FRISCO (105.3 The Fan) - The state of Texas is operating under a COVID-19-driven stay-at-home guideline, with Gov. Greg Abbott having issued an executive order that all people in the state "shall avoid gatherings of groups of more than 10 people." Meanwhile, the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell have suggested the same, as evidenced by the upcoming "virtual'' NFL Draft that will mandate that team employees do their work at home.
But two Dallas Cowboys stars - quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott - are somehow not getting the message, most recently in the form of a recent party at Prescott's new home in Prosper, which, as TMZ Sports reported, included as many as 30 guests.
"The turn up went down Friday night at the Dallas Cowboys QB's crib in Prosper, TX, and his star running back was there as a guest," TMZ Sports wrote. "We're told it was a birthday party for one of Dak's friends, and at the height of the bash, there were about 30 guests."
We don't know any thing about "the turn-up.'' And we acknowledge the possibility that TMZ's got it all wrong, with, as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram quoting 'a source close to Prescott (who) disputed the report, saying, 'Dak did NOT have over 10 people and was not in violation of any social distancing.')
We just know what we wrote and said after Prescott and Elliott were video'd working out with free-agent wideout Dez Bryant a few days ago.
"Beyond being unsafe for them to do it, and beyond being unsafe for anybody else they come in contact with after the workout, their high-profile exhibitions send an awful behavior message to people, young and old, who might take their cues from football stars," we said last week here on 105.3 The Fan.
Local law-enforcement officials showed up at the home and reported that they could not verify any wrong-doing. That doesn't quite pass the smell test here (as near as we can tell, a violation can bring a penalty of $1,000 fine and up to 180 days in jail or both), but that's not the point. Nor is it the point that other football players, other athletes, other citizens, are also violating the guidelines - so no, the Cowboys aren't being "picked on.'' (We might suggest that the police inaction indicates the exact opposite of that.)
And one more thing, as we suggest that this is mostly an age-old issue of young men (especially wealthy and athletic ones) thinking they're indestructible: Zeke is Nike-level-aware of the virus concerns here, as witnessed by his recent Instagram post, which reads, "If you ever dreamed of playing for millions around the world, now is your chance," the post read. "Play inside, play for the world."
No, the point is that Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott are in a unique position, due to their high profile, to lead maybe millions of people (Cowboys Nation being what is it) toward responsible behavior.
And instead, they are using their unique position to do the wrong thing ... and to get away with it.
