It’s something that we’ve always talked about in the industry, as a sport,” Steve O’Donnell refers to National Anthem guidelines in NASCAR via Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.
“If you look at our history, we’ve always, as a sport demonstrated a respect for the American Flag. And the freedom’s it represents. We celebrate the service men and women, that have sacrificed, to be part of that. And that’s part of the sport.”
“From our standpoint, we view ourselves as a sport. We want to continue to celebrate the flag, but respect others’ opinions.”
“Going forward, I think that’s where we stand. We’ll leave it at that. We hope people can look at NASCAR as something to tune into on a Sunday and enjoy a sporting event.”
In other words, NASCAR respects freedom of expression as well as freedom of speech. At the same time, people are tuned in to see a sport, not a protest or a political show.
Related: NASCAR issues statement on National Anthem
Author: Shane Walters
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