Dak Prescott 'deeply regrets' support of Cowboys fans throwing trash at officials
Hours after being publicly condemned for "condoning violence against game officials," Dak Prescott has apologized.
The Dallas Cowboys quarterback who voiced support of angry fans who threw debris at game officials issued a statement Tuesday expressing deep "regret" for his postgame commentary following Sunday's wild-card loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
I deeply regret the comments I made regarding the officials after the game on Sunday.
I was caught up in the emotion of a disappointing loss and my words were uncalled for and unfair.— Dak Prescott (@dak) January 19, 2022
I hold the 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 behalf, and I am sorry.
— Dak Prescott (@dak) January 19, 2022
NBA officials condemned Prescott's 'deplorable behavior'
Hours earlier, NBA officials called for the NFL to take action in response to Prescott's comment. The National Basketball Referees Association released a statement condemning the Cowboys quarterback for "condoning violence against game officials."
"The NBRA condemns the comments by Dak Prescott condoning violence against game officials," the statement reads. "As an NFL leader, he should know better. We encourage the NFL to take action to discourage this deplorable behavior in the future."
The statement was the first of its kind from an officiating group following Prescott's commentary supporting the fans who pelted the AT&T Stadium field with trash Sunday as officials raced to the exit tunnel.
"Credit to them," Prescott told reporters when he learned that Cowboys fans were targeting officials.
Neither the NFL nor the league's officials have publicly addressed the situation.
Prescott was upset when he thought fans targeted players
Prescott had previously expressed disappointment in the fans when he believed they were throwing trash at players. He had a change of heart upon learning that officials were targeted.
The fan anger boiled over after the Cowboys failed to run one more play in Sunday's loss, signaling an abrupt end to a season with Super Bowl hopes. The Cowboys attempted to spike the ball after gambling on a quarterback draw that allowed the clock to continue to run while they were out of timeouts. But the game clock expired before they got off a snap. Fans appeared to place blame on the game official responsible for spotting the ball on the failed final play. Prescott appeared to agree with them.
