Chris Christie's surprising Cowboys fandom resurfaced this week as he criticized Lions head coach Dan Campbell.
The Detroit Lions are entering a mammoth NFC North clash against undefeated Minnesota off a nearly flawless performance in Week 6, battering the Cowboys 47-9 before a stunned Jerry World crowd.
It's the latest high point in a remarkable rebuilding job by fourth-year Lions head coach Dan Campbell, who faced a surprising attack this week from former New Jersey governor and noted Cowboys fan Chris Christie, accusing the 48-year-old tactician of lacking class.
"That's Dan Campbell. He's got no class. Never has," Christie said during an appearance on Chris Russo's "Mad Dog Unleashed" podcast Thursday afternoon. "It's fine. It's fine. Look, Dan Campbell, that's the way he is, and what goes around comes around."
Detroit and Dallas played a much more competitive game last season, with the Lions attempting a go-ahead two-point conversion down 20-19 in the final 40 seconds. Left tackle Taylor Decker secured a pass from quarterback Jared Goff in the end zone, but the play was called back for an illegal touching penalty despite the lineman appearing to report as an eligible receiver.
The Lions made quick work of their opposition over the weekend, surging to a 27-3 lead seconds before the halftime whistle in Dallas, and used their insurmountable lead to help Decker make up for last season's officiating flub. The 315-pound lineman was the target for a play-action pass attempt on a 1st and goal try for the Lions, a move that Christie believes to be unjustly targeted at the Cowboys.
"I think that it's misdirected. Dan Campbell's angry because the referees got a call wrong in the game a year ago," Christie continued. "Then, you know, run that play on Roger Goodell. The Cowboys had nothing to do with that play being called incorrectly... But because of that, you want to take your peak out over that while you're beating the hell out of these guys and rub it in. I don't think that's what pros do."
Raised in Livingston, New Jersey, Christie has spent nearly his entire life in the Garden State with many rooting interests that reflect his tri-state upbringing, becoming a staple at Citi Field this fall for the Mets' improbable MLB postseason run. While Christie's father was a Giants fan and the politician grew up just 15 miles from Metlife Stadium, he opted not to root for the G-Men due to their consistent underachievement on the field — the Giants managed just two winning seasons and zero playoff victories when Christie was between the ages of 2-18.
"Because the Giants were awful," Christie said about why he cheers for the Cowboys. "I watched Super Bowl V, I fell in love with Roger Staubach even though they lost the game and I was a Cowboys fan ever since."
