Dan Dakich has been trending on social media this weekend for his problematic interaction with multiple college professors.
The former college basketball player and coach turned analyst got into it with college professors online and on his Indianapolis-based radio show.
Dakich and the professors were discussing how sports media members reacted to Jalen Johnson opting out of Duke’s season. Earlier this month, the five-star freshman decided to opt out of the season and focus on the NBA Draft. Dakich was among those who criticized Johnson’s decision. The professors called out those in sports media who make money off of college sports, while the student-athletes go unpaid outside of free tuition and stipends.
The back-and-forth began when Nathan Kalman-Lamb, a lecturing fellow at Duke University, posted a tweet criticizing the reaction of some in sports media. Dakich then got into it with Kalman-Lamb and Dr. Johanna Mellis, an assistant professor in the history department at Ursinus College who focuses on sports and labor issues.
Dakich also discussed the back-and-forth on his radio show, reportedly going after Kalman-Lamb. According to USA TODAY, Dakich was “spelling out his name and repeatedly referencing his office hours at Duke.”
ESPN has since released a statement on Dakich.
BREAKING: I just received a statement from ESPN on Dan Dakich. “We are taking this matter very seriously and are in the process of looking into it.”
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) February 28, 2021
The sports media world as a whole has been discussing Dakich on social media this weekend, with many unsurprised by the news.
Dakich, meanwhile, appears to have deleted his Twitter account.
Dan Dakich is trending on Twitter and he’s not ever here to search his own name and read about it. Sad stuff.
— Rob Dauster (@RobDauster) February 28, 2021
To recap: Dan Dakich searched for his name. Found a thread from @nkalamb where he critiques complicit college sport media. DD then comes after Nathan & @JohannaMellis on air & on twitter. Johanna & Nathan stand up to him & organize a response. Dan quits twitter & is now trending. pic.twitter.com/wtgJzVgHN7
— Matt Hodler (@MHodler) February 28, 2021
Dan Dakich’s “thing” is running around and trying to pick fights with people he thinks he can bully. It’s pathetic and childish, just like he is. https://t.co/Qm0slV7rsj
— Brian Floyd (@BrianMFloyd) February 27, 2021
Dakich has been a college basketball analyst for ESPN since 2010. It will be interesting to see how the network decides to handle this moving forward.
The post Sports Media World Reacts To The Dan Dakich Situation appeared first on The Spun.
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