With every passing hour of silence from the big office at The Star in Frisco, the message being relayed only grows louder. It’s been 17 days since the first protest in Minneapolis, and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has yet to make any statement regarding the current social injustice movement in America.
The Cowboys organization released a video statement promising ongoing conversation, but the man who runs the highest-profile team in all of sports doesn’t appear in it. The league has announced monetary support– albeit a microdrop in their lake-sized financial bucket- to fight systemic racism. And while many players and coaches from around the league have participated in marches and rallies in cities across the country, team owners have been largely missing in action on the ground.
On Thursday, a media insider suggested that other NFL owners have maintained silence on the issue directly because of the example being set by Jones.
Read that again.
As incendiery a headline as that makes, it’s not entirely factual. The truth, however, may be even more damning for the man who runs America’s Team.
ESPN’s Dianna Russini appeared on the network’s show Get Up and recapped her findings after a Players Coalition meeting that took place on Wednesday. The meeting was held virtually, and, according to Russini, began with a request for all media members to exit so that the meeting could be “a safe space” for all to talk freely.
While the GMs, coaches, and players who were present- representing several major sports besides the NFL- talked about education and community outreach, what didn’t come up, per se, was owners’ roles in the current movement or their responsibility to speak out, Russini told host Mike Greenberg.
But one NFL head coach Russini debriefed after the meeting told her:
“Everything falls in line with Jerry Jones. All eyes are on him. He’s the most vocal owner in the league. And not only is he the most vocal leader, but there are numerous owners that listen to him. He mentors them. What Jerry does, they do. And until he makes that move, the dominoes can’t start falling.”
Where are the NFL Owners right now during this powerful movement? @getupESPN pic.twitter.com/xvdTjhXbGS
— Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) June 11, 2020
“It’s not pulling them like it is the rest of the country,” San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman said of the league’s owners. Sherman went on to single out Jones for his silence in the wake of nationwide protests.
Even former Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant- who is lobbying for a return to the league and has targeted Dallas as a preferred destination- called out his ex-employer in a tweet for not lending his powerful voice to any protests.
Russini’s source similarly believes that what Jones does or doesn’t do is apparently the bellwether for the league’s other owners. But, as the facts bear out, rather than allowing themselves to simply be “dominoes” waiting for a nudge from Jones, a not-insignificant number of NFL owners have stepped out and spoken up on their own.
Tennessee Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk delivered an impassioned statement on Thursday, announcing, “Hearts, minds and institutions need to change throughout our country. Those who face racism need to be heard, and more importantly, understood by those who haven’t listened before.”
Strunk shed light on some of the Titans’ ongoing efforts and concluded her statement by declaring: “I support our players using peaceful protests and their platforms to advance us as a nation. I would encourage those who haven’t thought about these issues before to understand the pain, anger and frustration of the black community. Black lives matter. We should all agree on that.”
As NFL journalist Paul Kuharsky notes, the Titans owner isn’t the first or the only league owner who isn’t waiting around for Jones. “We’d seen or heard statements from at least 10 NFL owners, 32 percent of them,” before Strunk released her statement, according to Kuharsky.
On May 30, San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York said in a tweet, “Before we are able to realize impactful change, we must first have the courage and compassion as human beings to come together and acknowledge the problem: black men, women, and children and other oppressed minorities continue to be systemically discriminated against.”
On May 31, Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis told ESPN regarding his players, “If they have something to say, I’ll stand beside them. I won’t stand behind them; I’ll stand beside them. And if there’s something I don’t know, I’m happy to listen to them. We’ve got to find a solution.”
On June 1, New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson said in a statement, “Our goal will be to advocate for issues of change when and where we are able to in black and brown communities. Hopefully our work will be a model for others. They will have my full support.”
On June 1, Chicago Bears owner George H. McCaskey said, “We must do more than wring our hands and hope it doesn’t happen again… Through our voice, our actions and our resources, it is our obligation to lead.”
On June 1, Cleveland Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam promised, “We must work together to elevate our efforts and our actions to ensure that we can be a positive and productive change agent off the field.”
On June 1, Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti vowed, “I have asked a group of former and current Ravens players to decide which organizations should receive proceeds from the $1 million donation we are making today.”
On June 2, Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie tweeted, in part, “At times, I have too many words. At times, I have no words. But silence is not an option.”
On June 2, Buffalo Bills owners Terry and Kim Pegula spoke out: “We stand with and will continue to work with those dedicated to eradicating racism and inequality. We stand with those peacefully protesting. We stand against those who are motivated by hatred and violence.”
On June 2, Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay quoted Martin Luther King Jr. via Twitter: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
On June 3, Houston Texans owner Cal McNair said in a posted tweet, “This has been a pervasive and mostly silent problem for the past 400-plus years… I believe that these injustices cannot continue.”
On June 3, Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan said in a released statement, “As a member of the NFL family, I recognize I have a unique opportunity to address inequity wherever it is present, expand opportunity for all who seek it, and seek justice for all who deserve it. I take that responsibility seriously.”
As of June 12, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has yet to say a word.
His is the flagship team of the league, and the most valuable sports franchise on the planet. His fanbase reaches every corner of the globe. One from-the-heart statement from him into the nearest microphone would surely have ripple effects throughout the NFL, the sports world, the country, and beyond.
Russini’s head coach source was right. All eyes are, in fact, on Jones. And yes, what Jerry does, other owners invariably do as well.
Jones had the chance to be the undisputed leader within the NFL’s ownership by speaking out immediately. The Cowboys could have been the example and set the tone for other franchises to follow. Instead, more than a third of the other owners have beaten Jones to the punch. At this point in the story, Jones risks being barely more than a follower in the middle of the pack who did way too little, way too late.
The only thing worse is continuing to do nothing at all.
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