Trump Gives Ultimate Praise to Cowboys Owner's Hard Stance on Anthem Protests
Some hoped the controversy surrounding NFL players kneeling during the national anthem would finally end prior to this upcoming season, but it nevertheless persists among some players in the league.
The league itself has waffled over how they intend to address the controversy that has angered and driven away many fans and viewers, but one team owner ha put his foot down in opposition to the protests.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones recently made clear that his players will stand for the playing of “The Star Spangled Banner.”
On Friday, President Donald Trump congratulated Jones for his unmistakably patriotic stance via Twitter.
“Way to go Jerry,” he wrote. “This is what the league should do!”
Way to go Jerry. This is what the league should do! https://t.co/yEP1jK57xi
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 27, 2018
Trump’s tweet linked to one from Dan Scavino Jr., the White House director of social media and personal assistant to the president, who had posted a quote from Jones.
The quote read, “As far as the Dallas Cowboys, you know where I stand, the team knows where I stand. Our policy is you stand during the anthem, toe on the line.”
That remark from Jones came during a Wednesday news conference in which Jones made clear that he would not support any of his players choosing the league-offered option of remaining in the locker room during the playing of the national anthem, according to USA Today.
The NFL had offered a compromise solution to the controversy earlier in the year — players would either stand respectfully for the anthem or remain in the locker room until it was finished — but failed to consult with the NFL Players Association prior to announcing the new rule.
The new rule was later placed on hold after the NFLPA lodged a complaint against it, but Jones seemed undeterred by those developments.
“That was put on hold. It did not impact our position, my position, relative to the Cowboys. Our position is real clear: You should stand,” he said.
The owner’s son, executive vice president and director of player personnel Stephen Jones, emphasized that firm stance in a radio interview on Thursday when he said that if players “want to be a Dallas Cowboy” they will stand for the anthem, implying they could be cut loose if they declined to do so.
Trump has made his opposition to the anthem kneeling protests abundantly clear, as he views the it as anti-American and disrespectful toward the American flag, as well as the men and women who’ve fought on behalf of the nation to defend it.
Of course, the protesting players insist they mean no disrespect toward the flag or veterans, and instead claim to be protesting police brutality and racial inequality, but those assertions have sparked great debate among opponents and supporters of the protests.
Many fans of the sport have stopped attending games and legions more have stopped watching the games on TV, which has led to significant drop-offs in both attendance and ratings.
Most people watch professional sports as a sort of escape from the controversies, intense debates and political fights that otherwise fill our days, and don’t take kindly to those sorts of things intruding on the game.
We wholeheartedly agree, and hope that the kneeling in protest issue will quickly be handled and put to rest prior to the start of this next season.
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