Jerry Jones Is Upset At Ezekiel Elliott For Being Photographed At A Marijuana Dispensary

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For as unpredictable as rookie running backs tend to be, Ezekiel Elliott looks like he could very well be a stud for the Dallas Cowboys. Of course, if he wants to fulfill his potential, he needs to survive the intense media scrutiny that comes from being the center of attention for the most attention-hungry franchise in the NFL. That means, like his teammate Dez Bryant, he’s going to have to deal with it when a minor event becomes a flashpoint for controversy — like when he was photographed checking out a marijuana dispensary in Seattle the day of his preseason game against the Seahawks.

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The video was posted by TMZ, and it shows the briefest of flashes of a man who appears to be Elliott inside the store, not purchasing or even touching anything. This is as non-story as it gets, and yet Cowboys owner Jerry Jones still felt the need to comment.

“Well, I think that in and of itself the reason we are talking about is in a way part of the learning process,” Jones said after the Cowboys’ loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday. “But it’s not good. It’s just not good. It’s just not good.”

That’s a big ol’ SMH from Jerry, which, distressingly, is more judgmental than the lack of comment he gave when Elliott was accused of assaulting his girlfriend in July. That investigation is still ongoing, and ESPN reports that Zeke has yet to be interviewed. Of course, in light of the Cowboys’ baffling employment of Greg Hardy, it’s not terribly surprising that the Cowboys are standing behind Elliott, their future star, but it’s a missed opportunity to finally get some good PR.

Jerry Jones has demonstrated, time and time again, that he doesn’t care what his players do off the field, as long as they come to play on Sunday. This has been true since he bought the team decades ago, and it will remain true. Maybe Jones’ primary concern is Elliott getting suspended for weed, but there’s also a suspension policy for domestic violence if the investigation finds Zeke responsible. Any way you slice it, it’s the most infuriating double standard there is — more concern for proximity to weed than violence against women. Maybe Jerry just shouldn’t say anything publicly.

(Via TMZ and ESPN)

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