During a Feb. 9 home game, the Ragin’ Cajuns softball team stood united in honor of their country as the national anthem played. But six players from the visiting team, the University of California, Berkeley, decided to take a knee in protest. This action did not sit well with the Southern crowd who did not hesitate to voice their displeasure.
As SF Gate reported, the six kneeling players were subjected to shouts and taunts from the fans. One man yelled, “WOKE! WOKE! WOKE!” while another screamed, “Stand up!” Yet another fan shouted “Stand up, California!” and someone even shouted, “Liberal wokeness!” The booing was so loud that most of the specific comments could not be heard, but it was clear that the message was a resounding rejection of the California values that the players were trying to represent.
The players who had chosen to stand in solidarity with their kneeling teammates were eventually drowned out by the booing and began to stand behind them. However, the tone had already been set – the people of Lafayette were not interested in any “California malarkey.”
The Ragin’ Cajuns ended up winning the game in a landslide victory, shutting out the Bears with a score of 8-0. The game officials had to invoke the mercy rule, ending the game early due to the overwhelming lead. The second game, played on Feb. 11, was won by California, but the animosity from the previous game was still palpable.
It is important to note that both teams were exercising their constitutional right to free speech and expression. However, in the eyes of the Lafayette audience, the California players had brought their controversial ideas into a place where people deeply value their country, traditions, and way of life.
It is not hard to imagine that both parties were relieved when the games were over and they could return to their own respective corners of the country. The Lafayette crowd was happy to bid goodbye to the California team, while the Bears were probably happy to leave behind the resistance and hostility they had encountered.
6 Cal softball players were verbally harassed while kneeling during the anthem on Friday in Louisiana.
Fans could be heard screaming "Stand up!" and "liberal wokeness!"@Grant_Marek's full story on the chaotic weekend that included multiple ejections ????https://t.co/YosTKemLL5 pic.twitter.com/o0rvOqRNWs
— SFGATE (@SFGate) February 13, 2024
The anthem controversy may have sparked a heated exchange between the Southern crowd and the California players, but it also highlighted the stark differences in values and beliefs between the two regions.