Sen. Jack Latvala Boycotting Bucs Over Mike Evans’ Sit-In

CLEARWATER, FL — State Sen. Jack Latvala is doing a little protesting of his own in the wake of Sunday’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers game against the Chicago Bears. The Republican from Clearwater intends to boycott the Bucs until wide receiver Mike Evans apologies for sitting during the National Anthem or is officially removed from the team.

Evans’ decision to stage a National Anthem sit-in came during the Bucs’ annual Salute to Service game. The post-Veterans Day game is meant to honor the men and women in America’s armed forces.

Unlike San Francisco 49ers' quarterback Colin Kaepernick who has opted to take a knee during the National Anthem to protest perceived racial inequality, Evans said he’s protesting over the election of Donald Trump.

Evans questioned how a reality star can be the president. “It’s not about the Republican Party or the Democrat Party,” he said during a post-game interview. “I’m not going to stand for something I don’t believe in.”

Evans has vowed to sit during the National Anthem until Trump is no longer president elect.

Latvala has now vowed to boycott Bucs games “until Evans either apologies or is no longer on the team.”

See Also: Bucs’ Mike Evans Draws Jeers, Cheers for Anti-Trump Anthem Sit-In

Latvala issued a statement regarding Evans’ sit-in on Monday morning. He also took to Facebook and Twitter express his opinion.

The sit-in, Latvala said, “is a slap in the face to our veterans, our active duty military and every freedom-loving American in the Tampa Bay area.”

Latvala pointed out an estimated 12,000 active duty military are stationed at MacDill Air Force Base, and play a “special role in our community.” In addition, an estimated 133,000 military retirees call the Bay area home.

“Evans, who makes $3.6 million a year to play football, needs to better understand what we stand for here in Tampa Bay,” Latvala said. “I call on Buccaneer fans and our community to send him a loud message.”

Evans’ protest over Trump’s election has drawn cheers and jeers both. Some people took to Twitter to express their displeasure while others threw their support behind Evans.

Trump’s Nov. 8 election sparked a series of protests across the country. While most have been peaceful, such as those in Tampa and St. Petersburg, the same cannot be said for all. Gatherings in Oregon have been categorized as riots by police. An anti-Trump protester was reportedly shot in Portland over the weekend, as well.

Reports of attacks on minorities have also come in since the days of Trump’s election. One of two rallies in Metro Detroit Friday was in response to a Wednesday incident in a Royal Oak Middle School cafeteria that left some minority students afraid for their safety.

Students began chanting “build the wall” — the same refrain chanted at Trump campaign rallies in response to his call for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border — and a video of the disturbance was subsequently viewed on social media. School officials strongly denounced the incident as outside the district’s core values.

In Hillsborough County, investigators were looking into a Monday morning arson that might be anti-Trump-related. A vacant mobile home was set ablaze while two nearby homes were spray painted with graffiti. One of the vandalized homes reportedly had the words F$@# Trump. Burn Everything” spray painted on it. “BLM,” which is thought to stand for Black Lives Matter, was also found on the home along with an arrow that pointed to the home that had been set afire, according to several media outlets.

Trump appeared on "60 Minutes" over the weekend, imploring people for calm. "Don't be afraid," he said. "We are going to bring our country back. But certainly, don't be afraid." To those harassing minorities, he said "Stop it."

What impact Latvala’s boycott will have remains unclear. The Buccaneers have not issued a statement about it or Evans’ protest.

Latvala’s announced boycott has also drawn praise and criticism from followers on Twitter:

Patch editor Mike Lello contributed to this story

Photo courtesy of the Florida State Senate