Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Optimism opens the door to great things.

Too often we hand the biggest microphones to the cynics and the critics who delight in declaring failure.

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

Historically it was a little unusual for the president to be an incoherent babbling moron.

Republican obstruction dressed up as bipartisanship. Again.

An almost top 10,000 blog!

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

I’d like to think you all would remain faithful to me if i ever tried to have some of you killed.

You don’t get rid of your umbrella while it’s still raining.

I did not have this on my fuck 2022 bingo card.

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

if you can’t see it, then you are useless in the fight to stop it.

It’s the corruption, stupid.

Let us savor the impending downfall of lawless scoundrels who richly deserve the trouble barreling their way.

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

Good lord, these people are nuts.

Their freedom requires your slavery.

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

You can’t love your country only when you win.

The revolution will be supervised.

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

Accountability, motherfuckers.

We’ve had enough carrots to last a lifetime. break out the sticks.

You are here: Home / Politics / America / These Are, Indeed, Strange Days: All the Cowboys Take a Knee

These Are, Indeed, Strange Days: All the Cowboys Take a Knee

by | 200 Comments

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Including team owner Jerry Jones!

ETA at 9:30 PM EDT: We have video!

Consider this an open thread.

Reader Interactions

200Comments

  3. 3.

    Facebones

    You have to be a special kind of asshole to make Jerry Jones and Roger Goodell look good by comparison.

  7. 7.

    lamh36

    Well I’ll be damned!!

    Like I said…I CANNOT imagine if confronted by a BIG NAME player saying he was gonna kneel, that Jerry Jones would fire ANY DAMN body, and if enough of the players plan to do it…then ole Jerry

    My money says a COLLECTIVE of players, including the BIG marquee players went to Jerry and told him…we doing this…so get on board or fine us or whatever!

    Hate to say it, but it was pretty darn cunning honestly, you make a statement, but then the same folks who will be outraged won’t be able to say they kneeled DURING the anthem, which they claim is the “REAL DISRESPECT”

    They kneeled BEFORE the anthem, and as much as I hate to say it, but it was pretty darn cunning honestly, you make a statement, but then the same folks who will be outraged won’t be able to say they kneeled DURING the anthem, which they claim is the “REAL DISRESPECT”

    but I do have to give Jerry & the Cowboys their due a bit, cause I did NOT expect any form of ANYTHING…but it’s a bare minimum

  8. 8.

    chopper

    I’m wondering when, if ever, the point will come when trump realizes he’s at the losing end of this.

  10. 10.

    HRA

    After all these years, I am going to have to like Jerry Jones now? // Yes, for what I believe in I have to do it and admire him for doing it..

  11. 11.

    ThresherK

    A Wilmerite I know had, maybe a week ago, scolded NFLers for piecing and moaning because they make millions (all of them, even the practice squadders) for playing a kid’s game. He is giving up watching football.

    Is that the most useless leftier than thou bullshit anyone has heard on the subject?

  14. 14.

    mike in dc

    @chopper:

    When the polls reflect it. If he takes a real hit on this, the message will gradually sink in. If he gets a short-term bump up, he’ll keep doing it.

  16. 16.

    Jeffro

    It is kinda smart…I’m sure the mouth-breathers don’t know what to do…quick, Fox News, tell them whether or not this is PURE UNBRIDLED AMERICAN PATRIOTISM or TREASON OF THE HIGHEST ORDER!!!

    Never mind, Jones was there, they’re all doing it at the direction of an old white guy. I’m pretty sure I know what the dolt-right’s take on this will be…

  20. 20.

    beth

    Read the comments on the video – it’s all good, protesting BEFORE the anthem – MAGA! Donald will declare victory via 2am tweet. Honestly this changes nothing.

  22. 22.

    Gelfling 545

    Well, today was my nephew’s funeral. Everybody is just pretty much exhausted from the emotions, lack of sleep, eating crap food & rushed meals – or no food, etc., etc., etc. Even though he had not much use for religion his mom is very Catholic and so there was a Mass. I figured she should have whatever made her feel better. If she had wanted maypole dancing I’d have gone along with it so I did a reading..Actually, the priest was kind of brilliant. He talked about the last scene of LOTR when Frodo departs for the Havens and takes the ship and some hurts being too deep to stay. I have to say that it was somewhat comforting.

  23. 23.

    BruceFromOhio

    As a statement of unity and equality, the entire Dallas Cowboys team took a knee before the national anthem.

    And that concludes this episode of Whose Dick Is Bigger! Tune in next week when the president is burned in effigy just before kickoff at Gillette Stadium!

  24. 24.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @lamh36: including Jerry Jones…ole Mass Jerry looks as uncomfortable as hell, which I LOVE!!!

    I hope there was a pebble under his knee

  31. 31.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Gelfling 545: I figured she should have whatever made her feel better. If she had wanted maypole dancing I’d have gone along with it so I did a reading..

    I’m sorry for you loss, and I think you are right to let his mother have the funeral she needed.

  46. 46.

    TenguPhule

    @Baud:

    Stalin killed a lot of people so let’s reject socialism.

    I have never understood how the Right gaslighted Stalin into being a socialist.

    Communism, what’s that?

  51. 51.

    Gravenstone

    @lamh36: I’ll take second place to no one in my disdain and outright hatred of Jerry Jones. But he’s no spring chicken so I gotta think getting down there then back up isn’t exactly physically pleasant for him.

  58. 58.

    billcoop4

    @Gelfling 545:

    Well, today was my nephew’s funeral. Everybody is just pretty much exhausted from the emotions, lack of sleep, eating crap food & rushed meals – or no food, etc., etc., etc. Even though he had not much use for religion his mom is very Catholic and so there was a Mass. I figured she should have whatever made her feel better. If she had wanted maypole dancing I’d have gone along with it so I did a reading..Actually, the priest was kind of brilliant. He talked about the last scene of LOTR when Frodo departs for the Havens and takes the ship and some hurts being too deep to stay. I have to say that it was somewhat comforting.

    Much of JRRT is comforting. I will not say, do not weep. For not all tears are evil.

    And memory endures.

    BC

  59. 59.

    ThresherK

    @Wapiti: Yeah, but what kind of left-winger is tone-deaf enough to whinge about collective action by a bunch of guys subjecting themselves to injury and CTE and being unwilling props for RealMerca’s Patrioticisms (in the face of the rise of neo Nazi white supremacist)?

    And this guy used to be a football fan, he says.

  61. 61.

    Immanentize

    @Gelfling 545: my wife’s memorial was last Saturday. It was sweet, I had assembled what I called “Artifacts” which include photos, two pairs of her amazing shoes, a vintage hat, her mouse pad, a bottle of comparison, etc. My friends sang “Days” by the Kinks. A few friends and her brother spoke. My contribution (I was unable to talk without heaving) was this by C.S. Lewis.

  70. 70.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Baud: Not seeing a lot on the twitter. Maloy is pretty pro-Bernie, and Yglesias seems to be a bit curious about him

    Matthew Yglesias‏Verified account @ mattyglesias 6m6 minutes ago
    The problem with Lindsey Graham debating health policy on national television is he doesn’t know anything about it.

    Simon Maloy‏Verified account @ SimonMaloy 6m6 minutes ago
    split-screening a CNN healthcare debate and Twitter simultaneously on my mobile telephone

    folks, the future is here and it’s fucking awful

  74. 74.

    Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho

    @Immanentize #61:

    That sounds beautiful. I’m so very sorry for your loss, and you are in my thoughts.

  77. 77.

    Another Scott

    Haven’t had time to keep up with all the threads today…

    ObOpenThread – Northern Command update on hurricane response:

    17-021 | September 25, 2017

    PETERSON AFB, Colo. —

    U.S. Northern Command continues to provide 24-hour operations to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the governments of Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands and remains fully engaged in disaster relief and medical assistance to the areas affected by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

    Puerto Rico:
    • The USS Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group has conducted a combined eight medical evacuations, 148 airlifts and delivered 44,177 lbs of relief supplies and cargo to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands since Hurricane Maria struck.

    • The U.S. Air Forces’ strategic airlift missions more than doubled between Saturday and Sunday and will remain high over the coming days delivering critical supplies and capabilities to Puerto Rico. Eight C-17 Globemaster aircraft are delivering relief supplies and a Disaster Management Assessment Team to San Juan as they continue to support the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Air Force is also further increasing airport throughput capacity in San Juan by assisting the Federal Aviation Administration with air traffic control repairs.

    • The DoD’s U.S. Transportation Command is moving additional personnel and equipment to include eight Army UH-60 helicopters from Ft. Campbell, K.Y. to the San Juan, Puerto Rico International Airport to increase distribution capacity.

    • DoD has delivered three FEMA Urban Search and Rescue teams to Puerto Rico.

    […]

    It’s a pitiful start, but it is a start. We need to keep up the pressure so that our government acts.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  78. 78.

    TenguPhule

    And its timeout time for CNN.

    Fucking Graham just claimed the biggest winner of ACA was the insurance companies.

  83. 83.

    Baud

    I was looking up the national anthem and came upon these cool facts:

    *North American bison is adopted as the national mammal of the United States.
    *The flower commonly known as the rose is the national floral emblem.
    *The composition by John Philip Sousa entitled “The Stars and Stripes Forever” is the national march.
    *The tree genus Quercus, commonly known as the oak tree, is the national tree.

  85. 85.

    Tilda Swintons Bald Cap

    These are actual tweets, hot of the tweeter…

    Texas & Florida are doing great but Puerto Rico, which was already suffering from broken infrastructure & massive debt, is in deep trouble..

    …owed to Wall Street and the banks which, sadly, must be dealt with. Food, water and medical are top priorities – and doing well.

  87. 87.

    NotMax

    OT:

    Wow, an ad for Doan’s Pills just now on MSNBC. Haven’t seen a mention of those in many, many, many a moon.

    Guess that Carter’s Little Liver Pills and Geritol aren’t far behind.

  92. 92.

    Ohio Mom

    @Immanentize: Oh, I know that “invisible blanket.” What a great description of that sensation, and what a moving excerpt. Grief really is a different place.

    I hope the memorial service was what you needed it to be, and that it provided you with small moments and conversations that will provide strength and comfort going forward.

  93. 93.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @TenguPhule: Fucking Graham just claimed the biggest winner of ACA was the insurance companies.

    A public option would be a great way to fuck with them

  100. 100.

    Frankensteinbeck

    @TenguPhule:
    I can’t imagine anything Graham says on CNN making the slightest difference to his getting votes for GC, so I don’t care. He’s a supreme, world-class asshole, and he’s never going to be honest about anything.

  104. 104.

    marv

    I’ll tell you what would change the world – and I don’t kid myself that it could happen – would be for the University of Alabama football team, in toto, arm in arm, take a knee this Saturday. Long ago in the ’70’s I played with strong, conscious black athletes and I have wondered over the last ten years or so how the parents and now grandparents of elite young black athletes could justify their sons going to a school where the fan base questioned Obama’s very citizenship. NOT making any value judgments – I’m just sayin’.

  106. 106.

    MomSense

    @Gelfling 545:

    I’m really glad your family had a thoughtful, comforting funeral. I know there are many hard days ahead for all of you. Keeping you in my thoughts.
    ((((((Gelfling 545)))))))

  108. 108.

    jl

    @Baud:

    Sounds like an incomplete list, but wiki says same thing/
    No national reptile, national amphibian, national fern? No national dish? (hot dog, hamburger, pizza, taco or egg roll?) Insect? Rock?
    And no national hobo party candidate for president?
    What are we, some rinky dink obscure little country, like Nambia?

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_symbols_of_the_United_States

    Edit: Trump should spend his time on finding suitable national symbols. We know already what the national vodka, steak, spring water, and hotel/resort chain will be. After he dashes that off, he can get to work on the national dairy cow breed.

    And national fish. I nominate Lake Whitefish (or guppies, whaterver, maybe Trump as a line of goldfish….)

  114. 114.

    Ohio Mom

    @Immanentize: Oh dear. I am sorry — especially because it is another big loss for little Imm, and that is a lot for a child.

    You two will get through this, as overwhelming as it seems now.

  115. 115.

    Feathers

    Can we switch to America the Beautiful for our anthem now?

    Grew up in NoVa. Not really a skins fan anymore, except happy on behalf of my sis, but the happiness when the Cowboys lose is still there.

    True story. The parish priest growing up was a huge Skins fan. Held viewing parties at the rectory, and accepted invitations from parishioners with large TVs. One Sunday that they were playing the Cowboys a wiseass in the folk group called out “For the Cowboys” during the intersessions. Good old Father Casey went red in the face and bellowed “And the Redskins!” There was much laughter to go along with the “Amen”. (Hope I can be forgiven the one use of the horrible full name.)

  126. 126.

    satby

    @Gelfling 545: After a friend killed himself a few years after high school, the priest at his mass said in the eulogy that mental illness is a hell on earth for the sufferers, and that a loving God would never hold their despair and pain against them. It gave great comfort to his family, and I hope the service today gave you and your family the same comfort. May he rest in peace now his suffering is over.

  127. 127.

    BruceFromOhio

    @Feathers:

    Can we switch to America the Beautiful for our anthem now?

    This x 16 jillion. Or This Land Is Your Land.

    Sousa sounds just too … militant, or something. Not that its bad, just misplaced as an anthem.

  128. 128.

    TenguPhule

    @Baud: That “Obamacare benefited insurance companies the most”

    That’s it, I’m stepping out before I break something.

  129. 129.

    Feathers

    @Gelfling 545: So sorry for you. Glad there was a good Mass. Hope it helped his mother. Just learned that my uncle has gone to comfort measures only. He is in his 80’s with 16 grandchildren and a long battle with Parkinson’s so the funeral will be a very different affair.

  134. 134.

    Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho

    @Immanentize: Damn. I hope you and little Imma can get through this season of grief. If I can help with any research/syllabus/planning tasks (or anything else that could be useful & done remotely), Adam can get my email to you.

  140. 140.

    CaseyL

    @Gelfling 545: That’s an important point, that funerals are for the mourners more than for the deceased. I hope you and your family find some comfort to keep with you.

    @Immanentize: Holy hell, that’s awful. I’m so sorry.

  141. 141.

    Davebo

    I hate the Cowgirls with a white hot fire but have to admit this was a good way of handling the shitpile Trump laid on Sunday afternoons. As for the Steelers, sorry John, they totally blew it and have been coming up with fantasies since then to explain “what they really wanted to do”…

  154. 154.

    A Ghost to Most

    @trollhattan:
    As much as I love “Fat Man in the Bathtub”, and we go way back, I would propose something more timely: “Hope the High Road”, by Jason Isbell.

  156. 156.

    Immanentize

    @Major Major Major Major: @Baud:
    But wait!! As they say on TV — There is more!
    My best friend (from work) was helping me with everything. She was helping me sort and dispose of J’s clothing, arranging the caterer for the memorial, bringing me wine…. Her amazing, smart, renown, healthy, fit husband died a week before the memorial for J. at an NIH conference in DC — massive, unexpected heart attack. So, he died Friday, his funeral was Monday, I sat shiva with my friend and her kids on Wednesday, my wife’s memorial was Saturday and my wife’s mother died one week later of the same disease that took my wife. All true.

    This supports my personal denial theory that it is I who died on November 9th and you all are living in my own personal purgatory. You are avatars all. In the ‘real?’ world I am dead, my family is still grieving but have mostly moved on and Hillary is President being threatened with impeachment in the House. This would all be an acceptable escape delusion/reality if I didn’t have a sweet son who needs both his father and his cat. “So much depends on an orange tiger cat.” I am not kidding about the cat.

    I am very tired.

  161. 161.

    lamh36

    @BarackObama
    Following
    More
    Barack Obama Retweeted Joe Biden
    Prosecutor, soldier, family man, citizen. Beau made us want to be better. What a legacy to leave. What a testament to @JoeBiden.
    https://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/912460861758955523

    @JoeBiden
    Following
    More
    Beau fought to protect the most vulnerable among us. Thanks to my friend @barackobama for honoring his life’s work with the @BeauBidenFdn.

    https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/912459460316188673

  163. 163.

    Emma

    @Immanentize: @Gelfling 545: I have been distancing myself from the news lately, so I didn’t know about these terrible events in your lives, but I want you to know that whatever little peace and grace I have I am sending to you in my prayers.

  173. 173.

    Elizabelle

    @Immanentize: I’m dreadfully sorry for the enormous losses you and your close friend have suffered. But talk about having someone on the same wavelength.

    This has been an awful year for you. I am glad you are here with us. Best to you, Immson, and the comfort kitteh.

  174. 174.

    LosGatosCA

    @chopper:

    He’s not losing.

    His properties are raking it in. The base elected him to keep them amused. They are getting their money’s worth.

    The rest of us knew he was a monstrous racist, misogynist creep – but that’s a feature from people who live by cleek’s law.

  176. 176.

    Isobel

    @immanentize and @Gelfling 545:
    I am so sorry for your losses and will be keeping you both in my thoughts

  177. 177.

    efgoldman

    @BruceFromOhio:

    Sousa sounds just too … militant, or something. Not that its bad, just misplaced as an anthem.

    There are lyrics for Stars & Stripes. The later verses are violent, miitaristic, and racist.

  178. 178.

    efgoldman

    @CaseyL:

    funerals are for the mourners more than for the deceased.

    Which reminds me, I have to prepare the instructions for the inevitable, whenever it is, for my daughter. Not that I’ll know the difference.

  184. 184.

    different-church-lady

    I feel the need to write an essay entitled, “So Donald Trump Tricked You Into Hating Football”

  185. 185.

    joel hanes

    @Baud:

    Balloon Juice needs an anthem.

    A Single Desultory Phillipic, Or How I Was Robert MacNamara’ed Into Submission.

    The Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-To-Die Rag
    (and it’s one two three, what’re we fighting for?)

  186. 186.

    Elizabelle

    @efgoldman: Not for ages and ages, for the ceremony.

    Glad you are getting some granddaughter time. Hope you and Mrs. efg are good to visit DC again before too long. We will hang out.

  187. 187.

    joel hanes

    @trollhattan:

    first song on the blogfather’s favorite record.

    Willin’, the best (with stiff competition) song on the blogfather’s favorite record album.

  188. 188.

    Elizabelle

    @Facebones:

    You have to be a special kind of asshole to make Jerry Jones and Roger Goodell look good by comparison.

    Well said. Laughing, but it’s true.

  190. 190.

    Jeffro

    Whoa nellie, easy there Ms. Rampell, you’re sounding a little…shrill: ‘Reasonable’ Republicans Are Betraying Us Too

    Trump may be a toddler, we keep telling ourselves, but at least some (comparative) grown-ups on Capitol Hill are thinking things through. Maybe we don’t agree with them all the time; maybe they have a different vision for the role of government than many of us do. Still, at least a few thoughtful, moderate, principled, solutions-oriented people in the legislature are working to offset the White House’s abdication of policy leadership.

    The flaming turd that is Cassidy-Graham should disabuse us all of that notion.

    What’s been threatening the health-care coverage of tens of millions of Americans isn’t Trump. It’s the entire Republican Party.

    This garbage bill, currently looking dead but with a few days left to revive itself, should teach us two things: Republicans don’t care about process, and they don’t care about policy. You could be forgiven for also concluding, as they’ve increasingly suggested this week, that they don’t care about regular Americans, either

    YEOWCH!

  193. 193.

    Humdog

    @Immanentize: Oh my, Imm, I am so sorry for your double loss. I lost my mother and six months later my grandfather when I was seven. You somehow get through the first year, numb if you are lucky. Please be kind to yourself and child. Anger will burst out at the strangest times but getting through it together will be what you remember years later.

  198. 198.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    We’ll drink a drink a drink
    To Lily the Pink, the Pink, the Pink,
    The savior o-of the human ra-ha-hace!
    She invented Medicinal Compound,
    ‘Twas efficacious in every case!

    Final verse:

    Lily died and she went to heaven,
    All the church bells they did ri-hi-hing.
    She took with her Medicinal Compound –
    Hark! the herald angels sing…

  200. 200.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @Gelfling 545: @Immanentize: Words fail miserably as always. I feel so badly for you both. No one should have to endure such sorrows,

    (PS I’m sorry – I must have missed the background to both of your tribulations while struggling with PC & net issues over the last month. I won’t ask for a recap & risk reopening the wounds …but if anyone can provide one or more links to earlier threads/posts that I could look at I’d be most grateful.)

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