Cook says 'Hands Up' not meant to disrespect police
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_ea7afa10-2b89-5809-9c2d-d67f67bfe441.html
Tight end Jared Cook tried to make it as clear as possible Wednesday that the "Hands Up, Don't Shoot" gesture by he and four other Rams players was not meant as a slight or slam of police officers.
"Why would we come at the police in a disrespectful way when we work with the police in the community all the time?" Cook said following the team's afternoon practice at Rams Park. "The police are up here every day. There were four police cars here this morning when I pulled into work.
"The police have a picnic in the summer in our parking lot where they bring their kids and their children to meet-and-greet and have fun with us. So why would I disrespect a group of men that we have complete respect for in the community? That help us every day?"
Obviously many police officers in the St. Louis area and perhaps elsewhere did not take the gesture that way _ a gesture made when the five Rams players came out of the tunnel for pre-game introductions prior to Sunday's 52-0 victory over the Oakland Raiders.
It prompted an angry statement by the St. Louis Police Officers Association, which represents city police, and also drew criticism from the St. Louis County Police Association, and the Missouri Fraternal Order of Police.
Angry fans said they would no longer attend games, and a bar owner in south St. Louis said his establishment would now have its happy hours during Kansas City Chiefs games instead of Rams contests.
Cook himself said he has received numerous threats via social media, including his Facebook page.
"That's how people chose to operate their lives," Cook said. "I feel like as men, just like me and you are in communication right now . . . we should be able to sit down and talk about our problems.
"There's no reason to send threats to hype up the situation that's already intensified. We can sit down and talk about our problems. If we can't, then let's just agree to disagree. There's no wrong in that. People have different opinions. People have different views. We're grown."
Cook said he wasn't sure if the threats he received were serious, or sarcastic, or just people blowing off steam.
"It's all on the computer," he said. "How can you really tell if somebody's typing (threats on) keys?"
Cook was designated as kind of the unofficial spokesman for the five players, a group that also included wide receivers Tavon Austin, Stedman Bailey, Kenny Britt, and Chris Givens.
Cook said he was surprised by the negative reaction to the "Hands Up" gesture
"I was surprised because it was hard for me to understand how men of the community and men of such stature in your city (can) come together and try to make something harmful and negative for each others.
"The Rams, the NFL, the NFL players have never condoned violence. They've never condoned anything negative in the community. So why start now? Why do we want to bring that back into something that's so good and so beautiful, and that could have been used to help young men and help young women learn how to talk about their problems and become bigger than the problem?"
Fisher met with the five players as a group Wednesday morning and Cook said the meeting was "eye-opening" with respect to the insight Fisher provided on "people's reaction around the state. And Rams fans. And things like that."
Cook said the players have not been told or asked to refrain from using the "Hands Up" gesture again. So will they?
"Um, I think we kind of got our point across," Cook replied. "Especially now, I think the world kind of understands a little bit more why we did it."
The "Hands Up" gesture got national, and in some cases, international attention, including media outlets or programs that don't normally deal with the world of sports. For example, on the Daily Show television program host Jon Stewart did a segment on the "Hands Up" gesture, poking fun at some of the police reaction to the gesture in St. Louis as well as the "apology/non-apology" involving St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar and Rams executive vice president of football operations Kevin Demoff.
Stewart even made a joke at the expense of coach Jeff Fisher, saying, "I didn't know (actor) Nick Nolte was coaching the Rams," after showing a shot of Fisher from Monday's press conference.
(Fisher said he was unaware of the Nolte reference, but said he was a fan of some of Nolte's earlier work.)
Cook said his purpose Wednesday was to "clean up" misperceptions about the message the players were trying to get across with the "Hands Up" gesture. He said it was meant as a message of support for the people in Ferguson _ and around the country and the world _ that may be dealing with similar issues.
And it was also meant as a message of support for peaceful protesters and those trying to clean up and rebuild Ferguson. He said Rams players are already working on some projects, including a coat drive for youth and adults in the Ferguson area, and the Motion for Kids program Dec. 20 at the Edward Jones Dome. The Motion for Kids program, championed in the past by former Rams running back Steven Jackson, provides Christmas gifts for needy children.
Despite the flood of negative responses, Cook said he was aware of positive reaction from many corners. He was unaware, however, of the statement of support for the five Rams players from the Ethical Society of Police, an association of African-American police officers in St. Louis.
The statement, put out by Gloria McCollum, general counsel for the Ethical Society, read in part:
"We think that their actions were commendable, and that they should not be ridiculed, disciplined, or punished for taking a stand on this very important issue which is of great concern around the world and especially in the community where these players work."
And in a jab at the statement put out earlier in the week by business manager Jeff Roorda of the St. Louis Police Officers Association, McCollum added:
"The statement of the St. Louis Police Officers Association does not reflect the opinions of the majority of African-American police officers in the department because there are no African-American officers on their governing board and they have a minimal amount of African-American members."
When told of the support from the Ethical Society police officers, Cook's eyes welled up and he fought back tears.
"That's pretty amazing," Cook said. "That shows a lot of character. That shows a lot of maturity. . . for guys like that to come out and issue a statement. Those are people that you can work with, and those are people that you can make your community better with. It's not about fighting each other. It's not about wrong and right. It's about treating people with respect. You can operate and respect without having to come at somebody in a negative way."
And for any Rams fans who say they no longer will support the team and come to games, Cook said:
"They have to understand that we're ambassadors for them as well as other parts of St. Louis. As Rams, and as the NFL, we represent everybody. We bring people together for a common goal and that's to represent their team. And maybe other people around the world that fly in from other places to represent their team. It's a common place for people to get together and have fun.
"It's the Edward Jones Dome baby! The Greatest Show on Turf baby! How would you not want to have fun and enjoy that?
And he indicated that it's still too early to give up on the 2014 season.
"So for the Rams fans out there that want to give up their PSLs," Cook said. "I wouldn't do that just yet," he said.
