Cowboys owner Jerry Jones isn’t going to stand for just a 15-yard penalty. He wants the NFL to take Ezekiel Elliott’s punishment to the next level.
The rookie running back, in a moment of pure fun, hopped into a giant red Salvation Army kettle in the end zone during last night’s win, bringing plenty of attention to the charitable cause, which Jones hopes is recognized.
“I think the Salvation Army should give him the highest award,” Jones said, via Todd Archer of ESPN.com. “My dream would be for the NFL to really fine me a lot of money and I’ll take them to the Supreme Court and we’ll get the Salvation Army more attention than anybody can get them. So let’s go.”
That will probably go better than other times when owners sued the NFL, and with a little luck, the league will take the gesture for what it was — an organic celebration which just so happened to draw attention to the charitable partner.
But if they do fine him, Elliott said he was fine with that. “I’m going to match whatever they fine me and donate it to the Salvation Army,” he said.
Elliott did say he’d avoid future jumps into the vessel, after getting a gentle field-position scolding from coach Jason Garrett, but Garrett said he wasn’t just being Mean Old Mr. Potter.
“Well, he shouldn’t have done it. I thought it was creative, but he shouldn’t have done it,” Garrett said. “You know that’s how the league is going to rule on those things.
“You have to understand what’s legal and what’s not legal. You can jump into the stands in Green Bay, but you can’t jump into a Salvation Army bucket in Dallas. You’ve got to be careful about snow angels. All of these different things that we do. So we have to be more mindful of that. I’ve got to coach that better.”
Or he needs to get in the ear of the competition committee, and urge the league to lighten up so one of the authentic moments of the season can exist on its own without being penalized.
