Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has been fined, external $250,000 (£186,000) by the National Football League for making an obscene gesture towards fans on Sunday.
The 82-year-old was caught on camera raising his middle figure at the crowd during the Cowboys’ 37-22 win over the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium.
But Jones says he intended to put his thumb up instead, and was signalling to his own supporters – not those of the Jets.
“That was unfortunate. That was kind of an exchange with our fans out in front of us,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan.
“There was a swarm of Cowboys fans out in front – not Jets fans, Cowboys fans.
“There wasn’t any antagonistic issue or anything like that. I just put up the wrong show on the hand. That was inadvertently done.
“I’m not kidding. If you want to call it accidental, you can call it accidental. But it got straightened around pretty quick.
“The intention was ‘thumbs up’, and basically pointing at our fans because everybody was jumping up and down.”
Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper was fined $300,000 (£223,000) for throwing a drink on fans during the 2023 season, while then Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams was fined $250,000 (£186,000) in 2009 for gesturing at Buffalo Bills fans.
