The national anthem at National Football League games is a rather touchy subject. No matter what side of the fence you are on, there is no denying its impact and how it steals way too much thunder from the actual game these days. Everyone can thank Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones for now making matters worse.
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Hearing the 75-year-old billionaire be outspoken on hot-button topics is nothing new. Jones has essentially made his career as an NFL owner into a never-back-down side show. Adding a new, radical anthem policy is no surprise, but it has officially turned into a complete mess.
"Our policy is you stand during the anthem, toe on the line," Jones said ahead of the Cowboys' training camp.
I never thought I’d see the day the mighty Jerry Jones would succumb to Trump’s pressure. His maneuvering around the anthem issue reveals how afraid the @NFL is by the movement @Kaepernick7 started. His 1st response to Trump was just as disingenuous. pic.twitter.com/tEQRU5Xoxe
— OKUNG 🐆 (@RussellOkung) July 27, 2018
Going against the grain is a Jones speciality. So are the social media comments on essentially every post made debating whether or not NFL players should kneel during the national anthem.
Dale Hansen, a sportscaster for WFAA in Dallas, is the latest to put Jones on blast for creating his own rules.
According to the Star-Telegram, Jones told local reporters he would not answer anymore questions regarding his policy, or the anthem, because the NFL told him to stop.
That's right. The league has silenced Jerry Jones. For now.
Of course, there were repercussions to the silence as it prompted FOX 4 Sports in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to cancel an interview set up with Jones.
.@MikeDoocyFox4 had planned to interview Jerry Jones tonight on Sports Sunday, but Jones said he would not answer questions about the anthem.
Mike explains why he decided to not go through with the interview (with reaction from @EdwardEgrosFox4) ➡️ https://t.co/WsuWXwWPEp
— FOX 4 Sports (@KDFWsports) July 30, 2018
I fully realize I am an employee of @FOX4 so while you may question my objectivity, journalists should not have to kowtow to anybody to avoid a deeply important conversation about race & what it means to be a patriot. I stand by our decisions while loving our game & its promotion https://t.co/X3zYMZ2aPX
— Edward Egros (@EdWithSports) July 30, 2018
And, of course, it caused people to be fired up.
Reaction to my decision regarding the Jerry interview? Let’s just say it’s been “mixed.” #Foxnard pic.twitter.com/04ExxYETpR
— Mike Doocy (@MikeDoocyFox4) July 30, 2018
What a mess.
Creating a policy to essentially defy the NFL is one thing. Being told to shut up is another. The fact it has forced journalists to make decisions and then hearing backlash because of those choices is getting to be too much.
This entire situation is out of hand, and is an unwelcome circus we can all thank Jerry Jones for.
The sad part is this is only be the beginning.
