Dallas Cowboys: Dez Bryant just fanned the flames of Dak Prescott hate

As with any storied sports franchise, there always seems to be drama, plot twists, and conspiracy theories galore from the fanbase when something goes wrong. It’s certainly no different for the Dallas Cowboys and their fanatically faithful this offseason as fans try to deal with the disappointment falling short.

Currently, Cowboys Nation is still feeling the sting of a disappointing first round loss to the San Francisco 49ers, the possibility of losing defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, and the hope/excitement of recently retired coach Sean Payton becoming the Cowboys next head coach.

But there is something else, too.

There are pockets of Dallas Cowboys fans that don’t appreciate Dak Prescott as their quarterback, and Dez Bryant added fuel to the fire.

Of course, I’m not breaking any news about some Cowboys’ fans dislike for ole Dakota. Nope, not at all. Their disdain for Dak has been on display since his rookie year when he replaced the much beloved Tony Romo and led an overachieving team to an impressive 13-3 record and first round bye.

Let’s cut to the chase, though.

Some Dallas fans will never like Dak because he replaced Romo. Others don’t like him because he cannot transform himself into Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, or Tom Brady. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Dak’s race playing a part in their dislike and overall judgement of Dallas’ franchise signal caller.

For Dez Bryant to say a Black quarterback struggles to read defenses without showing any evidence to support such claim is dangerous and ignorant considering the history of Black quarterbacks in the NFL.

The dislike/hate for Dak has gotten so bad in Cowboys Nation that there are seemingly two camps: the “Dak Haters” and the so called “Dak Lovers”. If you’re on social media, especially Twitter, you can witness the daily back and forth arguments between these two camps. The arguments are about Dak not being a franchise quarterback, how he needs everything to be perfect to succeed, how he holds onto the ball to long, and how Dak can’t read defenses (I’ll talk about this later).

The “Dak Lovers” definitely responded back with obvious evidence that supports Dak as a statistically top-10 quarterback. They pointed out the records he’s broken, how he flourished under mediocre coaching, and his overall leadership on the team.

The back and forth goes on nonstop as if it’s a political debate on CNN. The Dak Haters are loud and proud and dominate and derail just about every conversation. If they aren’t the majority they sure sound like it.

The vitriol spewed at Dak is reserved for people who commit crimes, not for a player that throws a pigskin every Sunday or ever been in trouble with the law. I understand Dallas’ fans are long-suffering from a 26-year Super Bowl drought and the lofty standards of Super Bowl legends Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman, but to attack Dak with the scrutiny of a foreign enemy is beyond cruel.

These fans judge every single, solitary thing Dak does on a field. Nothing Dak does is ever good enough. I mean nothing.

This fanbase better appreciate Dak because we saw the alternative last year without him. Lawd!

Here is a good example of the “Dak Haters or nonbelievers”. When Dallas went 6-0 in the division and beat the Philadelphia Eagles 51-26, the haters said “Dak beat second teamers!” Or “Dak didn’t beat any playoff teams!”

Forgetting Dak beat the New England Patriots and the Eagles. On the other hand, these are the same fans that would crucify Dak had he lost to a shorthanded Eagles team playing reserves. You see, it’s a no-win situation for Dak.

These particular fans are blaming Dak for the 49ers loss. To be fair, Dak didn’t play his best game, but Dak is not the lone reason Dallas lost the game. There’s enough blame to spread around like cream cheese on a bagel. And when Dez Bryant made this inflammatory statement…he made it worse

Dez Bryant added to an already toxic situation

With Dallas Cowboys fans still reeling from the loss to the 49ers, Dez made a statement on Twitter saying that Dak should reach out to Romo and learn how to read defenses.

Why did Dez say that? The haters took that statement as confirmation Dak can’t read defenses because Dez said it.

So, if Dez says what the haters are already thinking, then Dak must be the scrub the haters believe him to be. Naturally, those fans are going to believe Dez anyway because he caught passes from Romo and Dak and must know what he’s talking about. As a result, giving the haters more ammunition to shoot negativity at Dak.

"(2) Dez Bryant on Twitter: “Amari Cooper is far from the Problem in Dallas so let’s get that straight… If you really want to keep it a buck…Dak need to call up Romo and talk about how to read Defenses so he can understand the D weaknesses on how to utilize his weapons in certain situations..” / Twitter"

Dez comments literally set off a thunderstorm of arguments between the fanbase. It got so bad that Dak’s brother, Tad Prescott, had a heated exchange with Dez. Basically, Tad’s issue with Dez is why didn’t Dez call Dak himself instead of putting it out on social media? After all, Dez and Dak are supposedly good friends.

The primary reason why Dez’s tweet divided this fanbase even more is because Dez said Dak “can’t read defenses”. Dez is entitled to his own opinion, but for Dez to put on social media that a Black quarterback struggles to read defenses without any evidence to support such claim comes off as problematic to say the least. It also fails to consider the history of Black quarterbacks in the NFL and the unfair reputation they are still trying to overcome.

Dez set off a Molotov cocktail with those comments!

Sidenote: For several decades, Black quarterbacks did not get the opportunity to play quarterback because the belief was that Blacks were not smart enough to comprehend elaborate schemes, let alone read defenses. Black college quarterbacks were converted into receivers, running backs, and cornerbacks. 

Black, White, and all races took to twitter to share their displeasure with Dez comments about Dak not being able to read defenses. I know Dak struggled at times this season, but Dak can definitely read defenses. In order for Dak to be the best at scoring against the blitz, doesn’t that mean he knows how to decipher a defense?

Could Dak read defenses when he was an MVP candidate earlier in the season?  What about Dak passing for 4,449 yards, 37 TDss, and finishing with a 104.2 rating? In his career Dak has thrown for 143 TDs against 50 INTs. But he can’t read defenses?…interesting.

In conclusion,

For full disclosure, I want to say that I criticize Dak when it warrants it because he’s not beyond reproach, but I know Dak to be a top-10 franchise quarterback who needs a better protection and play design.

The main reason I wrote this article is because some Dallas fans are truly unappreciative of a really good quarterback that knows how to play, knows how to win, performs in the clutch, is a game-changer, and most of all a leader of men on his team.

They have over the top and unrealistic expectations for Dak-a quarterback that plays for an owner that meddles in the schemes of his head coach and offensive coordinator. Explain how Dak can be successful under those conditions?

These fans better appreciate Dak because the alternatives are Cooper Rush and Ben DiNucci.