SEC commissioner speaks out on Sugar Bowl postponement amid New Orleans assault as followers, pundits weigh in

Wednesday’s Sugar Bowl recreation between Georgia and Notre Dame was postponed following the lethal assault in New Orleans, which killed at the least 10 individuals.

SEC Commissioner Greg Sanky launched an announcement saying the choice was made in the very best curiosity of public security. 

“The choice to postpone tonight’s Sugar Bowl was made in the very best curiosity of public security. Lives had been tragically misplaced final night time and we’re appreciative that public officers and regulation enforcement businesses proceed to work with nice diligence to make sure the protection of the New Orleans group,” Sankey stated. 

The College of Notre Dame and president Robert A. Dowd launched an announcement, praying for the protection of these impacted. 

The College of Georgia president Jere W. Morehead put out an announcement as effectively. 

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Emergency providers attend the scene on Bourbon Road after a car drove right into a crowd on New Orleans’ Canal and Bourbon Road, Wednesday Jan. 1, 2025.  (AP Photograph/Gerald Herbert)

The FBI is at present working to find out “the topic’s potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organizations,” after an ISIS flag was discovered within the truck. Weapons and a possible IED had been situated contained in the suspect’s car and different potential IEDs had been additionally situated within the French Quarter. 

Some school soccer followers and pundits on social media had been divided in regards to the choice to postpone the sport within the wake of the tragedy. Some followers have agreed with the choice to postpone the sport, whereas others expressed outrage.

Fox Sports activities panelist Rachel Nichols expressed help for the postponement in a publish on X. 

“Glad the Sugar Bowl is being postponed. That’s the best name. Sending like to everybody in New Orleans,” Nichols wrote. 

Nevertheless, one X consumer responded to Nichols disagreeing, suggesting the postponement would “let the terrorists win.” 

“I respectfully disagree. Suspending means the individuals behind this callous assault win. Let’s not allow them to win. We must always not kowtow to them irrespective of how excessive they’re,” the consumer wrote. 

Conservative commentator John Ziegler additionally expressed disagreement with the postponement in a publish on X. 

“That is improper. Suspending the Sugar Bowl sooner or later won’t do something to deliver again those that misplaced their lives, or make the sport any safer. The truth is, if provides the terrorists precisely what they needed. We have now change into SO mushy as a society in practically each method,” Ziegler wrote. 

“The ‘you’ll be able to by no means be too secure’ individuals appear to fake that there aren’t any residential prices for suspending an occasion of the magnitude of the Sugar Bowl. Tens of hundreds of individuals have traveled to New Orleans with no resort for tomorrow night time, or flight reservations for Friday.”

NOTRE DAME CALLS ON FANS TO ‘JOIN US IN PRAYER’ FOLLOWING APPARENT TERROR ATTACK AHEAD OF SUGAR BOWL

One other X consumer responded to Zieglier, suggesting that suspending the Sugar Bowl would permit regulation enforcement extra room to trace down different potential targets within the space. 

“Causes this isn’t improper: permits extra time to catch the dangerous guys who could also be searching for one other mushy goal; additionally permits 24 hours for grief and shock to be felt In honor of a somber day and people lives misplaced,” the consumer wrote, to which Ziegler responded, “Yeah, no.”

In the meantime, WKRG sports activities journalist Simone Eli lambasted those that are complaining in regards to the recreation being postponed, citing studies of different potential explosives within the metropolis. 

“Folks upset in regards to the Sugar Bowl being postponed and it “giving energy” to whomever — may need to go try the studies of bombs being discovered and detonated all through the town of New Orleans. Soccer can wait. Nothing is value dropping extra lives. Gained’t argue,” Eli wrote on X. 

The postponement follows studies that the Superdome, the house of the New Orleans Saints, was initially positioned on lockdown for safety sweeps and that folks with workplaces contained in the stadium had been informed to not come on website till additional discover. 

New Orleans FBI’s Alethea Duncan famous throughout a press convention on Wednesday that the FBI doesn’t consider that the primary suspect within the assault, Shamsud Din Jabbar was “solely accountable” for the act. Police have warned that there might be additional hazard within the metropolis. 

Barstool Sports activities founder Dave Portnoy additionally referred to as out those that have criticized suspending the sport.

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“Okay so it’s postponed. And the individuals saying transferring it 24 hours lets the terrorist win are idiots. It’s [one] day. Safe the realm. Do what ya gotta do. Delaying a recreation 24 hours isn’t letting them win,” Portnoy wrote on X.

Based on an announcement from the FBI, a person driving a Ford pickup truck drove right into a crowd of individuals on Bourbon Road at round 3:15 native time. The suspect, recognized as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, exchanged gunfire with native regulation enforcement earlier than being pronounced useless on the scene. 

At the least 10 individuals have been killed and 35 extra injured because of the obvious terror assault. 

The Superdome is situated only a mile away from the location of Wednesday morning’s lethal assault. 

Georgia and Notre Dame arrived in New Orleans on Sunday and had been reportedly staying in motels simply blocks away from the crime scene. Based on studies, each colleges have applied a “shelter in place” for the groups. 

Fox Information Digital’s Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report. 

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