Dallas Cowboys owner says team will be forced to stand during anthem

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said athletes on his team are required to stand during the national anthem.

“Our policy is you stand during the anthem, toe on the line,” Jones said Wednesday during a team press conference.

The owner’s remarks arrive a week after the NFL announced it would freeze its new policy requiring players to either stand or remain in the locker room during the national anthem.

The NFL said in a statement last week that it was “working on a resolution to the anthem issue” with the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) after the association filed a grievance against the league over its controversial anthem policy.

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Jones also criticized President Trump for his continued statements surrounding NFL players’ protests during the national anthem. 

“His interest in what we’re doing is problematic, from my chair, and I would say in general the owners’ chair,” Jones said. “It’s unprecedented, if you really think about it. But like the very game itself, that’s the way it is and we’ll deal with it.

“We feel strongly about how we deal with it and we’ll do so accordingly, but, yes, I, like everybody, would like for it to go away.” 

Earlier this month, Trump took aim at NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in a tweet and called on the football executive to further punish athletes who continue protests against police brutality and racism by kneeling during the anthem at games.