Less than two weeks ago, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones framed the NFL’s changing vantage on peaceful protest in what appeared to be progressive terms. He talked about “listening” and having “grace” when it came to protests. And he said all of this without a hint of his seemingly immovable stance from past seasons, when Jones expected his players to stand for the national anthem with their toes on one singular line.
That was then, Jones said earlier this month. This is now.
Well, funny thing about “then” and “now” — the more Jones speaks, the more those two timeframes are starting to sound like the same thing.