“Bro, eat a fat one.”
Those aren’t the words of an anonymous Twitter troll or a disgruntled fan. They’re from Brandon Dart – father of New York Giants quarterback Jackson Dart – directed at former NFL QB and current analyst Danny Kanell after a relatively mild critique of his son’s performance.
The incident has ignited a firestorm of debate about parental involvement in professional sports, with Kanell himself calling it a “big red flag” on the latest episode of his podcast with Chris Manno.
“I don’t know why you’re messing and meddling in your son’s business,” Kanell stated bluntly, via YouTube. “He’s been online before calling out officials, calling out other analysts and it just brings more attention to you than it does your son and it’s negative attention by calling out anybody in the media.”
Kanell’s original comments that triggered the elder Dart’s response? Simply that he hadn’t seen enough from Jackson to feel completely confident in his future with the Giants, adding that the quarterback “needs to show development” – hardly the scorching take it was made out to be.
This isn’t the first time Brandon Dart has inserted himself into his son’s professional career.
According to Kanell, the father’s involvement has been “pretty well documented,” creating an impression that raises concerns about Jackson’s ability to stand on his own in the NFL’s most demanding market.
“This reeks of helicopter dad who has been involved,” Kanell explained on the podcast. “Just let him go be him. You don’t have to come to your son’s rescue. You don’t have to defend him.”
The timing couldn’t be worse for the young quarterback. Playing in New York means facing the most intense media scrutiny in professional sports.
This increased attention creates a unique challenge that requires thick skin and independent resilience – qualities that might be undermined by having a father publicly fighting battles on social media.
“Let his play do the talking and it’ll all be fine,” Kanell advised. “You can keep receipts. You can hold on everything. But this to me doesn’t do Jackson Dart any favors because you’re just making a target on his back for any critics.”
For the Giants’ young quarterback, success in New York will ultimately come down to his ability to perform on the field and handle the unique pressures of the market.
As Manno succinctly put it, “If he can’t (handle criticism) in that role, he’s the wrong guy in the wrong place.”