Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has long had a friendly relationship with the president of the United States, but Jerry is typically reluctant to even say his name publicly out of fear of showing any political favoritism.
With the news that Donald Trump has contracted the coronavirus, Jerry bucked his previous rhetorical practices and actually threw his support behind the current president of the United States.
On his regularly scheduled Friday morning radio appearance on 105.3 The Fan, Jerry made the rare public comment about President Trump.
"By the way, while we're talking about that, I want to express my sensitivity and concern for the President," Jerry said on the show. "But, again, no one in the world has the ability to handle this COVID any better than the office of the President of the United States.
"I'm very confident that he'll be able to continue governing and really, really, I'm sure that he has anticipated this knowing him. He's the hardest worker you've ever seen. Knowing him, he'll be able to go right on through and hopefully not miss a beat."
(However, by Friday afternoon, CNN reported that the President Trump had a fever and received drugs for treatment. And, by nightfall, Trump was flown by helicopter to a Maryland hospital out of what was said to be an abundance of caution.)
For Jerry to even say this, which is a relatively benign, easy sentiment on the well being of America's President, is a bit of a surprise.
Even though it was no secret Trump has called Jerry from The White House, the Cowboys owner has gone out of his way to avoid this divisive subject. He wants no part of talking anything remotely political, for fear of potentially alienating one half of the fan base.
When Trump was critical of NFL players who knelt during the national anthem a few years ago, Jerry was an NFL owner who did not want his players to partake in the peaceful protest.
He also never sided with Trump, publicly.
Jerry has since changed his stance on that issue, as has the rest of the league. Trump has not.
Regarding COVID, at 77, Jerry has taken all precautions seriously.
When he attends Cowboys practices, he wears a mask. A people person who loves a crowd, Jerry has avoided both since mid-March when everything across the globe was shut down.
The subject of COVID in the NFL remains at the top of the concerns, even before the president revealed he and the First Lady have contracted the virus. Earlier this week, the Tennessee Titans' game against the Pittsburgh Steelers was postponed due to an outbreak of cases with the Titans.
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said this week that he has to remind players and staff to take precautionary measures seriously. The NFL has had to remind everyone involved the precarious nature of the 2020 season.
