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Todd Archer
FRISCO, Texas — Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said an “unfortunate” gesture made to fans in the MetLife Stadium stands on Sunday was “inadvertent.”
Videos on social media showed Jones quickly flashing his middle finger late in the Cowboys’ 37-22 victory over the New York Jets — after Dak Prescott’s fourth touchdown pass increased the lead to 37-14.
“That was unfortunate. That was kind of an exchange with our fans out in front of us,” Jones said Tuesday on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. “There was a swarm of Cowboys fans out in front — not Jets fans, Cowboys fans. The entire stadium was brimming with enthusiasm of Cowboys and certainly late in the game.
“[The gesture] was inadvertent on my part because that was right after we made our last touchdown and we were all excited about it. There wasn’t any antagonistic issue or anything like that. I just put up the wrong show on the hand. That was inadvertently done. I’m not kidding. If you want to call it accidental, you can call it accidental. But it got straightened around pretty quick. I had a chance to look at it. It got straightened out pretty quick, but the intention was ‘thumbs up,’ and basically pointing at our fans because everybody was jumping up and down excited.”
The NFL has not responded as to whether Jones could face punishment from the league.
Last year, Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper was fined $300,000 for “unacceptable behavior,” after he was caught on video throwing a drink in the direction of Jacksonville Jaguars fans.
In 2009, late Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams was fined $250,000 for conduct detrimental to the league after making an obscene gesture while celebrating a win against the Buffalo Bills.
