On Wednesday, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones set the tone in Dallas by announcing the team’s refusal to support players who exercise their right to protest during the national anthem.
“You know where I stand,” he said, “our team knows where I stand. That is where we are. Our policy is you stand during the anthem, toe on the line.”
Days later, the team’s dynamic duo from the 2016 NFL draft class shared their own opinions on the topic, backing their owner’s decision.
First, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott suggested players move on to the next step in the fight for social justice, as he explained the game is no longer the time or venue to stand (or kneel) in protest.
One day later, Prescott’s right-hand man and the team’s superstar running back, Ezekiel Elliott doubled down on Jones’ position, adding that the decision to stand is an example of the organizations “culture” and “unity.”
“Us as a team, we chose to stand together for the anthem,” Elliott said. “It was our decision. I think it just shows our culture. It shows that we have unity. We’re going to stand as one. But we’re the Dallas Football Cowboys. We stand for the national anthem.”
In turn, the two faced widespread backlash, with many calling them out for their lack of acknowledgement of the current state of our country. While others asked, when is the right time to protest?
In the meantime, others put the blame on Jones, as this isn’t the first time his top black players spoke out in support of his decision.
In fact, back in 2017, the team’s former wide receiver, Dez Bryant, defended the team’s decision to stand, saying, “We’re going to stand, we’re going to stand and going to put our hand over our heart and and we’re going to do what we did before.”
After news of the Cowboys controversy surfaced, Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins called Jones a “bully” who doesn’t care about his players.
“I don’t see Jeffrey [Lurie] like Jerry Jones is. Lucky for me, I don’t play for the Cowboys,” Jenkins said. “Nor would I want to. I think it’s unfortunate that you have owners like him that use his position to intimate and intentionally thwart event the idea of his players thinking individually or having a voice about issues that affect their communities daily, which is unfortunate.”
