This past Sunday, Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, announced that players kneeling during the National Anthem would not be playing:
“If we are disrespecting the flag, then we won’t play. Period. Period,” Jones told Dallas News. “We’re going to respect the flag. We cannot in the NFL, in any way, give the implication that we tolerate disrespecting the flag. We cannot do that.”
When he was asked about Cowboys defensive linemen Damontre’ Moore and David Irving raising their fists after the National Anthem before Sunday’s game, he responded:
“I don’t know about that. But if there is anything that is disrespectful to the flag then we will not play. You understand? If we are disrespecting the flag, then we won’t play. Period. We’re going to respect the flag, and I’m going to create the perception of it. And we have.”
Most players from the team haven’t spoken out yet, but Brice Butler was asked about the situation on NFL Total Access Live, and he had this to say:
“I was just like Jerry is the owner, and that’s what he said, he has the right to say what he wants to say. I don’t feel like that affects me at all cause I never had a plan to do anything during the national anthem. So it didn’t really affect me, but hopefully, it didn’t affect anyone else on the team.”
