THE DALLAS COWBOYS have become the latest NFL team to take a knee in protest against US president Donald Trump.

The Texan football franchise is owned by Jerry Jones, a staunch supporter of Trump throughout his winning election campaign and beyond.

Nevertheless, prior to last night’s game in Glendale, Arizona, against the Arizona Cardinals, his team took a knee in advance of the anthem, with Jones in the centre.

Boos could be heard ringing out around the stadium when the players first dropped to one knee.

When the anthem itself took place, all players and Jones stood with arms interlocking.

The Cowboys won the match 28-17.

The Dallas Cowboys, led by owner Jerry Jones (centre) take a knee prior to the national anthem last night in Glendale, Arizona Matt York / AP Matt York / AP / AP

There had been much speculation prior to the game as to how the Cowboys would deal with the wave of protests which swept NFL stadiums across the US since the weekend, particularly given Jones’s close relationship with the president.

“I hope that I’m clear and I hope that our team is clear: We want to respect the flag. Make no mistake about that,” Jones said in the aftermath.

Nothing that we’ve done, nothing that we did tonight says anything other than that. We also want to as a complete team, as players and an organisation, be able to, whenever we can, demonstrate that unity is important and equality is important.

“That’s what I’m so proud of these guys for, they did both and did it in a way when people really stop and think about it, makes a lot of sense.”

Over 200 NFL players have now chosen to protest before games since Trump’s comments last Friday in which he claimed that any player who chooses to not stand for the American anthem is a ‘son of a bitch’ who should be ‘fired’.

Cowboys players standing during the national anthem last night Ross D. Franklin Ross D. Franklin

(l to r) Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson, president Michael Bidwill, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and head coach Bruce Arians stand during the national anthem last night Ross D. Franklin / AP Ross D. Franklin / AP / AP

Many chose to kneel, some sat, while three teams opted to remain in their dressing rooms while the anthem played.

The protest has its origin in the actions of players like Colin Kaepernick, former quarter back with the San Francisco 49ers (and currently without a team), who first refused to stand for the anthem 13 months ago in protest against perceived police brutality against, and the oppression of, black people in the US.

With AP

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