Published 16:00 IST, September 14th 2020
Dak Prescott's brother highlights public dislike for Bayless after comments on Cowboys QB
Dak Prescott's brother, Tad, did not have any kinds words for Skip Bayless after he criticised Dak for opening up on his struggles with depression.
FOX Sports host Skip Bayless instantly become the sporting world villain for his unsympathetic assessment of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott opening up on his struggles with depression. Bayless' comments on Prescott was heavily criticised on social media with athletes and fellow media professionals slamming the 68-year-old for his insensitive comments. While Dak Prescott himself refrained from firing back at the sports columnist, his brother Tad Prescott made sure he called out Bayless on behalf of both brothers.
Dak Prescott mental health problems, Skip Bayless comments
The quarterback revealed during an interview last week that the quarantine period was very difficult for him where he started experiencing emotions he never felt before. He further elaborated on his struggles with depression which only intensified after the death of his brother, Jace, who committed suicide in April 2020.
Prescott's decision to open up on his struggles with depression did not impress Skip Bayless, who openly ripped the quarterback on Thursday's episode of Undisputed. Bayless said Prescott is broadcasting his weaknesses to his rivals by going public with his mental health struggles, which can only be detrimental to the 26-year-old career. "If you reveal publicly any little weakness, it can affect your team’s ability to believe in you in the toughest spots, and it definitely can encourage others on the other side to come after you."
Bayless further questioned Prescott's ability to be the leader of one of the most popular NFL franchises in the United States - the Dallas Cowboys. "I have deep compassion for clinical depression, but when it comes to the quarterback of an NFL team, you know this better than I do, it’s the ultimate leadership position in sports, am I right about that?”
Dak Prescott's brother responds to Skip Bayless
Tad Prescott did not shy away from expressing his emotions towards Skip Bayless after his brutal assessment of his brother's leadership abilities. Tad thanked social media users for speaking up for the Prescott brothers and for their "continued support." While he did not particularly slam the sports columnist, Tad did point out the fact that Bayless was publicly disliked for his comments, which, according to him, "says it all."
Dak Prescott told reporters during last week's press conference that Bayless' advice defines a "fake leader." He explained how being a leader is much important about being genuine and real. "If I wouldn't have talked about those things to the people I did I wouldn't realize that I, my friends and a lot more people go through them, and they are as common as they are. I don't think for one-second leaders are not, and no matter how big of a person you are, if you're not mentally healthy... If you're not thinking the right way then you're not going to be able to lead people the right way," he added.
Skip Bayless apology?
The sports columnist addressed the public backlash on Friday, defending his previous statements, saying his words on Thursday were 'misconstrued'. While Bayless did not officially apologise for his words, he tried to clarify his statements, as much as possible, in order to rectify the damage.
(Image Credits: Dak Prescott, Skip Bayless Instagram & Tad Prescott Twitter Handle)
Updated 16:00 IST, September 14th 2020