Source -- Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones will appeal the NFL's decision to seek reimbursement of legal fees stemming from his actions related to Ezekiel Elliott's suspension and commissioner Roger Goodell's contract extension, a source confirmed to ESPN.
The Washington Post first reported Tuesday that Jones had requested the hearing, and that it would be before Goodell.
According to multiple sources, the NFL is seeking in excess of $2 million from Jones, citing a resolution that was added to the NFL constitution in 1997 that says if an owner participates in bringing litigation against other owners, he must reimburse them for the legal fees.
Jones threatened to sue the NFL and retained lawyer David Boies over Goodell's contract, but he never made a filing. The Cowboys offered a letter of support in the Elliott case as the running back fought the NFL's six-game suspension.
"Really don't have any comment," Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said Tuesday. "I'll let Jerry address that at the appropriate time, but don't really have anything to say about that right now."
Stephen Jones said he was not aware of any other time the rule has been enforced, "but that doesn't mean it hasn't happened," he said.
The reimbursement action was generated by fellow owners, not Goodell, and has been approved by the league's finance committee, sources told ESPN's Dan Graziano.
First off I would like to start by saying I don't even understand why this is happening. It sounds like the NFL is entitled to reimbursement if, and only if, litigation is brought against them. And even though Jerry Jones 100% threatened to do so, he never actually did. So I don't really get why the NFL (the owners) is asking for $2 million in the form of "reimbursement." Wouldn't it be way easier to just fine Jones and the Cowboys a bunch of money for being annoying as fuck? The league basically did that with the Patriots. Granted $2 million as a straight up fine is a massive number and pretty unprecedented given the circumstances, but I still feel like it makes more sense than this.
Either way, that is neither here nor there. What really matters is the fact that Jerry Jones is already appealing it and clearly has no intention of paying it. Not only that, but if I know Jerry like I think I know Jerry, he is going to fight this with every fiber of his being - in the courtroom, and in the media. Press conference temper tantrums, weird leaked information, lots of gossipy teenage girl type stuff, a couple bumbling idiot old guy meltdowns, just an overall pettiness the likes of which we have never seen.
This may very well be his swan song. The other owners have clearly had enough of Jones' shit. This is their way of basically saying get in line or get the hell out. I can't imagine there is a single owner in the league or a single employee in the NFL offices that would have a problem with pushing Jones out of the way and handing the reigns of the Cowboys over to his son, Stephen. The younger Jones has always operated in a much more traditional manner much more in line with the rest of the league. Jerry is loud, boisterous, self-promoting, and has been somewhat of a massive headache to everyone in the NFL on about a hundred different occasions. And now it finally came back to bite him in the ass...Only this is Jerry fucking Jones we're talking about here. Nobody bites Jerry Jones in the ass and just gets away with it! I mean he specifically requested Goodell, this is already getting personal. The man called his shot, now we just wait and see if he can execute.
I mean that, I really do hope he takes every single action he can take. And here is why: football is just more interesting than other sports.
Absolutely, baseball and basketball and golf should dominate headlines when football is done, but I still want it peppered in pretty frequently and so does the rest of America. There is a reason the NFL dominates ratings and news - it's ridiculously entertaining, so shove it down my gullet like the fat little glutton I am. I want this shit dragged out all offseason like Deflategate, and I want Jerry Jones rambling like a goddamn idiot on my TV screen at least once a week. I hope they televise the appeal, and then the re-appeal and I want 50+ reporters right in Jerr bear's grill immediately after with closeups of his old, leathery face. So close you can catch glimpses of his jaw clenching as he listens to questions...
God damn...I really miss football a lot already.
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