Sunday was a weird day across the NFL, and it was an especially bittersweet afternoon for the Carolina Panthers.
Carolina held on to beat the Green Bay Packers, solidifying its playoff chances in the process. However, a bombshell report from Sports Illustrated alleging sexual misconduct by owner Jerry Richardson was followed by a shocking announcement that the longtime boss was selling the team.
The whole ordeal moved at rapid speed, with the announcement coming roughly eight hours or so after the report dropped. It’s all allegations at this point, although they are potentially damning and downright disturbing. Richardson is innocent until proven guilty, but boy, it’s not a good look — at all.
However, that didn’t stop Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones from coming to Richardson’s defense. When asked about the allegations and Richardson’s decision to sell Sunday, Jones responded with a troubling answer.
“I’m sad,” Jones told reporters Sunday, per SI.com. “I’m very sad. Jerry was one of the most really, really, really outstanding men of football that I’ve ever met. And I really admire him. I know he made it the old fashion way; he worked for it. And he took what he made in a short time in pro football, and turned it into a great business. And then used that to get the Carolina franchise.
“So it’s a great story. I’m saddened by any of the stories or the things that might have instigated this at this time. He’s a battler. He’s a big man with a big heart. By the way, that’s somebody else’s heart. He’s had a heart transplant. He’d be the first to tell you he’s had a blessed life. But I’m really sad. I want all of those kind of men we could have in the National Football League.”
It takes a certain kind of bravado, recklessness or ignorance to react to these allegations with sadness. Even if Jones and Richardson have had the best of times together as NFL owners — and their bank accounts would indicate they have — it’s still a bad look to essentially paint Richardson as the victim. And if the allegations against Richardson are true, it’s insane to openly wish for more of “those kind of men” in the NFL.
Speaking of victims: Jones’ response also offers no remorse or even mention of the alleged victims in the Sports Illustrated story. At best, it’s just a complete lack of tact from the Cowboys owner. At worst, it’s a callous defense of a man who’s been accused of awful behavior.
