Before playing the Arizona Cardinals, the Dallas Cowboys came onto the field with locked arms and knelt for a few seconds before singing the national anthem.
The team’s owner, Jerry Jones, joined the team in their seeming display of solidarity with other team members who have knelt or sat during the national anthem. Coach Jason Garrett also joined.
Jones, 74, in the past has criticized NFL players who do so. The team’s action prompted some booing from spectators.
Pictured is the entire Dallas Cowboys team, including its owner Jerry Jones, kneeling with linked arms before the national anthem is sung at the game between the Cowboys and the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale, Arizona
Jones is also, as of yet, the only owner of an NFL team who had not yet responded to President Donald Trump’s torrent of criticism over the weekend of players who do so.
All other NFL team owners have stood by their players. Some criticized Donald Trump for his denunciation.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell also strongly backed the players and criticized Trump for ‘an unfortunate lack of respect for the NFL’.
At a news conference in August, Jones said: ‘There’s no question in my mind. The national anthem is sacred. Our flag is sacred. And our team has demonstrated that.’
The team stood with locked arms during the singing of the national anthem. The Arizona Cardinals did the same.
The Cowboys and the Cardinals are facing off at the University of Phoenix stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Their game is broadcast as part of Monday Night Football.
The Cowboys’ display comes after at least 150 players knelt, sat with linked arms, gave black power salutes or simply did not show up for the singing of the national anthem during Sunday’s games.
The action, inaugurated by ex-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick last season, is meant to protest against protest police treatment of blacks and social injustice.
Players from both the Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonville Jaguars were the first to protest by taking a knee ahead of their game at Wembley Stadium in London on Sunday morning.
No players were kneeling during the playing of God Save The Queen – the British national anthem.
At least 20 Patriots players were spotted kneeling as Tom Brady linked arms with his teammates.
Pittsburgh Steelers players were absent from the sideline and remained in the locker room during the Star Spangled Banner.
Alejandro Villanueva, who served three tours in Afghanistan, was the only Steelers’ player to stand outside the tunnel for the anthem.
The protests from each team came in the wake of Trump’s critical remarks toward players who don’t stand for the anthem.
Last week across the entire NFL, only four players knelt or sat, and two stood with their fists raised.
Several NFL players, starting last season with then-San Francisco quarterback Kaepernick, have either knelt, sat or raised fists during the anthem to protest police treatment of blacks and social injustice.
‘That’s a total disrespect of everything that we stand for,’ Trump said, encouraging owners to act. He added: ‘Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, you’d say, “Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He’s fired.”‘
On Saturday, Trump echoed his stance.
‘If a player wants the privilege of making millions of dollars in the NFL, or other leagues, he or she should not be allowed to disrespect our Great American Flag (or Country) and should stand for the National Anthem,’ Trump tweeted. ‘If not, YOU’RE FIRED. Find something else to do!’
Kaepernick has not yet commented on how his movement has taken off within the NFL. He is not playing this season after he was not signed as a free agent. He declined to comment about the matter to Splash News on Monday.
Some members of the Oakland Raiders sit on the bench during the national anthem on Sunday night. The whole team and the coaches were in solidarity, either sitting or linking arms during the singing
Washington Redskins tight end Niles Paul (84) and linebacker Ryan Anderson (52) and Washington Redskins linebacker Chris Carter (55) kneel with teammates during the playing of the national anthem. Every member of the team and the coaches either took a knee or linked arms during the singing
Colin Kaepernick, pictured kneeling during an October 2016 game against the Buffalo Bills, is not playing this season after he opted to become a free agent and was not signed by any team. He inaugurated the trend of kneeling during the national anthem as a protest against police brutality and social injustice
Donald Trump is pictured greeting the family of a Marine pilot on Sunday. Trump criticized NFL players who do not stand during the national anthem. He said in a speech: ‘Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, you’d say, “Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He’s fired”‘