Jerry Jones has never been shy about playing to the cameras, but the 82-year-old Dallas Cowboys owner took it a step further at MetLife Stadium on October 5, flashing his middle finger at chirping New York Jets fans as Dallas closed out a 37–22 win.
Video of Jones flipping fans off made the rounds on social media within minutes, and now, the league will likely review the incident and possibly dole out a fine.
While a generally harmless and fun gesture,” Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio wrote on October 6, “the NFL has a history of frowning upon such gestures. In 2009, the league fined the late Bud Adams $250,000 for shooting the double bird from his suite in a game against the Bills.
The NFL has consistently treated obscene gestures as punishable, even for players. Just last month, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce was fined $14,491 for unsportsmanlike/obscene gestures. Owners typically face steeper penalties than players for public behavior that can be perceived as an embarrassment to the league, which is why Adams’ six-figure ding is the comp to watch.
Cowboys Had Best Win of the Season Week 5
Jones’ gesture took some attention away from the team’s performance, which is a shame, because the Cowboys played lights out on both sides of the ball.
It was another fantastic day for quarterback Dak Prescott, who tossed four touchdowns, Jake Ferguson hauled in two of them, as the Cowboys scored 30 straight points to blow the game open. The victory pushed Dallas to 2-2-1 and kept them within reach in a muddled NFC East after five weeks.
Of course, most folks criticizing what Jerry does this season are still miffed about the Micah Parsons trade. Dallas dealt the All-Pro pass rusher to the Packers in a blockbuster deal that netted two first-rounders and veteran DT Kenny Clark. It was a decision that split the fan base and shocked the league, but Jones has done nothing other than defend it. Even after Parsons’ return to Dallas produced a 40-40 tie Week 4, Jones was still defending the move publicly a few days later.
Dallas’ defense has been searching for its identity without Parsons, and against the Jets, the unit finally broke out, netting five sacks and a momentum-swinging takeaway before halftime. Defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus has been heavily criticized thus far, so Sunday’s performance was encouraging.
Will NFL Fine or Punish Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones for Flipping Off New York Jets Fans?
GettyCowboys owner Jerry Jones could be in hot water with the NFL soon after flipping off Jets fans.
So, will Jones be punished? The league office has latitude to fine owners for conduct that reflects poorly on the NFL brand, and it has done so before. Adams’ $250K remains the most relevant measuring stick, but that was over 15 years ago.
“We’ll see if the league does anything. And, if the league does, we’ll see if Jerry cares,” Florio noted, adding:
“The combination of an accumulation of billions and the shedding of any remaining filters (if there even were any) on the wrong side of 80 creates a sweet spot in which a person will say and do all sorts of things that could make others sour.”
We’ll know soon enough how sour the NFL is at Jones.
Beth Mishler-Elmore Beth Mishler-Elmore is a Heavy sports contributor based in the Midwest, focusing on the NFL, NBA and WNBA. More about Beth Mishler-Elmore
