DALLAS (105.3 The Fan) - Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy has always been outspoken when it comes to NFL officials, and they way they have impacted his teams in previous games.
However, during his Friday visit with 105.3 The Fan's Shan and RJ, McCarthy showed awareness of that fault, and explained his mentality during those moments.
He also made a surprisingly honest admission.
"I'm not gonna lie to you, you get up there on the podium after the game and the emotions are still fresh," McCarthy said. "But we've never lost a game because of officiating. I think you have to train that way. They're just excuses. But do you make comments out of frustration? Yea i think thats normal. Let's be honest, everybody wants you to be real and honest, but when you do, its convenient to twist and make a topic. And that goes on too, so you've just got to be aware of all of that."
One of McCarthy's most memorable shots at officials came after the Cowboys loss to the 49ers during the playoffs last season, when the officials failed to spot the ball in enough time for Dak Prescott to spike the ball and stop the clock.
The clock would eventually expire before Dallas got another play snapped, voiding the Cowboys chances at a game-tying or go ahead score, and sealing their 23-17 fate.
But as McCarthy admits, it's more about frustration in the moment, than actually finding fault with the officials.
"I think the reality is, it's really emotional discipline frankly in those spots, it has nothing to do with accountability," McCarthy said. "We can't control officials. We've never tried to. We go through every penalty and just really use it as a learning experience. There is education and prevention techniques that you continue to try to emphasize. I have to do a better job there, so thats really the focus of it.
