Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was fined $250,000 by the NFL for an obscene gesture he made at MetLife Stadium, which he claims was an "inadvertent" thumbs-up meant for Cowboys fans.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has been fined $250,000 by the NFL for making an obscene gesture at MetLife Stadium after a game against the New York Jets. Jones, who stated the gesture was "inadvertent" and meant to be a thumbs-up, could be seen in a widely shared video raising his middle finger to the crowd. He explained on Dallas radio that the incident occurred in front of Cowboys fans, not Jets fans, amidst excitement following a late touchdown. The fine, first reported by NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero and confirmed by the NFL, can be appealed by Jones until Friday, which he is expected to do. This is not Jones's first league fine, having previously been penalized for criticizing a referee in 2008 and violating an order against discussing league labor issues in 2009.
