Jerry Jones: NFL trying to do right thing on social issues with $89 million pledge
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones never envisioned the NFL’s platform and visibility reaching the heights it has and understands the importance of using the attention for the right reasons.
That’s why he’s on board with the NFL and Players Coalition reaching an agreement on Wednesday night to commit at least $89 million through 2023 to local and national community efforts related to social justice reform.
The hope is this agreement shows the league’s commitment to making changes and prevents players protesting during the national anthem.
“There’s no question that everybody has the right sensitivities to our social issues,” Jones said after the Cowboys’ 38-14 victory over the Washington Redskins on Thursday.
“I know everybody has their heart in the right place, those players are trying to do the right thing, I know the league is trying to do the right thing, advance the ball on these social issues. So the thing that I would say about any of this back and forth about, might there be an agreement, is everyone is trying real hard to do the right thing and that is help assist sensitivity toward some of these social issues.”
The protests during the national anthem have turned fans away from the game, and president Donald Trump remains the biggest critic of the league and commissioner Roger Goodell.
Trump has been ripping the NFL throughout the season for the protests, and did so again earlier this week.
“I don’t really want to comment on that at all [about Trump’s criticism],” Jones said.
Jones went on to say the league has the ability to influence social issues, and should use the platform in the right manner.
“There’s pros and cons to everything here,” Jones said. “I know that I would have never thought, 20-something years ago, 25 years ago, that we would with our visibility and interest in our game that we would have the responsibility we’ve got regarding social issues. We have it.
“We ask for all the eyeballs. We ask for everybody to look at us, so we need to do things that advance the right thing. I believe strongly in that and we can do that.”
This story was originally published December 1, 2017 at 12:24 AM with the headline "Jerry Jones: NFL trying to do right thing on social issues with $89 million pledge."