NYC billboard calls out Saudi Arabia for 'sportswashing' and 9/11 connection
TIMES SQUARE, N.Y. - The national chair of 9/11 Families United, Terry Strada, lost her 41-year-old husband Tom on 9/11.
The organization she heads just put up a new billboard in Times Square condemning the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the deal it made merging their LIV Golf Tour with the PGA.
The sign, located at Broadway and West 43rd Street, publicly condemns Saudi Arabia for supposedly being behind the 9/11 attacks and calls the deal with professional golf "sportswashing".
"What the kingdom is doing with LIV Golf is the epitome of sportswashing, right? They are cleansing the reputation that they have. They are trying to convince the public that they are on the up and up and that all they're doing is injecting all this money into sports and making it better," Strada said. "When they're not doing that at all, they are cleansing their reputation that they have are murdering people, murdering thousands on 9/11."
Last year, the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Tournament drew harsh criticism-including from the PGA Tour for poaching high-profile U.S. players. Then a month ago, the leagues merged.
Now the 9/11 families say they feel betrayed.
We reached out to the PGA Tour for comment and have not heard back.
But some members of the PGA Tour top brass will be answering questions from lawmakers in Washington D.C. next week.
A senate subcommittee wants answers about the PGA Tour's deal with the Saudis and what it means for the future of professional golf.