Opinion: Was Dak Prescott's Comment About Cowboys Fans Throwing Trash at Officials Appropriate?
As most of America seems to have heard by now, quarterback Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the NFL Playoffs by a score of 23-17.
The final play of the game caused quite a stir. Prescott ran a quarterback draw to the 49ers' 24-yard line, despite only having 14 seconds left and no timeouts. With time ticking away, he handed the ball to his center and tried to get on with the play. Unfortunately, it seems like Prescott forgot one key part of professional football-- the official must touch and spot the ball before the next play can begin. As the referee ran up to the team, he bumped into Prescott and got in the way of the team, preventing them from running one last play.
After the game, the officials were pelted with trash from Cowboys fans as they exited the stadium. In his post-game press conference, Prescott criticized fans who he believed were throwing objects towards the team. Once he was told that fans had actually been aiming for the refs, Prescott changed his tone and said, "Credit to them, then."
This comment has seemed to divide Mississippi State fans across social media. While a large portion agrees that what Prescott said was inappropriate, others believe that he was holding the referees accountable for their actions.
Most Bulldogs fans view Prescott as one of the greatest things to come out of the university-- trust me, I do too. There's no denying that he's a talented quarterback and has an amazing heart for others... but that does not excuse his shade-throwing remark. Yes, officials do need to be held accountable for the mistakes they make during big games, but that needs to be done through meaningful conversations that will change things. Encouraging bad behavior from fans does not hold anyone accountable, it just creates more animosity and is an overall bad look for Prescott.
What's more, Prescott is the Cowboys' nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, which honors an NFL player that has exceptional volunteer work and on-field performance. Technically, his comments don't directly have to do with either... but it isn't a very good show of character.
Emotions were running high after the game, and what Prescott said was probably a slip-up that was said in the heat of the moment. However, that doesn't mean that it was the right thing to say. Bulldogs fans, no matter how much you love the former star quarterback, there's no denying that he said something that shouldn't have been said.
