"I was shocked" - Shannon Sharpe weighs in on recent Dak Prescott controversy
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has been in the news for the wrong reasons. The superstar quarterback had a poor game in the wild-card round against the San Francisco 49ers. A performance that was summed up by the Cowboys offense being unable to get the football spotted by a game official before time expired.
After the game ended in a 17-23 defeat to the Cowboys, the fans at AT&T Stadium threw trash at the officials in disgust over their team losing. Prescott's post-game press conference was controversial as he condoned the fans' actions and criticized the officiating.
Prescott issued an apology Tuesday on Twitter. Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe discussed Prescott's apology on their 'Undisputed' show on Wednesday. Sharpe's take, in particular, caught the attention of Cowboys fans and media members alike. The former tight end was glad to see Prescott apologize and appreciated the latter's sentiments but thought the apology could have come a bit sooner.
“No, I like the apology. I just wish it had come Sunday night or Monday. Skip, remember when we addressed this on Monday? I'm like, I am very surprised he has not already issued an apology knowing that what he said on his way driving home."
Sharpe went on to speculate on what the fallout might have been like from those in and around Prescott's circle following the quarterback's comments.
"I'm sure his phone was ringing off the hook like that. Are you sure his agent probably reached out. Their representatives are probably like that, you probably need to issue the apology sooner rather than later. So I am glad he came through with this apology."
Sharpe went on to further explain his initial surprise at Prescott's comments, stating that it seemed "out of character."
"He doesn't strike me as a guy. He's very, very measured in his responses. There have been times he could have lashed out, but he seems very measured. He seems very thoughtful. And so this seems so far out of character from what I’ve known him to be since you've been in Dallas. I was shocked.” - Sharpe finished.
Shannon Sharpe reacts to Dak Prescott's apology for crediting Cowboys fans throwing trash at referees I UNDISPUTED dlvr.it/SHQbrF
Sharpe's shock at Dak Prescott's comments was shared by those who have covered Prescott's NFL career as well as those outside the league. Prescott is an intense competitor, but he's never blatantly had an issue with officials like he did Sunday.
The NBRA condemns the comments by Dak Prescott condoning violence against game officials. As an NFL leader, he should know better. We encourage the NFL to take action to discourage this deplorable behavior in the future.
Dak Prescott's emotions got the best of him Sunday after the Cowboys' loss to 49ers
Dak Prescott's emotions rarely get the best of him, but after the Cowboys' offense scored just 17 points Sunday, Prescott was visibly frustrated. The manner in which they lost to the San Fransisco 49ers is the likeliest reason Prescott didn't condemn Cowboys fans for their actions towards the officials.
"Credit to them then. Credit to them."
Dak Prescott voiced support for fans who threw trash at referees Sunday 🤦🏾♂️ #DallasCowboys
https://t.co/1jCAoZvQ3P
The Cowboys expected to make the Super Bowl this season, and their failure to even get to the divisional round will sting for the organization and their fan base. But the truth of the matter is that other factors leading to the loss need to be recognized. For example Prescott's accuracy was off all night, converting just 53.4% of his throws, while CeeDee Lamb was inexcusably targeted just once during the game.
Moving forward, Dak Prescott will still be Dallas' quarterback and their leader for many years to come. However, if the Cowboys are to going to put Prescott in the best position to win, the front office will have to make the right coaching and personnel changes around him during the offseason.