Salt Lake City Major League Soccer Team Bans Betsy Ross Flag

[OfTheCross]

A Utah County family that brought a Betsy Ross flag to a Real Salt Lake soccer game is speaking out, after stadium staff asked them to take the flag down.

RSL team leadership said the flag is banned, and indicated that it doesn't fit with their mission of inclusion and unity.

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In a statement to Fox 13, Real Salt Lake explained that they don't want that flag waving at games. Team Chief Business Officer Andy Carroll cited a desire for acceptance and inclusion.

"Recently, and very controversially as well as surprising to us, the Colonial flag has been adopted as a symbol for hate groups," Carroll's statement read. "Any controversial flags or other similar banners or signs with symbols of hatred, divisiveness and/or intolerance whether intentional or otherwise will not be permitted in our stadiums. Period.”

The Scotts had heard about some of the controversy surrounding the flag, and Diana said she saw in the news that Nike removed shoes that featured the Colonial flag in July.

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Sweet family. I don't think they meant anything by it; it's too bad the hate groups have made it controversial.

[PeteS in CA]

If the league goes along with this or fails to step in, it could hurt Major League Soccer financially. And MLS is not all that robust - I probably could name 5 or 10 team or individual pro sports in the US that are financially more robust than MLS. E.G., the San Jose Earthquakes' Avaya Stadium has 60% of the seating capacity as the San Jose State football stadium (18K and 30K, respectively; the 49ers' Levi Stadium and Stanford's stadium are much larger still.