To the surprise of many, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott heaped on the praise for the teams’ fans after they threw bottles at the referees who worked the game. The Cowboys lost in heartbreaking fashion after Dak failed to legally spot the football following his scramble in the waning moments of the game.
Prescott errantly grabbed the football in an attempt to spot it prior to a spike that would kill the clock and give the Cowboys one final chance to score a touchdown. However, Prescott overlooked the fact that the referee had to touch the football in order for it to be “in play.” The comments that ensued after the play will go down as some of the weirdest in NFL history.
“Credit to Them”
The most shocking part of the series of events that unfolded Sunday evening is the fact that Prescott lauded Cowboys fans for tossing bottles at the referees after the final whistle blew. Prescott’s postgame comments are likely the first made by a pro athlete to commend fans for attacking umpires. When asked about the fans who threw bottles at the referees, Prescott responded with three words: “Credit to them.”
The reporters in the room laughed at Prescott’s response, prompting criticism from other members of the media. The league might take punitive action against both Prescott and Cowboys fans seen on video tossing the bottles in the week ahead. The stud quarterback is making it perfectly clear that he blames the refs for Sunday’s loss as opposed to himself and his Cowboys teammates.
Though the ref who awkwardly leaned over the Cowboys center to touch the football prior to Prescott’s attempt to spike it could have swooped in a second earlier to help the Cowboys kill the clock, responsibility for the loss ultimately falls on Dak, since he is the one who decided to scramble in the final seconds of the game with no timeouts remaining.
Fueled by beer, hard liquor, and rage, Cowboys fans threw beer bottles and other litter onto the field of AT&T Stadium after the debacle. Prescott was originally under the impression that fans tossed trash at the Cowboys players. When pressed about his teammates being hit with pieces of trash, Prescott said it was “sad.” However, once Prescott learned it was referees who were struck with bottles, his tune changed.
The star quarterback later qualified his comments on the matter, stating, “For people to react that way when you’re supposed to be a supporter and be with us through thick and thin, that’s tough.” Though Prescott’s tone softened just a bit, it is clear he is unwilling to condemn the team’s fans for tossing potentially deadly objects at league referees.
Sunday’s Postgame Press Conference Was the Weirdest in NFL History
Now that the drama is over and tempers have cooled, national media members are beginning to critique Prescott’s response to the inquiries about the bottle tossing. Both regional and national media will likely drop the hammer on the quarterback on Monday’s talk shows. After all, Prescott decided it was a good idea to run 17 yards in bounds with a mere 14 seconds remaining in the wild card playoff game. Though Prescott spiked the ball after it was set, the referees ruled the ball was not set in the proper manner, meaning the spike did not count and the game ended.
Fans who pay close attention to Monday’s sports shows will likely find in-depth discussions and analysis of Prescott’s comments at the press conference. Prescott elaborated on his initial three-word criticism of the referees stating, “The fans felt the same way as us. I guess that’s why the refs took off and got out of there so fast. I think everybody is upset with the way this thing played out.”
The response is shocking considering most NFL players are understandably hesitant to give the impression that they even slightly endorse a physical attack against a league employee. Making the matter even worse is the fact that Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy piled on the referees, stating, “I thought they would let these teams play today. That’s for them to answer.”
It must be noted one of the referees, Alex Kemp, spoke out about the controversial ending to the game, stating, “The umpire collided with the players as he was setting the ball because he was moving it to the proper spot.”
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The referee also slightly bumped into Prescott prior to the attempt to snap the ball before the final second clicked off the clock. Perhaps it is this physical contact on the final play of the game that prompted Prescott to stand by his criticism of the ref crew. The quarterback was provided with a golden opportunity to backtrack from his comments during the postgame press conference yet stood firm, refusing to back down in the slightest.
