Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was quite vocal about his stance on the referees who officiated his team’s 23-17 loss to the 49ers on Sunday afternoon.
Now, after some thought and public reaction, he apologizes.
I deeply regret the comments I made about the referees after the game on Sunday.
I was caught up in the emotion of a disappointing loss and my words were unnecessary and unfair.
— Dak Prescott (@dak) January 19, 2022
I hold NFL Officials in the highest regard and have always respected their professionalism and the difficulty of their jobs.
The safety of everyone who attends a game or participates on the field of a sporting event is a very serious matter.
— Dak Prescott (@dak) January 19, 2022
That was a mistake on my part, and I’m sorry.
— Dak Prescott (@dak) January 19, 2022
Prescott gave Cowboys fans ‘credit’ for throwing objects at umpires after Dallas’ failed comeback attempt.
His comments were widely rebuked in the NFL community. It even spread to the NBA community, leading the NBA Referees Association to come to the defense of the NFL Referees Association.
“NBRA condemns Dak Prescott’s comments condoning violence against game officials,” the association said via Twitter on Tuesday.. “As the leader of the NFL, I should know better. We encourage the NFL to take steps to discourage this deplorable behavior in the future.”
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The NFL Referees Association has yet to comment on the matter, although this act by the NBRA appears to be one of solidarity with the NFLRA.
The Cowboys, advancing the ball to the San Francisco 24-yard line with eight seconds left, were unable to get the ball out after an official ran into the Cowboys’ offensive line, preventing them from calling another play.
After the game, when asked about his thoughts on fans throwing trash onto the field, thinking they were doing it against Cowboys players, he said, “Nobody wants to be more successful than us,” Prescott said initially. “I understand the words and the word ‘fan’ for fan. But to know everything we put into this, day in and day out, we did our best, no one comes into the game wanting to wait or lose. 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.”
When reporters told Prescott that fans were throwing trash at officials, he changed his stance. “Credit to them,” he said, which was met with laughter.
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Prescott has yet to be reprimanded by the NFL for his comments. The league has punished players and coaches in the past for criticizing referees in the past, with penalties typically ranging from $12,500 to $25,000. However, it is unclear what kind of fine can give fans credit for littering officials.
Prescott, who was quick to blame officials in the Cowboys’ playoff loss to the 49ers, drew heavy criticism for the way he handled the Cowboys’ final possession, including from former Cowboys wide receiver and member of Locked On Podcast Network, Isaiah Stanback.
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“Dak did a great job pushing him down as far as he could, I think he got to the 23-yard line,” Stanback said. “It slid, it went down. When it went up, normally you want to give the ball to the referee. The referee has to touch the ball before the snap. That was mistake number one.”
“If you go back and look at the set shot, the referee put his hand on the ball with four seconds left,” he said. to break it and puncture it, time is up.”
Time will tell if Prescott will be penalized for his comments.
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Eddie is an Australian news reporter with over 9 years in the industry and has published on Forbes and tech crunch.