“Plantation mentality,” “hypocrite,” “slave owner,” “white supremacist,” “dead ‘n gone” — all of this is verbiage used by blue-check Twitter users about Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones’ decision to require NFL players in his franchise to stand for the performance of the national anthem, regardless of the sports league’s policy.
Jones, who purchased the Cowboys in 1989, has been mum in recent days on the matter of players standing for the anthem. , the NFL ordered him to stop answering questions on the topic, according to Fox News.
Owners were instructed on July 24 to “say little regarding the national anthem policy,” according to Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown.
The next day, Jones announced his expectation for his players to have their “toe on the line” — not in the locker room, in other words — while the anthem plays.
Further, Cowboys’ executive Stephen Jones, Jerry Jones’ son, indicated last Thursday that players could be punished if they failed to comply with the rule.
The NFL Players Association (NFLPA) filed a grievance about the NFL’s recently issued policy, which is now on hold.
The policy, announced at the spring owners’ meetings, would require players on the sidelines to stand during the anthem. Those opposed to standing for the anthem could remain in the locker room.
In a statement released about two weeks ago, the NFL indicated it was engaging in “constructive dialogue” with the NFLPA, and has “been working on a resolution to the anthem issue.” The league added that “no new rules relating to the anthem will be issued or enforced for the next several weeks while these confidential discussions are ongoing.”
Jones’ policy, meanwhile, has been earning a lot of reactions.
“The owner of the Dallas Cowboys, with the old plantation mentality,” said 30-year-old 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman, as quoted in an interview published in USA Today on Monday. “What did you expect?”
In 2014, while he was playing for the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game, his post-game interview with Erin Andrews went viral. Sherman was literally ranting and screaming.
Richie Whitt, who apparently hosted Jones’ radio show and covered him in Dallas since 1989, chastised Jones in a tweet on Tuesday evening, saying, “You lose me.”
Dead 'n Gone: My Twitter header pic with #DallasCowboys owner Jerry Jones. Covered him since '89. Hosted his radio show for years. Lots of laughs. But … you lose me when you quash peaceful protests, stand behind racist pizza tycoons and attempt to censor interview questions.
— Richie Whitt (@richiewhitt) July 31, 2018
The NFL has reportedly told Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to shut up about the National Anthem. If they'd said that to the players a year ago, they wouldn't be in this mess.
https://t.co/0m9no2q2jP— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) July 31, 2018
Wasn't a Cowboys fan, but now I am!
Jerry Jones: #Cowboys will require players to stand for anthem and not remain in locker room https://t.co/zW3Uh9MIoR via @usatoday
— Amber Smith (@AmberSmithUSA) July 25, 2018
“Jerry Jones, you have solidified my love of America’s team: The Dallas Cowboys. As long as your players stand, I will continue to watch Cowboys games.” —@stinchfield 1776 pic.twitter.com/aqBxS7m9UR
— NRATV (@NRATV) July 27, 2018
Michele Blood is a Flemington, New Jersey-based freelance writer and regular contributor to LifeZette.
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