South Carolina AD: It's time to remove the Confederate flag
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley joined the call to remove the Confederate flag from the state Capitol grounds on Monday after a white gunman killed nine black parishioners at a Charleston church.
Some of the most prominent figures in South Carolina sports took to Twitter to add their support.
It is time to remove the flag. We are ONE !!
#CharlestonStrong #Gamecocks
— Ray Tanner (@RayTannerSC) June 22, 2015
The South Carolina football team, players and coaches strongly support Governor Haley's decision to remove the flag from the capitol.
— Coach Steve Spurrier (@SC_HBC) June 23, 2015
After coming off vacation I wanted to express my stance on the flag flying on our state Capitol grounds. pic.twitter.com/4uzhfAZYsX
— Frank Martin (@FrankMartin_SC) June 28, 2015
Any flag that contradicts everything our Country flag represents, it shouldn't fly. We ALL stand united.
— Connor Shaw (@cmshaw9) June 22, 2015
South Carolina head football coach Steve Spurrier was very vocal on the subject in 2007, saying the Confederate flag shouldn't fly on the grounds of the state Capitol.
"My opinion is we don't need the Confederate flag at our Capitol," Spurrier said, according to The Associated Press. "I don't really know anybody that wants it there, but I guess there are a lot of South Carolinians that do want it there."
Spurrier also said a broadcast of ESPN's "College GameDay" that featured a game between South Carolina and Tennessee was marred "by some clown ... waving that dang, damn Confederate flag behind the TV set. And it was embarrassing to me and I know embarrassing to our state.
"I realize I'm not supposed to get in the political arena as a football coach, but if anybody were ever to ask me about that damn Confederate flag, I would say we need to get rid of it. I've been told not to talk about that. But if anyone were ever to ask me about it, I certainly wish we could get rid of it."