Dak Prescott.Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty
On Tuesday, the 28-year-oldNFLstar released a statement on the “mistake,” saying it was an emotional, immediate reaction to losing the game.
“I hold the NFL Officials in the highest regard and have always respected their professionalism and the difficulty of their jobs,” hecontinued. “The safety of everyone who attends a game or participates on the field of a sporting event is a very serious matter.”
“That was a mistake on my behalf, and I am sorry,” the postclosed.
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Dak Prescott.Kevork Djansezian/Getty
At the end of Sunday’s wildcard game, when the Cowboys fell 23-17 to the San Francisco 49ers, fans were seenthrowing bottlesand other items onto the field, some of which hit Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence.
In apost-game interview, Prescott initially said the fan reaction was “sad” and criticized how his fellow teammates were treated. However, when a reporter pointed out that the referees — who were exiting the field at the time — were the intended targets, the quarterback said, “Credit to them then. Credit to them.”
The athlete was soon admonished for his words on social media, as many accused Prescott of encouraging fans to throw trash at referees.
“I have huge problem with this, that’s bush league, Dak Prescott,“saidUNDISPUTEDsports analystShannon Sharpe. “Officials always run off the field… Why are you encouraging your fanbase to throw trash?
“Yesterday Dak went completely over the edge. That was just so wrong. You’re the face of the franchise, you make $75M and you’re condoning fan violence? It was stunning to me,“echoedsports analyst Skip Bayless.
Stephen Jones, executive vice president for the Cowboys, also denounced the actions of the fans in the stands, according toESPN.
“That is just unfortunate,” Jones said Monday on 105.3 The Fan. “That is not the way I see our fans. I think we’re a class act. I think there is no place for things like that.
“Understand people being frustrated, but I don’t understand throwing things onto the field where people could get injured. There’s just no place for that,” he stressed.
source: people.com
