Denzel Washington loves the Dallas Cowboys football team, but it seems like he may have it out for the team’s owner, Jerry Jones.
Washington and filmmaker Spike Lee paid a visit to the “First Take” set earlier this week to promote their upcoming film “Highest 2 Lowest.”
But during their Aug. 12 conversation, of course, both gentlemen got into some sports talk with hosts Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim on the show, where Washington took time to take jabs at Jones for his mishandling of the franchise.
He began by giving Smith his props after the commentator criticized Jones earlier in the show. One of Smith’s issues with Jones was the way the team owner has shown a lack of respect toward Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons.
On Aug. 1, Parsons publicly asked to be traded from the team as his contract negotiations continued to stall. He’s currently playing in the final year of his rookie contract for $24 million, which has been acknowledged as a low rate for the two-time All-Pro former defensive rookie of the year.
The other issue raised about Jones was Smith’s claim that the owner’s actions bring negative attention to the team. He believes Jones’ controversial image is tainting the Cowboys’ brand.
Washington warmed up to the topic by telling Smith that he’s “with him” on his previous statements about Jones.
He later added, “I don’t like what Dallas is doing. I know they’re making a lot of money, and I’m happy for the owner. But the fans ain’t happy.” The 70-year-old says he became a fan after growing up in Mount Vernon and playing for a boys football team called The Red Raiders. He explained his team used a play on the field called “shift,” which started being used by the Cowboys in the ’60s thanks to their then-coach Tom Landry.
“I’ve been a Cowboy fan since the ’60s. He’s making it hard for me,” he said, referring to Jones.
Washington asked Smith to explain what Jones says about his own team. Smith commented, “He says, don’t talk about my Cowboys. We’re the most successful brand in sports.” When asked to elaborate, Smith said, “he’s talking about recognition, notoriety, dollars, cents.”
Looking into the camera, Washington addressed Jones head on.
“There’s box office and there’s Oscars, Jerry. Been a while, huh? You ain’t been to the show, you wouldn’t know. Haven’t been to the show, so you wouldn’t know what it is to win,” he said, making a reference to the fact that the Cowboys have not been to the NFC Championship or Super Bowl in 30 years.
He further poked at Jones with a final message saying, “All money ain’t good money, Jerry.”
But despite Washington not being pleased with Jones, it doesn’t erase his love for the team.
“I’m still a Cowboy fan. I’m still going to have the star on the side of the hat. But he ain’t thinking about us. He’s thinking about his pocket.”
Fans responded under the “First Take” Instagram post of the clip, including some who wondered, “Damn what did Jerry do? D really pissed yo!”
One person said, “Denzel been foot-on-neck every since he hit 70.” The star recently made headlines for showing little patience with journalists in interviews and paparazzi who get too handsy.
Another said, “Denzel comes with no filter so if you can’t take the heat stay out the Kitchen.”
A third wrote, “That’s how serious it’s gotten that Denzel speaking on it. Cowboys fans boycott the team, Jerry has been biting the hand that feeds him.”
A fourth commented, “And Jerry better not fix his mouth to say anything negative about brother Washington!”
Jones’ brash style and controversial moves have kept him in the media spotlight for decades.
In 2022, a photo resurfaced of Jones in 1957 standing with a crowd of white boys at North Little Rock High School, attempting to block Black students from integrating the school. Jones brushed it off as him being a “curious kid” and said he wasn’t even sure what the event was initially.
After then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began in 2016 to protest during about police brutality toward African-Americans by kneeling in during pregame performances of the national anthem, many other NFL players did the same. But Jones revealed that he would bench any player that participates in that type of protest because he claimed it was disrespectful to the American flag.
In 2017, he made threats to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, saying he was going to “come after” him for suspending then-Dallas Cowboys player Ezekiel Elliot for six games. Elliot was accused of abusing his girlfriend at the time. While prosecutors did not charge him, the league’s inquiry claimed to have found substantial evidence of physical confrontations.
In 2014, racy photos surfaced of Jones posing with five women some outlets identified as strippers. He was seen holding one woman’s breasts in one. In another, a woman was on her knees with her head next to his groin area. At the time, Jones had been married to his wife Eugenia Jones for more than 50 years.
The list goes on for Jones and his problematic actions.
As for the recent call-out he got from Washington, he has yet to respond to the Oscar-winning star, and Parsons remains a Cowboys player.
