Stephen A. Smith Invoked NFL Receiving Money from Military to Refute Jerry Jones

We’re in the response to the response to the response to the response etc. phase of the Colin Kaepernick National Anthem protest story. As you’ve surely observed, there’s been a lot of productive dialogue and also a lot of screamy nonsense. No need to rehash it all with each new development.

In any event, Jerry Jones went on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas and said, “The forum of the NFL and the forum on television is a very significant thing” said Jones. “I’m for it being used, in every way we can, to support the great contributors in our society – that is people that have supported America, and the flag … For anybody to use parts of that visibility to do otherwise is really disappointing.” He gave a “big pat on the back” to his team, which all stood on Sunday.

Stephen A. Smith responded to Jones’s comments today on First Take:

" Stephen A. Smith about to get murked by the government for this one. pic.twitter.com/POF4rMPrvQ — . (@TerryLee__) September 14, 2016 "

“Until 2009, no NFL player stood for the National Anthem because players actually stayed in the locker room as the Anthem played,” Smith said, relaying what he’d heard from a friend. “The players were moved to the field during the National Anthem because it was seen as a marketing strategy to make the players look more patriotic. The United States Department of Defense paid the NFL $5.4 million between 2011 and and 2014, and the National Guard $6.7 million between 2013 and 2015 to stage on-field patriotic ceremonies as part of military recruitment budget-line items.”

The first part of what Stephen A. was talking about has been written about recently by Tom E. Curran of CSN New England, and Josh Levin at Slate. The NFL, after much negative press, announced this past May it would refund a portion — less than 1/6th the reported revenue — for acts of “sponsored patriotism.”

[Video via @TerryLee__]