The Dallas Cowboys' status as one of the most popular and renowned professional sports teams in the world has its share of perks such as an expansive fanbase.
But a select few of that group deemed it necessary to ruin it for the rest, as Dallas defenders Jayron Kearse and Juanyeh Thomas were doxed on social media following the team's 31-10 defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
Doxing is defined as the act of releasing personal information, such as addresses and phone numbers, onto public forums such as social media. It is often seen as a form of extortion or online shaming.
The incident began when Kearse posted a video of his questionable unnecessary roughness call against Bills receiver Khalil Shakir during the first half of the loss in Buffalo, asking why he was flagged despite not "lower(ing his) head/shoulder" or not making "contact with (the) crown of (his) helmet."
Thomas concurred in the replies but other responses posted both his phone number and Kearse's home address. Players addressed their understandable concerns this week as the Cowboys prepare for a highly anticipated interconference showdown with the Miami Dolphins on Sunday (3:25 p.m. CT, Fox).
Said Kearse: “That’s where my kids lay their heads, it’s where my fiancé lays here head. I’m not the one to play with.''
ADVERTISEMENT“That’s where my kids lay their heads, it’s where my fiancé lays here head, I’m not the one to play with, just that simple, not the one to play with,” Kearse said after Thursday’s practice.
ADVERTISEMENT“That’s where my kids lay their heads, it’s where my fiancé lays here head, I’m not the one to play with, just that simple, not the one to play with,” Kearse said after Thursday’s practice.
“I can take criticism,” Thomas said. “But you do cross a line when you start doing dumb stuff like that, for real. It’s a line you can’t cross when you start sharing people’s addresses and numbers and stuff. At the end of the day, this is still a game. People got a life.”
Social media has distorted, perhaps even blurred, the line between fans and the professional athletes they supposedly worship. A fair amount of interaction has provided mostly innocent, perhaps even heartwarming, connections, but cases like the Cowboys' certainly cast a negative spotlight on the supposed storming of the boundaries.
The Cowboys' polarizing nature and observers' simultaneous anxiety, euphoria, or intrigue over either extending or ending the team's nearly three-decade-long NFC Championship Game drought will likely only add to fans approaching players on social media. Only adding to the phenomenon is the continued mainstreaming and monetization of fantasy football and wagering.
Dallas' on-field representatives are more than willing to hear out legitimate criticism over, say, missed tackles, which guided them to their doom in Orchard Park. But Cowboys players have made it clear that they're not going to tolerate any pixelated extracurriculars.
“It is getting crazy out there, it’s getting crazy,” cornerback Jourdan Lewis said. “People are getting more aggressive than they have and it’s not a good place to be right now.”
Said Kearse: “I can take a lot, you can say whatever you want about me. (But) my kids, wife those are non-negotiable for me.”
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