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Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy 'Embarrassed' He Threw a Tablet on Sidelines

The Dallas coach's outburst went viral, but he probably won't be doing it again.

Kyle Koster

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy on the sideline against the Atlanta Falcons during the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy on the sideline against the Atlanta Falcons during the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
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Things have gone horribly wrong for the Dallas Cowboys.

They sit at 3-5, far outside the current playoff picture, and will be without quarterback Dak Prescott for quite some time—meaning their fate rests in the hands of Cooper Rush. Coach Mike McCarthy has had to deal with one thing after another on the sidelines and during Sunday's loss to the Atlanta Falcons, the frustrations finally got to him. McCarthy trying to break through the Earth's mantle with a tablet thrown in anger was one of those viral moments made even sweeter because America kind of likes to root against America's Team.

Given some time to cool off and reflect on the moment, McCarthy expressed some remorse during his media availability on Wednesday.

"I'm embarrassed by it," he said. "It's something that at my age, clearly there is no excuse for. That's not what I represent. I'm embarrassed as the leader of this team. That was definitely a moment that I wish I had back."

McCarthy mentioned his age. He's 60, which is probably too old to be throwing temper tantrums like the above on national television. But he really doesn't need to be mortified by the momentary outburst. When you compare it to everything else that's happening on Dallas's soap opera, it's pretty tame.

The Cowboys will host the Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday. McCarthy should be on his best behavior. Fans would probably trade calmness for a season-saving victory.

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Kyle Koster
KYLE KOSTER

Kyle Koster is an assistant managing editor at Sports Illustrated covering the intersection of sports and media. He was formerly the editor in chief of The Big Lead, where he worked from 2011 to '24. Koster also did turns at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he created the Sports Pros(e) blog, and at Woven Digital.

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