A North Texas couple said they were deeply offended after a banner they created to show support for military at Cowboys games was banned from the new stadium.

Plano residents Karen Williams and her husband said it felt an insult to the men and women who serve the United States when employees at the stadium asked the couple to take the banner down during a recent game.

The Williams are both veterans, and their son currently serves in the Army. When they attended games, they proudly displayed a banner supporting the military.

The banner had illustratrations of the Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, Navy and Marine Corps symbols. In the center were the words "We Support Our Troops."

"It supports not only our son in the Army, but all the other military services as well," Williams said. 

Williams hung the banner on the end zone railing at the new stadium during Cowboys pre-season and regular season games. But, stadium employees asked her to take it down during halftime at Sunday's game. 

"That hurt so bad because all we're trying to do is show these young gentlemen and women that we support them," Williams said.

Cowboys officials said the employees were following stadium policy, which allows handheld signs but bans any signs that hang on stadium structures. Management can confiscate any sign in violation. 

"I told my husband to sell our tickets," Williams said. "I can't respect someone who can't respect our military and what they're doing for us."

But, Cowboys spokesman Brett Daniels said the reason the sign was taken down had nothing to do with its message. While Daniels said the Cowboys support the military, Williams said she questions why another sign that supported Cowboys player Marion Barber was not removed. 

"That other banner was blatantly hung from the structure and no one made them take theirs down," Williams said. 

The Cowboys said allowing the sign that read "The 'Barber' Shop" to remain up was an oversight. They said if the same sign is up during the next home game it too will be removed.

E-mail sstoler@wfaa.com