Cory Graves
Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones Said President Trump Was ‘Problematic’ During A Press Conference On Wednesday. But He Also Stood By Papa John’s, So…
Yesterday, the Dallas Cowboys held their annual State of the Team address at training camp in Oxnard, California.
There, problematic team owner Jerry Jones had some interesting and controversial opinions on problematic ousted Papa John’s owner John Schnatter and problematic U.S. President Donald Trump, whom Jones straight up called “problematic.”
Whew!
On the topic of anthem protests, Jones addressed the league’s new policy, which states that players can stay in the locker room to protest “The Star-Spangled Banner” but that they must stand if they are on the field as the song plays. While owners like New York Football Giants co-owner Steve Tisch have said, “‘There is not going to be any punitive action taking place against [his players]’ if they decide to kneel or protest in other ways” and teams such as the Miami Dolphins have unveiled policies about punishments should its players protest the national anthem while on the field, Jones yesterday became the first NFL owner to publicly announce that he would neither allow Dallas Cowboys players to remain in the locker room during the anthem nor to engage in on-field protests during it.
“Our policy is that you stand at the anthem, toe on the line,” Jones said.
At the same time, the master of doublespeak also called President Trump’s interest in what the league and its owners do or do not allow with regards to its players actions during the anthem as “problematic.”
“His interest in what we’re doing is problematic, from my chair, and I would say in general the owners’ chair,” Jones said. “It’s unprecedented if you really think about it. But like the very game itself, that’s the way it is and we’ll deal with it.”
Today, his son Stephen Jones — the team’s executive vice president, CEO and director of player personnel — doubled down on his old man’s statements, telling the press that if players will fall in line with Jerry’s national anthem policy “if they want to be a Dallas Cowboy.”
Gross!
Even so, the anthem stuff wasn’t the only icky sentiment delivered by Jones during his press conference.
On the subject of how the team would handle its previously prevalent relationship with pizza chain Papa John’s after its ousted owner used a racial slur in a business meeting, Jones said nothing would change at all. They’re not really a sponsor of the team, Jones argued, because he owns stake in 50 North Texas locations of the chain.
“Bottom line is we own those stores,” Jones said. “It’s not an endorsement. We literally have 1,000 people that work in those stores and several thousands that are customers, and we want that [relationship] to have the kind of taste in your mouth we want when you have Papa John’s, to use a phrase.”
Yuck!
On the other hand, teams like the Texas Rangers (who previously ran a promotion with the company that earned fans a half-price pizza when the team scored seven runs the previous game) and FC Dallas have cut their ties with the pizza company and removed its signage from its venues.
In any case, we think it bears repeating now and every other time the subject is brought up: The players aren’t protesting the national anthem itself; they are protesting police brutality, and they are doing it during the national anthem.
Syntax is key here — and in lots of matters, really.