NFL officials were the target of ire — and projectile trash — in Dallas on Sunday.
On Tuesday, NBA officials came to their defense with a stern message for Dak Prescott and the NFL. The National Basketball Referees Association released a statement condemning the Dallas 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 incendiary commentary in the wake the Cowboys' playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers. He made his statement in response to angry fans at AT&T Stadium who threw debris at officials as they left the field.
"Credit to them," Prescott told reporters when he learned that Cowboys fans were targeting officials.
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. He hasn't publicly addressed his comments since he made them. Neither have the NFL or league officials. NBA officials would like that to change.
The fan anger boiled over after the Cowboys failed to run a final 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 were able to get 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.
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