Sunday Night Football saw the Cowboys take on the Vikings in Arlington, but fans were distracted from the early action by Cris Collinsworth’s odd dedication to using a particular nickname
21:32 ET, 14 Dec 2025
Cris Collinsworth referred to the Cowboys and Dak Prescott as ‘Big D’ consistently during the first quarter of the clash with the Vikings(Image: Getty Images)
NBC Sports’ Cris Collinsworth received backlash on social media for his consistent use of “Big D” as the Dallas Cowboys’ nickname.
On Sunday Night Football, the Minnesota Vikings traveled to AT&T Stadium to take on the Cowboys. If Dallas is going to pursue a playoff berth, the NFC East franchise desperately needs to secure a prime-time win over JJ McCarthy’s team.
Early in the clash, Collinsworth — known for his wacky commentary — began to refer to Dallas and seemingly even to Dak Prescott as “Big D.” His co-commentator, Mike Tirico, also got in on the act, and fans were confused by what was going on.
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“How many times are they gonna call Dallas ‘big D’ tonight. Annoying asf,” wrote one fan. It was a popular complaint; another wrote: “call Dallas Big D one more time.”
“Why are they calling Dallas the big D are we serious bro did tirico lose a bet??” a fan questioned. One more posted: “I’m pretty sure Mike Tirico has a bet with some of his friends on how many times he can say ‘Big D’ on air because this dude says it every other sentence.”
While Dallas is famously known as the “Big D” due to a hit song and a Dallas Morning News column, many took issue with the nickname’s explicit nature — particularly when used by Collinsworth on national TV. One wrote: “Collinsworth ‘Big D’ Counter is already at 4 at minimum.”
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Prescott is having a strong season in Dallas(Image: Getty Images)
“Can Chris Collinsworth plz stop calling Dallas ‘big D’? he does it to himself…” one fan lamented.
Others wondered if Collinsworth was referencing Cowboys quarterback Prescott, with one viewer stating, “dak just got a new nickname, big d vibes only.”
Through the first 13 games of the year, Prescott has recorded 3,637 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Even as the Cowboys sit at 6-6-1 and are up against the wall to make the playoffs, Prescott is widely considered an MVP candidate alongside the likes of Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, and Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen — who is the reigning MVP.
Collinsworth is known for his wild commentary and ear-catching one liners(Image: Getty Images)
If the Cowboys are going to make the playoffs, Dallas must win every game of the season and hope the Philadelphia Eagles lose more games. The reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles shut out the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, winning 31-0 to move to 9-5.
Heading into the clash with the Vikings, Prescott insisted that supporting the Eagles’ opponents doesn’t motivate him any further. He told reporters, “I just got to go win every game.
“That’s all I can control. I’m gonna root against them regardless, whether we were in this position or not.”
