Pre-race festivities for yesterday's Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway were "completely devoid of the type of national anthem protests that have permeated other professional sports," according to Brant James of USA TODAY. Asked what he would do if one of his team members protested, Owner Richard Childress said, “Get you a ride on a Greyhound bus when the national anthem is over. I told them anyone who works for me should respect the country we live in. So many people have gave their lives for it. This is America.” Richard Petty added that he "would fire any employee that didn't stand for the anthem." Petty: "Anybody that don't stand up for that ought to be out of the country" (USA TODAY, 9/25). But Richard Petty Motorsports Majority Owner Andy Murstein said that he "would not fire an employee who protests." Murstein: "I would sit down with them and say it's the wrong thing to do that, and many people, including myself, view it as an affront to our great country" (ESPN.com, 9/24). Meanwhile, Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR's most-popular driver for 14 years, today tweeted, "All Americans R granted rights 2 peaceful protests. Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable-JFK" (TWITTER.com, 9/25).
