When I moved to D.C. in 2001, I decided to adopt the Washington RacistNames (real name Redskins, or Skins for short) as my NFL team and follow them exclusively. This was a fairly easy decision because short of the Oakland Raiders and mostly because of Bo Jackson, I never had a “team” per se. I was mostly a fan of football and more or less picked teams to follow each year. My dad was kind of a Skins fan because of Doug Williams, but right now, he’s a Seahawks fan. As you can see, my football loyalties were never cemented or established early. So again, I adopted the Skins in 2001.
Becoming a Washington fan meant that I instantly hated the Dallas Cowboys. That also was easy; I never really liked the Cowboys, anyway. Since then, I’ve excitedly and intentionally taken part in various Skins versus Cowboys arguments and debates about players, playoffs, etc. Obviously, the Cowboys have a better winning tradition (five Super Bowl wins to the Skins’ three), so its easy to lose those arguments, but it hasn’t made them any less fun. And for the record, I know the Skins suck from the owner on down. Trust and believe, I know.
My NFL fandom is currently only hold, perhaps indefinitely (who knows). I’m one of the people boycotting the NFL because of its treatment of Colin Kaepernick and the anthem protests, which has admittedly been waaaay less difficult than I imagined. I’m out on the NFL and fine with it.
The NFL attempted to institute a policy on anthem protests earlier this year but that’s recently been shelved as they go back to the drawing board. Several owners have come out and said that regardless of whatever policy the NFL comes up with, they’d support their players’ decisions when it comes to anthem protests because while the owners may not get it, they understand that their players are human beings and are able to feel things, especially things that effect their communities.
Jerry Jones is not one of those owners. Jerry Jones is the overly involved owner and face of the Dallas Cowboys. Jerry Jones is evil. Jerry Jones is ineffective Metamucil. Jerry Jones is the placebo version of Claritin-D. Jerry Jones basically said fuck your anthem protests; he’s selling football to white people in Texas so nobody who works for him gets to protest shit ‘round about AT&T Stadium.
According to NFL.com:
“I do think this recent effort by the league office and the players association to have discussions ... is a worthy effort,” Jones said during a news conference Wednesday at the team’s training camp site in Oxnard, Calif. “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.”
Jones added that the Cowboys do not support players who chose to remain in the locker room during the anthem — something that would be allowed under the league-wide policy passed by team owners in May.
“Our policy is that you stand at the anthem, toe on the line,” said Jones when asked if he would support a player staying in the locker room during the anthem.
Jerry Jones doesn’t give a fuck about black people. He gives a fuck about money and I feel sorry for Dallas Cowboys fans. Especially those who are still watching the NFL. Because supporting the Cowboys, right now, means supporting both a league that blackballed a black man who gave a fuck and supporting an owner who not only doesn’t give a fuck, but actively doesn’t support any player’s humanity.
So now, if you support the Cowboys, you’re basically extra supporting holding the black man down. I’m glad I’m not making those life choices. Those life choices have to suck. It must suck to be a Cowboys fan right about now.
Happy footballing, Dallas Cowboys fans.