The Dallas Cowboys signed a highly-touted veteran defensive tackle this offseason in Gerald McCoy. It is a move that many have been wanting to see them make for a while.
We have talked a lot about what McCoy is going to offer on the field, and considering he plays a position that the franchise has ignored (in terms of devoting serious resources) for a while now, that is very exciting to think about.
Gerald McCoy is a veteran player and is well-respected throughout the NFL. There is no question that young players will look up to him whenever the team ultimately congregates in the team facility, locker room, and things of that nature. He has been doing this for a long time now.
As Friday marked June 19th, Juneteenth was honored and reflected upon by many throughout the world. The Dallas Cowboys issued a team statement on Juneteenth where they noted that they were celebrating freedom. Some have noted that they want to see more said in these current times by the Cowboys organization and specifically from team owner Jerry Jones.
That is an opinion that Gerald McCoy seems to share. He appeared on Friday’s edition of First Take and after being asked about the subject he noted that Jerry Jones, due to his stature as one of the most recognizable people in sports, should speak up in these times about life.
“With everything going on, whether Stephen A likes it or not, the most recognizable franchise in the world is the Dallas Cowboys. So when a situation like what’s going on, which it has been going on, this is not new. This is not new. It’s been going on. But now it’s been brought to major light with the tragedy of George Floyd. People are seeing ‘is this really what’s going on?’. Yes this has been going on. This is not new. You’re just now seeing that this is how brutal it really is.”
“Well when you have a franchise as recognizable as the Cowboys… people listen when they speak up. And the owner, Jerry Jones, who is one of the most recognizable figures in sports history, when he speaks everybody listens. Well I think at this point in time I feel it would be great to hear him say something positive, or say anything. I love what he’s been to the sport. He’s been excellent to the sport of football. He’s a Hall of Famer. But at this point it’s bigger than football. We need him to speak up about life. This is about human beings and equal rights. And that’s not what’s happening. And it would be great to hear him say something. Anything.”
It was two weeks ago that the Cowboys released a video statement condemning racism and hatred in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death. In that video a handful of Cowboys players can be seen, but there is no appearance from Jerry Jones.
Noted First Take personality Stephen A Smith said on Thursday’s edition of the show that he was highly disappointed to not see any sort of statement from Jerry Jones specifically and added that he had yet to see any Cowboys player call for Jerry Jones to speak out. McCoy appeared on the show on Friday and called for that to happen.