FRISCO — The Dallas Cowboys are one of the easiest marks for criticism in professional sports, enhancing that part of their identity with their strange dealings with former head coach Mike McCarthy in recent weeks. That strategy along with many others make them an outlier in franchise management across the four major leagues in American sports.
Such mockery trickles from the top down, leaving players susceptible to similar ridicule and criticism. The last three years, the critics have had to wait until the Cowboys lost in the playoffs to get their best blows in.
This season, the floodgates unraveled. Despite suffering a season-ending injury, Dak Prescott remains the prime culprit to blame for the Cowboys' shortcomings.
That ridicule has engulfed the attitude around Dak Prescott, whether on a sports' hot-take desk on television or on social media. Somehow, it also bled into a conversation between NBA star Cade Cunningham and content creator FunnyMarco.
Cunningham revealed he would want to play for the Cowboys or Detroit Lions if he ever played professional football, going on to claim he could take Prescott's spot as Dallas' quarterback.
"Not right now but, two, three months' work," Cunningham said "I always hear them talking like they can come on the NBA court but I think I can get on that field," he added.
It's a strange jab made in jest on the part of the 6-6, 220-pound Cunningham, who is originally from the DFW area. ... and who did play QB as a little kid in youth league.
Of course, the viral clipped turned heads with the focus on the Cowboys' quarterback.
While his injury took this season out of his control, a 7-10 finish was nonetheless a stark contrast from the success he and the Cowboys have seen in previous seasons.
When healthy, Prescott has statistically proven himself among the best quarterbacks in the league; critics forget it was just 12 months ago when he finished second in MVP voting.
He has yet to take Dallas to the next step in the postseason though and that will undoubtedly continue to anchor down his resumé along with his perception until that changes. ... with even NBA players who are from this area feeling qualified to take cheap shots.
