Leonard Fournette Jabs NASCAR Driver Quitting Over Confederate Flag Policy

A major shift occurred in the sports world in the last two days after NASCAR announced it would be prohibiting the presence of Confederate flags at all events, which has included fallout from a third-tier division driver who so far has accumulated zero wins in his career.

Ray Ciccarelli is a driver with the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, which is NASCAR's third-tier division. Following NASCAR's announcement of the banning of the Confederate flag, Ciccarelli announced he would be quitting the sport at the end of the season due the decision.

In response to Ciccarelli's stance, which included an explicit Facebook post announcing his decision, Jacksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette took to Twitter on Thursday to take a jab at the driver.

"0 wins he should’ve been quit," Fournette wrote.

0 wins he should’ve been quit https://t.co/XLpAK1eUcO
— 7⃣ Leonard Fournette (@_fournette) June 11, 2020

"The presence of the confederate flag at NASCAR events runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans, our competitors and our industry," NASCAR wrote in a statement. "Bringing people together around a love for racing and the community that it creates is what makes our fans and sport special. The display of the confederate flag will be prohibited from all events and properties."

NASCAR's decision to ban the Confederate flag at all events follows driver Bubba Wallace calling for the sport to make a change earlier this week during an interview on CNN Tonight with Don Lemon.

"My next step would be to get rid of all Confederate flags," Wallace told Lemon. "No one should feel uncomfortable when they come to a NASCAR race. So it starts with Confederate flags. Get them out of here."

Fournette has been active in the charge for equal rights throughout sports leagues and the rest of society in the United States. On Tuesday, Fournette led Jacksonville citizens, Jaguars players, coaches, city officials, and others on a city-wide peaceful protest walk to condemn police brutality and systemic racism as a response to the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and others.

Floyd died on May 25 in the custody of Minneapolis law enforcement officers after police officer Derek Chauvin pinned him down with his knee on the back of his neck. The incident was captured on a video that went viral, showing Floyd repeating stating that he couldn't breathe.

Chauvin, who was one of four police officers detaining Floyd at the time, was arrested last Friday and is now charged with second-degree murder. The other officers, J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao, have been arrested and charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

Since Floyd's death, there have been protests throughout the United States to push back against police brutality and racial inequality. Leaders in sports have also spoken out against the racial injustice, with Jaguars owner Shad Khan released an op-ed on Wednesday to address Floyd's death, racism, and the need for change.