*Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had a private meeting with his team on Wednesday to discuss his recent declaration that his players will stand for the national anthem or not play.
The players were largely quiet about what was discussed during the meeting, but the song “F*ck Donald Trump” was blasting throughout the locker room as the media entered Wednesday (from Orlando Scandrick’s locker), making pretty clear where the team stood on the issue.
It didn’t go unnoticed that Orlando Scandrick was playing “FDT” by YG and Nipsey Hussle at his locker when the media walked in.
— Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) October 11, 2017
Jones said last Sunday that, “Any player who disrespects the flag or does not stand for the anthem will not play in the game.” It was in stark contrast to his actions just weeks before when he joined Cowboys players in kneeling before the anthem ahead of a nationally televised game against the Cardinals.
Jones said the about face came when President Trump reminded him of the NFL Game Operations Manual, which explains how players should behave during the anthem and failure to do so could result in fines, suspensions and even lost draft picks. But the manual is an old document and the league has already stated that players won’t be fined or suspended for demonstrating.
Also, Jones reportedly told his players in their Wednesday meeting that his stance on the anthem is because he wants to play the bad guy and deflect attention from the rest of the team, according to ESPN.com’s Todd Archer.
Archer’s source said Jones also sought to ensure that players saw the bigger picture regarding the business side of the situation, including concerns over TV ratings and sponsors. One player, according to Archer’s source, said Jones expected the Cowboys would continue to stand during the anthem. Another said the players had a better feeling for Jones’ comments, because at first he wondered if Jones had turned against them, according to the source.
Jones was also said to have offered the players a chance to speak with him one-on-one, the source said. Players had been told to bring their concerns about Jones’ comments to the meeting.
“It went well,” Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott said of the of the meeting, while attending a promotional event later Wednesday. “I mean we ironed out everything that we needed to at this time.”‘
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