Bubba Watson has owned one of the General Lee cars from the 1970s and 1980s TV show The Dukes of Hazzard since 2012, but it's getting a makeover.
Watson, who bought the car at auction for $110,000 and restored its interior, announced Thursday that he is making a drastic change to the car's appearance. He plans to paint over the Confederate battle flag on the car's roof.
"All men ARE created equal, I believe that so I will be painting the American flag over the roof of the General Lee #USA." Watson said in a message posted on Twitter.
Not surprisingly, the announcement drew mixed reactions.
Some lauded Watson for deciding to remove the Confederate flag in line with a movement to eliminate what's widely seen as a symbol of racism and antebellum slavery from the public consciousness in the wake of the murders of nine people in a historically black church during a June 17 prayer service.
Others believe Watson's decision is motivated by potential backlash he could face as owner of the car. Television network TV Land has pulled scheduled re-runs of the show in the wake of the South Carolina mass murder. The network's decision dovetails with an effort in the Palmetto State to remove the Confederate flag from the grounds of the state capital building, as well as Wal-Mart removing Confederate flag-adorned merchandise from its stores and NASCAR asking fans to no longer fly the flag at its races.
In February 2012, Watson had offered to drive the General Lee to a NASCAR race in Phoenix. The auto racing body denied Watson's offer, consistent with its long-held views on the Confederate flag.
"The show was not racist, but I understand why people would get upset with the flag," Watson said in February 2012 at the Northern Trust Open in the wake of NASCAR's decision.
"Obviously, I don't stand for the Confederate flag," Watson added. "The Confederate flag was not used [in the show] for what people see it as today, so that's sad. But NASCAR was built on moonshining, so the show was built on moonshining. I thought it was fun.
"I didn't buy the car to get publicity; I bought it because I love it."
Hunger games
Wisconsin citizens are known for being able to consume large amounts of food covered in cheese.
So it's no surprise a member of the Milwaukee Brewers set a record for most cheesesteaks consumed at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
Brewers bullpen catcher Marcus Hanel ate an astounding 23 cheesesteaks during the team's four-game series against the Phillies this week. Hanel actually broke a couple of cheesesteak records. Hanel had consumed 18 cheesesteaks through three games, breaking the three-day record set by New York Mets bullpen catcher Eric Langill.
Miami Marlins pitcher Mat Latos held the four-day record with 18, but Hanel blew past that before Thursday's game even started.
Sorry, Tom
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and his supermodel wife Gisele Bundchen have applied to join The Country Club in Brookline, Mass., where they own a home not too far from the club's 27 holes of golf.
However, the membership at the home to the 1999 Ryder Cup may find the oft-photographed couple too public for their private penchant.
"The Country Club believes your name should appear in the newspaper just two times: When you're born and when you die," a source at the 133-year-old club told the Boston Globe.
QUIZ
Where is Bubba Watson ranked in the official world golf rankings?
ANSWER
Third, behind Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth.
Sports on 07/04/2015