Another NFL season, another disappointing Dallas Cowboys playoff loss in the books. This time, the Cowboys fell to the San Francisco 49ers 19-12 in Sunday’s NFC Divisional Round matchup thanks to some very curious decisions and play calls by head coach Mike McCarthy. While the coach will have to answer for his decision-making after the game, he apparently took his frustrations out on a cameraman while he was leaving the field.
As The Comeback said on Twitter, “Mike McCarthy and the Cowboys chose to punt (and took a lot of time to do so) on 4th-and-10 with just over 2 minutes remaining, trailing by 7. We’ll see if they ever get the ball back!”
Mike McCarthy and the Cowboys chose to punt (and took a lot of time to do so) on 4th-and-10 with just over 2 minutes remaining, trailing by 7.
We'll see if they ever get the ball back! pic.twitter.com/3MHKsqQYcW
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) January 23, 2023
When they did get the ball back, it was too little, too late. And that left McCarthy and the Cowboys to call…whatever it was this was.
https://twitter.com/thecomeback/status/1617354210009579520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1617354210009579520%7Ctwgr%5E372a8030b14def272b92bc2f87cb40bd59d8b39f%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fthecomeback.com%2Fnfl%2Fcowboys-mike-mccarthy-coach-decisions.html
Understandably, McCarthy wasn’t in a good mood after all of that. But that doesn’t give him the right to put his hands on a camera operator while walking off the field. While there doesn’t seem to be a video of the incident available as of the time of this writing, an image from AP Photo’s Josie Lepe shows the Cowboys’ coach putting his hand on a camera and pushing the camera operator away as he walks past.
Camera: Sports media tomorrow.
Mike McCarthy: Me. pic.twitter.com/nVhEmSThQe
— Collin Brennan (@producerCollin) January 23, 2023
Now, you might look at that and say “big deal” or that the camera operator shouldn’t have been so close (though it doesn’t appear that he’s blocking McCarthy in any way). But it was just a few months ago with Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams shoved a media member to the ground following a loss, which led to the media person filing a police report shortly thereafter while police charged Adams with simple assault and it remains to be seen if the league will eventually take action against him. Adams offered an apology for the incident afterward.
We’ll see if anything comes of the incident, but regardless, McCarthy is going to have plenty to answer for from Sunday night.
Update: Noah Bullard, the camera operator in question, tweeted early Monday that he met with McCarthy after this and McCarthy apologized.
Thank you to everyone that has reached out regarding the Mike McCarthy incident. I can see how the photo appeared like he pushed me but it was more of a hand to the lens. I did meet with coach McCarthy privately in his office and he did apologize. @NBCDFW #DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/LuOfPVRqhq
— Noah Bullard (@noah_bullard) January 23, 2023
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.