Alabama State Senator and former college football coach Tommy Tuberville He issued a statement on Friday expressing his frustration at serving the Sugar Bowl on Thursday, one day after the deadly terrorist attack in New Orleans that killed at least 14 innocent people.
Tuberville, who has coached in three Sugar Bowls, including two as Auburn's head coach, called ESPN For not broadcasting the national anthem before the game and instead broadcasting a controversial video message by Allstate CEO Tom Wilson, who urged Americans to “overcome the addiction to division.”
“It has been an honor for me to coach on three teams during my coaching career. American sports, especially college football, has always been a national tradition that brings all Americans together. Unfortunately, ESPN (owned by Disney) gave in” to the woke mob last night by rejecting broadcast the national anthem and instead played a video of Allstate's CEO talking about “divisiveness.” However, he failed to condemn the terrorist who brutally murdered (more than 14) people.”
“This was an opportunity for all of us to come together. But instead of honoring the innocent lives lost, these companies woke up and bowed down to the terrorists.”
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Auburn University head football coach Tommy Tuberville then coached at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama. (Todd Van Emst)
Tuberville then pointed to President-elect Trump's recent electoral victory as evidence that Americans have shed “woke ideology.”
“November 5 was a mandate from the American people. The woke ideology has been lost. Join America First or Get Out,” Tuberville said.
Notre Dame defeated Georgia 23-10, but much of the discussion during the game centered on Wilson's controversial video statement. Allstate, the company's official sponsor, and Wilson were criticized on social media for the statement, and the video has since been deleted from Allstate's official pages.
SUPERDOME welcomes SUGAR BOWL fans after the terrorist attack in New Orleans
A general view during the playing of the national anthem before the 2024 Sugar Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal game between the Texas Longhorns and Washington Huskies at Caesars Superdome. (Steven Liu – USA TODAY Sports)
Allstate provided a statement to Fox News Digital regarding the statement.
“To be clear, Tom Wilson, CEO of Allstate, unequivocally condemns this heinous act of terrorism and violence in all its forms. We stand with the families, loved ones of the victims and the New Orleans community. This reference to overcoming division and negativity reflects the importance of overcoming division and negativity,” the statement said. A broader commitment to promoting confidence and positivity in communities across the country.”
The suspected attacker was identified as 42-year-old Shams al-Din Jabbar. The FBI is working to determine Jabbar's “possible ties and affiliations with terrorist organizations” after an ISIS flag was found pinned to the truck.
Jabbar's younger brother He told the New York Times He and his Army veteran brother were raised Christians in Beaumont, Texas, before the deceased attacker converted to Islam as an adult.
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Family and friends moved to identify the growing number of victims after terror suspect Chamseddine Jabbar drove his car into a large crowd of people in New Orleans on New Year's Eve.
The younger brother said: “What he did does not represent Islam.” “This is a kind of extremism, not religion.”
Retired FBI agents Scott Duffy and Chris Swecker He told Fox News Digital Wednesday's attack could embolden ISIS, other terrorist groups or radicalized individuals.
“This is a time when ISIS is under intense pressure and its presence is threatened in Syria and elsewhere. It would make sense for them to double down on their message of radicalizing Americans in order to activate them and any cells they have in the country,” Swecker said.
The attack in New Orleans came about two weeks after the suspect Terrorist attack At a Christmas market in Germany and on the same day an explosion occurred outside Trump Tower in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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