Jerry Jones is not giving the NFL any ground to stand on in the case and ultimate suspension of his star running back, Ezekiel Elliott.
Recently speaking on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, Jones brought up the fact that domestic violence is no joke. In fact, before owning the Cowboys he was the head of an organization in Arkansas that helped victims of domestic violence. In the same breath, though, he made it clear that he believes the NFL has punished Elliott without any evidence. He also thinks there's too much focus on Elliott and this domestic incident, especially considering the fact that the running back was never formally charged with a crime:
Mike Florio of Pro Football talk relayed the NFL owner's thoughts, which you can listen to here:
"Every person that has any sense at all understands domestic violence," Jones said during a visit with 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. "On the other hand, I've had a lot of experience in this area. For 10 years before I bought the Cowboys, I was head of Battered Women of Arkansas. And I've raised more money and been in more safe houses than more people that talk about it. And so it's a terrible problem.
"On the other hand, with what we are and what we're trying to be relative to addressing it in the league has all kinds of issues. And it should. It's a very complicated issue, and because you have no evidence here. That's all I want to say about it. But it creates quite a convoluted approach by Zeke's representatives and by the league that I really hate that is the focus of all of our attention. I do. Even though others would say that the issue needs this kind of focus and you're using the NFL for visibility. So, I have a very, very — I'd say I've got some real opinions here and we won't talk about them here on the show. But we've got some work to do here as far as the league is concerned."
Florio points out that Jones does have some room to stand up for his player. The NFL internally investigated Elliott and this incident and determined his guilt without even interviewing him, or even his accuser — believe it or not. The shoddy process that the NFL went through would never hold up in a court of law and it's even standing on shaky ground in the court of opinion.
Basically, it seems like the league is simply trying to make an example of Elliott, and that's a tricky situation because of the topic.
On one hand, most fans likely agree that the NFL should take a strong stance against domestic violence. On the other, how strong of a stance is it if the investigation itself is questionable?
Ultimately, Elliott is still suspended and that's an appeal he may not win. Don't expect Jones to back down, though.
In fact, expect him to continue fighting for his player — whether he truly deserves it or not.
