Fired Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman tells The Associated Press in his first interview since the ouster that he was “blindsided” by the move but has no hard feelings and is unlikely to sue.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban agreed to play the national anthem after the NBA reiterated its policy to require the song. “This tradition traces its roots back more than a century – even pre-dating the song’s adoption as the national anthem. No matter the scope, there is no penalty for violating the requirement, so even if the bar league softball team skipped the national anthem, there would be no repercussion under the law. Dan Patrick has said that requiring the national anthem at all Texas venues that receive public funding will be among his top legislative priorities this session. Although playing the national anthem before games is a staple of American sports at the professional and collegiate levels, it is far less common in other countries.