However, adhering to their usual pattern, the liberal contingent from California brought their misguided politics into the scene. What was anticipated to be a casual softball game on a sunny Louisiana afternoon morphed into an unappealing political demonstration by entitled West Coast liberals.

As the teams assembled along the foul lines for the customary rendition of the National Anthem, six Cal Bear players opted to take a knee, emulating the actions of Colin Kaepernick and numerous other athletes who have protested against perceived police injustice and brutality towards the black community. Despite the lack of statistical support for their claims, the players persisted in their political gesture of kneeling, which many perceived as a form of disrespect towards America.

Regrettably for the Cal Bears, the audience at Lamson Park expressed their disapproval with jeers and resounding boos. The ESPN+ broadcast captured fans yelling phrases such as “Stand up, California!” and “Liberal wokeness” as the players knelt along the foul line.

In response to the backlash, several members of the Cal team positioned themselves behind the kneeling players, while a staff member and another initially not partaking in the protest joined in. Following the anthem’s conclusion, the staff member gestured provocatively to the stands, prompting more boos from the fans. Regarding the protest, one of the players explained, “I’ve been kneeling during the national anthem with a handful of my teammates since last year in solidarity with people who’ve lost their lives to police brutality. It’s not really a trend or anything like that; it’s truly near and dear to my heart.”