Sports reporter goes on a tear decrying that flying the Stars-and-Bars on the State Capitol grounds has chased NCAA basketball tourney games — and supposedly great sacks of cash — away from Columbia.
But Ron Morris does not address how it is that the NIT — which the NCAA purchased outright for $40m. in 2005 — just had the Gamecocks host Davidson in a first-round game. In Columbia. With the Stars-and-Bars flying blocks away.
In fact, Columbia hosted three NIT games in 2005 and one in 2006, before two straight losing seasons by the Gamecocks.
So at a minimum, the NCAA seems to be very selective about its moral outrage on the Stars-and-Bars. At worst, the NCAA is cynically manipulating public opinion by pretending to care about what flags fly where. In any case, that disconnect would seem a more worthy topic for Morris to explore rather than aping tired claims of economic windfalls that follow sporting events.
Assuming he even knows who runs the NIT.
Update: I guess I should be explicit and note that Columbia flies the Confederate Navy Jack, which was incorporated in later versions of official Stars-and-Bars flag of the Confederacy.
