Being Black in JerryWorld

Here’s the thing about the Cowboys.

They suck.

As in, they haven’t won the Super Bowl since ‘95, yet Cowboys fans believe that they’re in the running for Super Bowl contenders, only to fail EVERY year. Some years are better than others, but in the end, they are always at home with everyone else, despite the “championship pedigree.”

Don’t try to click the link.. It’s a screenshot.. LOL..

I hate the Cowboys, and their fans. They’re so unrealistic, and I would know. I worked in a sports store for two years.

But that’s not what this is about. This is about Jerry Jones’ rhetoric as it pertains to social justice and equality. He is someone who doesn’t believe that it should exist. His silence during this social change movement clearly says so, because remember, “Silence is a vote for the oppressor.” Jerry Jones is notorious for stealing headlines due to him speaking up about any and everything, especially when no one expects him to. He often holds press impromptu press conferences and media visits, and even does postgame pressers to give his opinion about how the game went, what was good, and what wasn’t good. Basically, he’s in front of the camera EVERY chance he gets.

EXCEPT WHEN IT’S TIME TO SUPPORT BLACK PEOPLE.

Say what you want, it’s true. The first peep we’ve heard out of the mouth of the NFL has come three months after this social movement started. Three months. Nine weeks. Over 90 days.

Remember, this was his sentiment about players kneeling for the anthem, even after he claimed he understood the nature of the protest in the first place before training camp opened in 2018. Jones said this when asked if players could kneel or stay in the locker room, even after the NFL had already suspended the anthem policy:

“I do think this recent effort by the league office and the players association to have discussions is a worthy effort. And that’s what you’re seeing happen right now. But in general, I will speak for one, and everybody knows where we stand, and we stand as a team. Our policy is that you stand for the anthem, toe on the line.” - Jerry Jones

"We cannot in any way give the implication that we tolerate disrespecting the flag," Jones added, per Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News. "We know that there is a serious debate in this country about those issues, but there is no question in my mind, that the [NFL] and the Dallas Cowboys are going to stand up for the flag." - Jerry Jones

Knowing, or claiming to know what the protests were about, he CHOSE to make statements like these, alienating his black players and their concern for their own rights, and instead siding with the false rhetoric that kneeling for the anthem is “somehow disrespecting the flag, the military, and the United States.” Doesn’t sound like much support from an owner, especially if you’re black, does it?

And now today. After 90+ days of not saying a word, he was vocal on the situation, and this is what he said:

“Everybody in this country knows where I stand and where the Cowboys stand when it comes to the flag,” Jones said Wednesday:

“The key word . . . is a word called grace. Grace,” Jones said. “That was then, two years ago. This is now. We have had very, very sensitive times. I don’t need to share that we’re also embroiled in a very other sensitive time with the challenge, and the war literally with the virus. These are very sensitive times. I have nothing to prove as far as where I’m standing with the flag and where the Cowboys stand. I have nothing to prove regarding my players and my support of our players. What I do want to show and want us all to be a part of is a word called grace. Grace. Not only grace in our actions but grace in our understanding of where they’re coming from. I want our players to understand the perception and where they’re coming from regarding the flag and the sensitivity there and the many memories there. And I want our fans to understand and better do because of what’s gone on over the last few months and want them to understand where our players are coming from there, and they do not feel like that the ones who . . . kneel, they do not feel like they’re dishonoring the flag. I’m going to have grace. I’ve had grace. Many of you have written and criticized me for having too much grace and understanding regarding our players, and I probably have. And I’m going to have grace regarding the people that are sensitive about our flag. Somewhere in between there as the weeks, as we get together with our team, as we discuss with the team, somewhere in between there is how we’re going to handle it.”

In other words, Jones acknowledges times have changed. The Cowboys’ stance might change.

The team will discuss the national anthem stance, and Jones will listen. 

“We’re going to have grace when we sit here and look at how we’re going to handle it,” Jones said. “I haven’t met to the detail and in depth with our players that I want to. I have talked to literally double handfuls of very, very engaged people. I have had input from ex-presidents. I’ve had input from presidents. I’ve had input from a cross section of our players, former players, and I will continue to have input. This is a very serious matter. We’ve asked for the platform. We have the platform. We’re going to show grace. I’m going to show grace, and I’d to show that kind of grace in every sensitive matter that comes up. Everybody’s genuine here. I’m giving here the benefit of the doubt relative to any decision that I make. I have one thing: My job is to run the Dallas Cowboys. My job is to do what’s right. We’ve asked for all of this interest, and we’ve asked for our players to give everything they’ve got. I want to sit down when I have an issue and I have a decision to make, I want to show the world that I can do it with grace and come up with the right solution.” - NBC Sports, August 12th, 2020

In short, he has not changed his stance yet, but in the coming talks, he MIGHT change his mind, depending on his conversations with WHOEVER he's going to have a conversation with. Even with all of the unrest due to the murders of Amhaud Arbery, Breona Taylor, and George Floyd, and all of the other unarmed, non threatening black people that have perished, and the real reason for Kaepernick kneeling being front and center, Jerry Jones STILL couldn’t bring himself to say that he supported his players in recognizing that black lives matter, whether he agrees with the actual movement or not.

Because he doesn’t actually care about the black lives that aren’t making him money. And the people that are making him money better fall in line, or face not being under his roof. And under the potential conditions, I wouldn’t be under his roof.