NFL Fines Player For MAGA Hat After Paying Kaepernick Millions Over His Kneeling Stunt

The NFL only wants to give the appearance of allowing the players freedom of expression while controlling which messages can be expressed and which can’t.

Dallas Cowboys reportedly try to get their Pro Bowl kicker out of jury duty — but he refuses



Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey missed practice Wednesday and was later revealed to be attending jury duty during that time.

Aubrey, a second-year kicker who went to Notre Dame, was listed as a nonparticipant at the most recent Cowboys practice after being selected for a 12-person jury in Tarrant County, Texas.

The felony assault case pertains to a second-degree strangulation charge against the defendant.

Football reporter Nick Harris broke the news and noted that the Cowboys tried to get Aubrey out of the jury duty stint, but the kicker refused. Aubrey reportedly insisted that he fulfill his civic duty on Wednesday — and moving forward — despite the possibility of missing pivotal regular season games.

Aubrey is expected to return to court Thursday and Friday, but the judge reportedly will take his football schedule into consideration.

"There's not a clear timetable for how long the case will last," Harris wrote.

The reporter added, "This case does not require jurors to be sequestered."

With jurors being released for nights and weekends, Aubrey will be available for this Sunday night's game against the San Francisco 49ers, which has a 7:20 p.m. CT kickoff.

This case does not require jurors to be sequestered, meaning he will be available for Sunday’s game in San Francisco if the case lasts that long.
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) October 23, 2024

At the same time, Aubrey could end up missing several more practices and even a game if the case persists on weekends. The Cowboys play afternoon games on both Nov. 3 and Nov. 10, visiting the Atlanta Falcons before returning home to play the Philadelphia Eagles.

Media members began questioning Aubrey's whereabouts when he was not seen during the media portion of the Cowboy's practice Wednesday. Later that day, multiple eyewitnesses reported seeing Aubrey serving on a jury in a Fort Worth courthouse.

Juror information has not been made public.

Aubrey played in the United States Football League prior to the NFL; he already has an NFL record of eight-straight games with a field goal over 50 yards. He made the Pro Bowl in the 2023-2024 season, his first with the Cowboys.

'We've all got a civic duty to do'

Aubrey isn't the first Cowboy to insist on fulfilling his jury duty.

Former Cowboys tight end Jason Witten in 2012 missed morning meetings and his scheduled physical before arriving late to a preseason minicamp due to serving on a jury in Denton County.

"We've all got a civic duty to do," Witten said at the time, according to ESPN. "Proud to be a citizen and held up my end. It went a little longer than we thought, but it was a good experience. I was just glad I was able to get back in time for practice."

Then-coach Jason Garrett stated that Witten is a "good citizen" who "cares about the judicial process" and never considered trying to get out of jury duty.

"Guys, when you get your summons, don't be skipping out," Witten reportedly said.

The tight end donated his jury pay.

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'I want my reparations right now': Emmitt Smith backs DEI once again, demands payment from University of Florida



Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith again criticized the removal of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs from universities, claiming the programs are being removed out of spite.

The running back added to comments he made in March 2024, calling out the University of Florida specifically for removing DEI programs. Having played at the university himself, Smith took issue with the lack of payment he got in a time before NIL payments have made so many college athletes into high-income earners.

"Bro, I want my reparations right now from the University of Florida," Smith told USA Today. "I want to send their [expletive] a bill. I want interest on mine. Because I know one thing: When I was in that stadium – and I hate to talk about myself, but the system has forced me to talk about it because we couldn't get NIL [payments] – running up and down that field with Cedric Smith leading the way with my great offensive linemen blocking for me, when you looked up in those stands you saw a whole lot of E. Smith jerseys up there. E. Smith 22s. You can look at the old videos and see how many jerseys were walking around. And I didn’t receive one red cent," he recalled.

BlazeTV commentator Jason Whitlock said that Smith and the university engaged in a fair exchange.

"Emmitt is infected with the disease of entitlement," the "Fearless" host stated. "The University of Florida helped him on his journey, and he helped the University of Florida."

"It was a fair exchange. Emmitt is out over his skis and just saying what is popular at the moment," Whitlock added.

'They only want you to do one thing for them ... help them raise capital so they can continue to build monuments around there of people that don’t look like you or I.'

Smith said he believed that DEI was a "consequence of NIL" and lamented about how DEI programs are needed to ensure black or Latino students get into certain schools.

"How can we help our other African American and Latino students around the country get into this great university? To me, taking that DEI component away says you get to make all the decisions you want and not include people who can also have a significant impact on the university."

The former Dallas Cowboy would also like to see DEI apply to the corporate world. He expressed that construction companies should be given the opportunity to work on projects based on the race of their ownership.

"There's a lot of talk, a lot of rhetoric, and I've seen how some of this stuff works ... I've seen where you have infrastructure projects around the [Dallas-Fort Worth] area, and the same four major companies are the lead construction folks on those sites. The limitations that minority companies have is not only working capital but also the capacity to get on those jobs."

— (@)

The Super Bowl champion said that DEI was being destroyed simply for the "sake of politics" and out of "spite and sheer power."

He added that DEI programs were likely never going to be something that was kept and invoked the death of George Floyd as a marker for when DEI programs started popping up.

“In other words, they said, 'This is for the moment.' And again, that just goes to show you that they really didn't mean it. It's not in their heart to do what's right. It's in their heart to keep the system going the way it is. So, anyone making that decision, they were never for it, never for equality. And some of them weren't doing it before George Floyd. So, what makes you think they are going to do it now? They're trying to get rid of something that was a pipeline to opening up the opportunities, even for small and minority businesses."

The football star rounded out his comments with remarks about needing representation of certain skin colors in order to feel welcomed.

"They really don't have their best interest at heart. They only want you to do one thing for them, and that is to generate excitement and enthusiasm all around sports and entertainment, to help them raise capital so they can continue to build monuments around there of people that don’t look like you or I."

He said the biggest question for the University of Florida that is not being addressed was, "How can we get minority enrollment up?"

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FACT CHECK: Did Cowboys Coach Mike McCarthy Suspend A Player For Kneeling During Anthem?

There is no evidence this occurred

'We left a Marine?!! Hell nah': Dallas Cowboys star rips Biden over Brittney Griner prisoner swap — then caves, apologizes after leftists pounce



Dallas Cowboys star linebacker Micah Parsons — the 2021 first-round pick for America's Team — on Thursday morning blasted President Joe Biden over what Parsons saw as a shortsighted prisoner swap that got U.S. women's basketball player Brittney Griner released from a Russian penal colony.

But within hours — after leftists tore into him for attacking their beloved commander-in-chief — Parsons was caving, apologizing, and walking back just about everything.

What happened?

Parsons found out that ex-Marine Paul Whelan — convicted in 2020 of spying and sentenced to 16 years in maximum-security Russian prison — wasn't part of the swap, and the Cowboys' defensive leader was not happy.

"Wait nah!! We left a marine?!! Hell nah," Parsons tweeted.

\u201cWait nah!! We left a marine?!! Hell nah\u201d
— Micah Parsons (@Micah Parsons) 1670504897

Whelan has denied all charges, and talks about his release allegedly were continuing.

Parsons also tweeted that Biden wouldn't get his vote despite the announcement of Griner's release:

Image source: Twitter

But that tweet was soon deleted.

Leftists jump into the fray; Parsons caves

Leftists get bent out of shape when Twitter users with big platforms — and who should be on board with left-wing policies, like professional athletes — fail to toe the company line. They were similarly disturbed with Parsons, and soon enough he was walking back his complaints and apologizing.

He started by expressing support for Griner and saying it's "crazy" that Biden wasn't also bringing back Whelen. Parsons added that while he's no supporter of former President Donald Trump, he has no love for Biden, either:

\u201cMy last tweet was no shot at Brittney Griner. I\u2019m super happy she\u2019s back home as she should be. I just have family who have served and it\u2019s crazy to me the President wouldn\u2019t bring him home too. I\u2019m the furthest thing from a trump supporter but I\u2019m not a fan of Biden either.\u201d
— Micah Parsons (@Micah Parsons) 1670510040

Less than an hour later, Parsons was in full mea culpa mode:

\u201cthen the best outcome was accomplished. I pray Mr. Whelan comes home but am extremely happy for Brittney and her family. I am not too prideful to admit when I\u2019ve made a mistake.\u201d
— Micah Parsons (@Micah Parsons) 1670512279

Anything else?

Another huge issue regarding Biden's prisoner swap is that the Russians got back arms dealer Viktor Bout, who was serving a 25-year sentence and allegedly was a high priority for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Former DEA agents involved in Bout's capture told CBS News the Bout-for-Griner exchange could damage the "deterrence and consequences of committing crimes against the United States" now that "killers and criminals" know they can negotiate their way out of long sentences.

Griner in August was sentenced to nine years behind Russian bars for smuggling illegal drugs into the country. In February she was detained at Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport when vape cartridges containing hashish oil were found in her luggage. Prosecutors argued that the 0.720 grams of cannabis found is a "significant amount."

Griner admitted to bringing the banned substance to Russia but claimed it was an accident.

LeBron James stops supporting Dallas Cowboys over pro-national anthem team policy: 'Didn’t think that was appropriate'



NBA superstar LeBron James says he stopped supporting the Dallas Cowboys because they did not kneel for the national anthem.

What is the background?

After the NFL updated its rules to permit players to remain in the locker room during the national anthem, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reiterated his team's policy: They honor the national anthem.

"I will speak for one, and everybody knows where we stand, and we stand as a team," Jones said in July 2018. "Our policy is that you stand at the anthem, toe on the line."

What did James say?

Speaking on Instagram Live, James, a longtime Cowboys fan, said on Thursday that he stopped being a fan of the Cowboys over their stance on kneeling.

"There were just a lot of things that were going on during when guys were kneeling and guys were having freedom of speech," James said.

"They wanted to do it in a very peaceful manner," he claimed. "A lot of people in their front office and a lot of people that ran the organization were like, ‘If you do that around here, then you will never play for this franchise again.'"

"And I just didn’t think that was appropriate so," he added.

\u201cLeBron James on why he\u2019s not @dallascowboys fan anymore:\n\n\u201cNah man I had to sit put on the Cowboys man. It just a things that were going on when guys were kneeling... [The] organization were like if do that around here you won\u2019t play for this franchise again.\u201d\n\n#DallasCowboys\u201d
— Landon Buford (@Landon Buford) 1666914903

James, however, did not offer any evidence to back his claim that Cowboys' officials threatened their players if they kneeled.

In fact, there is evidence to the contrary.

After Jones publicly reiterated his team's policy, Cowboys star running back Ezekiel Elliott said the team agreed with Jones.

"Us as a team, we chose to stand together for the national anthem. It was our decision. I think it just shows our culture. It shows that we have unity. We're going to stand as one," Elliott said.

"That's not knocking anyone else who may choose to kneel during the national anthem," he added. "But we're the Dallas Football Cowboys, America's Team. We stand for the national anthem."

Anything else?

James said he is now "all in" on his hometown team, the Cleveland Browns.

Whitlock: Dak Prescott’s $160 million contract was always a mistake



The Dak Prescott pity party kicked off Sunday night, shortly after it became obvious that the Cowboys would struggle to score on the Buccaneers.

In the nightcap of the NFL’s opening Sunday, Prescott’s Cowboys managed a single field goal in a 19-3 loss to Tampa Bay.

Tom Brady vs. America’s Team was supposed to be the “Top Gun: Maverick” of the football weekend. Instead, it was a snoozefest, largely because Dak can’t fly at Brady’s altitude even for short stretches.

Dallas’ $40-million-a-year quarterback is worth half as much as Brady but is paid twice as much as the seven-time Super Bowl champion. At age 45 and entering his 23rd season, Brady charged the Bucs $15 million this season for his services.

Brady has always played for less money than he’s worth because he’s always prioritized winning above salary. Brady is self-aware. The 199th pick of the 2000 draft, Brady has never forgotten he needs to be surrounded by high-level talent to win games. He left New England because Bill Belichick wouldn’t buy him the talent he needed to excel.

Tampa has and will.

Dak Prescott will regret forcing Jerry Jones to give him a $160 million contract a year ago. The big contract comes with big expectations and a lack of sympathy.

Sunday night, when Dak jogged off the field after injuring his thumb, Cowboys fans booed their quarterback and a couple of people tossed their trash at the seventh-year player.

Prescott is no longer the Mississippi State underdog, the fourth-round pick who unseated Tony Romo in 2016. Prescott is an overpaid, average quarterback who doesn’t mask the deficiencies of his teammates or coaches. There’s nothing special about Dak Prescott. He’s a poor man’s Tom Brady who is being paid like he’s Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen.

No one in Dallas really cares that Mike McCarthy is a bad head coach. Or that Jerry Jones is a mediocre general manager. Or that Dallas’ offensive line and receiving corps are suspect. No one cares that Dallas offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is unproven and perhaps in over his head.

Prescott is one of the 10 highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL. He’s supposed to mask problems, not accentuate them.

Last night, Prescott exaggerated Dallas’ problems. He threw the ball inaccurately. His arm strength isn’t exceptional. He’s not a dynamic runner. He’s Tom Brady without Tom Brady’s intangibles. Brady’s number-one intangible is self-awareness.

Being married to a filthy rich supermodel (Gisele Bundchen) makes it easier for Brady to compromise on his NFL contracts. I get that.

But at some point, a quarterback like Prescott needed to figure out that an extra $5 to $10 million a year wasn’t going to be worth the raised expectations. Cowboys fans wouldn’t be booing Prescott if he was the 15th highest-paid QB rather than the eighth.

Prescott isn’t Lamar Jackson. I actually believe it would be easier to win a Super Bowl with Prescott than with Jackson. Prescott is a pocket quarterback. Jackson is a dual-threat improviser. Over the long haul, football rewards the pocket passer more than the scrambler.

Having said that, Jackson’s value to the Ravens far exceeds Prescott’s value to Dallas. Jackson is an elite runner who can win games without elite receivers, an elite play-caller, or even an elite offensive line. Jackson will be worth every dime Baltimore pays him. And that’s true even if he gets hurt and loses effectiveness. He’s already earned his record contract. He’s single-handedly carried the Baltimore franchise for four straight years.

Dak doesn’t carry Dallas. He makes the ride smooth when the Cowboys have the necessary pieces to roll. Dallas doesn’t have the necessary pieces.

Last night’s thumb injury is the luckiest break Dak caught against Tampa. He’s going to miss the next six to eight games. He has an excuse for a poor season. The Cowboys will fire Mike McCarthy at some point this season. Dak will start the 2023 season with his third head coach.

It will likely be Sean Payton. Jerry Jones will ask Payton to turn Prescott into Drew Brees. Payton will fail. Brees had elite accuracy. Dak doesn’t.

It’s going to be a long pity party for Dak. The excuse-makers will blame McCarthy and Jason Garrett, Dak’s original head coach.

Greed and ego undermined Dak Prescott: both his own and his agent’s.

Dallas Cowboys draw social media ire for partnering with gun-themed coffee company



The Dallas Cowboys' marketing team took to Twitter to announce a new partnership with the gun-themed coffee business Black Rifle Coffee Company, and as might be expected, the social media mob reacted with outrage and disgust.

"#CowboysNation, please welcome America's Coffee to America's Team," the official account for the Cowboys tweeted on Tuesday.

"We are celebrating America's birthday all week long by giving away (two) tickets to a #DallasCowboys home game & a (one)-year subscription to @blckriflecoffee!"

However, many in "CowboysNation" and elsewhere did not take kindly to the announcement, especially in the wake of the mass school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, less than two months ago.

"Impeccable timing. Truly. Guys," one responder posted. "This was literally 6 weeks ago IN YOUR STATE, and there was a mass shooting YESTERDAY. 'T&Ps to Uvalde. So sad. Also, buy this black rifle coffee.'"

Another user dubbed the Cowboys/Black Rifle partnership "Mass Shooting Morning Blend," a play on Black Rifle's many coffee flavors with military and firearm-related names, such as Silencer Smooth, Gunship, AK-47, and Murdered Out.

Still, not all the backlash against the Cowboys came from gun control advocates or those on the far left. Some on the right still bear a grudge against Black Rifle for comments that company executives made about some of their former supporters to the New York Times a year ago.

"It’s such a repugnant group of people,” Black Rifle co-founder and CEO Evan Hafer said about some conservatives. “It’s like the worst of American society, and I got to flush the toilet of some of those people that kind of hijacked portions of the brand.

“The racism [expletive] really pisses me off,” Hafer said. “I hate racist, Proud Boy-ish people. Like, I’ll pay them to leave my customer base. I would gladly chop all of those people out of my [expletive] customer database and pay them to get the [expletive] out.”

Still others have embraced the new relationship between America's Team and a veteran-owned business that is "committed to supporting veterans, law enforcement, and first responders," according to its mission statement.

Chris Loesch, husband of noted Second Amendment rights advocate Dana Loesch, called it "awesome," while a user calling herself "lei" said, "I am not even a cowboys fan and I love this sponsor The coffee is actually good and thank you America’s team for supporting Veterans."

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told the Dallas Daily Sentinel that the team plans to sell Black Rifle coffee products at AT&T Stadium this fall.

Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott says school massacre made him afraid to have kids



Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Dak Prescott said Wednesday that the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Texas has made him "fearful to have children."

Prescott and other members of the NFL team reacted to the massacre in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 children and two teachers were slain by a disturbed gunman on Tuesday.

“I don’t know how something like that doesn’t impact everyone, I don’t care if you’re an athlete or not,” Prescott told reporters after practice. "We're talking about children. We're talking about the future. I mean, I don't have kids and can't imagine having to send my kid to school with that anxiety. Honestly, it makes me fearful to have children, and that's not right. That's sad."

He spoke hours ahead of a town hall meeting in Arlington put on by his Faith Fight Finish Foundation. The event, scheduled before the shooting happened, brought North Texas community groups together with law enforcement leaders, education leaders, and mental health experts to discuss ways in which they can work together to improve the community.

Prescott said there was a lot to discuss after the Uvalde shooting, as well as the shooting in Buffalo, New York, two weeks ago where 10 people were killed by a self-described white supremacist.

"If yesterday and two weeks ago and all of what we've been through hasn't been a call for each and every one of us for help, for our neighborhood and what's going on with them individually and how we're protecting, policing and serving one another throughout our community, something has to be done and a change has to happen now," Prescott said.

His teammate, defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, added that communities need to come together to make schools safter.

"It's very hard. It's nerve wracking," Lawrence said. "Every time I have chance to go in the locker room, I hit up my wife. 'How are the kids? Are they home yet?' It's something you wouldn't expect. But this is what we are dealing with."

He elaborated on a social media post he made Tuesday asking how he financially supports schools that need "better security systems, security personnel and security training."

"This is all of us. All of us are going to have to step in," he said. "Make sure we are builder a safer work space, safer environment for us to grow in."

Other NFL players are stepping up in the wake of tragedy. The Buffalo Bills and the NFL have pledged to contribute $400,000 to Buffalo's East Side neighborhood and community, where the shooting took place.

Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott praises fans who threw trash at referees after playoff loss to 49ers: 'Credit to them'



Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott served up a big dose of poor sportsmanship — along with some of his team's fans — after a down-to-the-wire wild-card playoff game loss Sunday to the hated San Francisco 49ers.

What did he say?

When asked at a postgame press conference about Cowboys fans at AT&T Stadium throwing trash on the field following their team's 23-17 defeat, Prescott launched into a soliloquy about how he and his teammates give their heart and soul to the game and that such a reaction from fans toward players is "sad."

Really classy of eagles fans to disguise as cowboys fans and throw trashpic.twitter.com/K7Ptm3ikhN
— Sean \ud83d\udc3c mtingO6 hater (@Sean \ud83d\udc3c mtingO6 hater) 1642383231

"I understand fans and the word 'fan' for fanatic, I get that, but to know everything that we put into this, day in and day out, try our hardest," Prescott said. "Nobody comes into the game wanting or expecting to lose, and for people to react that way when you're supposed to be a supporter and be with us through thick and thin, that's tough."

But when Prescott was informed that fans were throwing trash at the referees as they were leaving the field, the losing QB's perspective changed dramatically.

"Credit to them, then," Prescott said of hometown fans, amid reporters' laughter. "Credit to them."

"Credit to them then. Credit to them."\n\nDak Prescott voiced support for fans who threw trash at referees Sunday #DallasCowboyspic.twitter.com/1jCAoZvQ3P
— Sports Illustrated (@Sports Illustrated) 1642389758

According to Michael Gehlken, Cowboys reporter for the Dallas Morning News, Prescott also said, “The fans felt the same way as us. I guess that’s why the refs took off and got out of there so fast. I think everybody is upset with the way this thing played out.”

What's the background?

Down by seven points with no timeouts and just 14 seconds remaining in the contest, Dallas appeared to have all the momentum and drove down to San Francisco's 41-yard line.

On what would ultimately be the final play, Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott shockingly ran the ball instead of throwing it to a receiver who might scamper out of bounds and stop the clock, giving Dallas a reasonable final shot at the end zone.

Prescott's run netted the Cowboys another 17 yards, but seconds kept ticking away. Each team had to get set, and the ball had to be spotted so Prescott could spike it and stop the clock.

And with about six seconds left, Prescott got up after his run and handed the ball to his center, who then placed the pigskin on the turf.

Problem is, an official is supposed to spot the ball.

Crazy ending

Umpire Ramon George ran up behind Prescott and the Dallas line, made bodily contact with them as he squeezed his way through, then placed the football a yard or two backward — all as precious seconds ticked away.

But by the time the ball was snapped, the clock had run out. And it was yet another heartbreaking Dallas playoff loss.

According to Field Yates, an NFL Insider for ESPN, the Cowboys have now made 11 straight playoff appearances without reaching a conference championship game, which is the longest streak by any team in NFL history.

CHAOTIC ENDING TO COWBOYS/49ERS WILD CARD GAME🤭 | NFL Playoffs 2022youtu.be

After the game, referee Alex Kemp said the umpire "spotted the ball correctly," ESPN said, citing a pool report.

"He collided with the players as he was setting the ball because he was moving it to the proper spot," Kemp added, the sports network said.

What else was said about the officiating?

ESPN said the Cowboys were displeased with the officiating throughout the game. Dallas was penalized 14 times — a postseason franchise record, the sports network said — for 89 yards. What's more, ESPN said the Cowboys were the most penalized team in the NFL during the regular season.

"When we were younger, we just said it was bias, you know, people just hate the Cowboys," rookie Dallas linebacker Micah Parsons said, according to the sports network. "I just think we were playing hard, you know. I think when you tend to play hard and you want to make a play, you tend to jump offsides, or you tend to put a hands to the face, or you know you might hold by accident, or even if it wasn't a hold you never know how they might perceive it. I just felt like a couple of [the penalties] were very questionable and very bias[ed] towards us. But then again, it's our fault, we shouldn't be put in that position. I'm going to take full accountability, and I hope everyone else does, too."

The Cowboys' flamboyant owner and general manager Jerry Jones added to ESPN that his team "shouldn't have been in position for that last play to be something controversial. So I'm not going to make it something bigger than it is."

What was said about Prescott's 'credit to them' comment?

As you might guess, not everyone on Twitter was in line with Prescott praising Cowboys fans for throwing trash at referees after the game:

  • "And ⁦@dak⁩ is the ⁦@dallascowboys⁩ Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee?" one observer wondered. "So this represents the best of the Dallas Cowboys?"
  • "Saying 'credit to them' in reference to debris bring hurled at refs because he doesn't know how football works makes him look like trash," another commenter said.
  • "They/He should be fined heavily for that comment for inciting future violence against people, being it players or referees," another user declared. "Such a disgrace!"
  • "Typical! You made a BIG mistake, don't blame the umpire for doing his job and following the RULES!" another commenter said.