The Dallas Cowboys capped off Week 3 of the NFL season with a 28-17 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Monday Night Football, but that wasn't the biggest story of the night.
Dallas locked arms and took a knee before the game and then rose to their feet - arms still locked - for the national anthem, their form of protest against President Donald Trump's comments against the NFL and its players this weekend.
“It was a team thing. That’s the true definition of unity. Trump can’t divide this,” Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant said, via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “Sports can show a perfect example of unity. That’s our job. It’s not just black NFL players. It’s a mix of, different races. I felt like that was a clear shot at Trump sitting on the knee like that. You just can’t do that. That’s super disrespectful. We showed great unity tonight, that’s what that was for. I felt like that was needed.
“We felt like that was the best thing to do. We’re not going to let a guy like that tear us apart. Not just us but this whole entire league.”
Defensive end Demarcus Lawrence echoed Bryant's sentiments.
“This whole week, it was all about the President’s comments,” he said. “We sat down as a team and we didn’t want to sit here and make it about one person. Everybody speaks and, you know, they say what they want to say but we’re not going to sit here and pinpoint that moment in our life’s and sit here and make it about the President.
“Even though he’s the President, we don’t agree. We feel like that was some dumba– sh– he said. I’m just being real, you know? We stuck together as a team and we wanted to show our unity today.”
Almost every team in the league united in some form of protest or demonstration during the national anthem over the weekend by either locking arms, kneeling, or staying in the locker room. After the game, Trump said the Cowboys' actions were a step in the right direction.
The booing at the NFL football game last night, when the entire Dallas team dropped to its knees, was loudest I have ever heard. Great anger
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 26, 2017
But while Dallas dropped to its knees as a team, they all stood up for our National Anthem. Big progress being made-we all love our country!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 26, 2017
Owner Jerry Jones had told the team he wanted them to stand for the anthem, but he participated in the pre-game protest with the team.
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Dallas returns home for their next game on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams. It remains to be seen if they will conduct a similar protest prior to that game.
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