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So I want to weigh in on this story, not in any way as a jab on the author or to argue that Dabo is entirely right here, but to address a seemingly growing narrative that I just don’t get. So let’s dig in, shall we? nymag.com/intelligencer/…
First off, there’s a distinct diff in getting a champ ring after being traded (team’s choice) vs leaving of your own free will (player’s choice). There is no precedent. Guys don’t quit title contenders midseason. So let’s not act like it defies logic not to give KB a ring.
Dabo didn’t “banish” or “purposefully keep” a ring from Kelly. The subject never came up until Kelly was asked and said, “sure I’d take one.” But to Kelly’s credit… HE DOESN’T CARE. Is it worth discussing whether he deserves one? Sure. But there’s no malicious intent here.
Things were NOT “simpatico” when KB left. In the days after, he accused Dabo of not giving him a fair chance, which is patently false. He told Dabo he was staying, then ghosted him. The game after he left, Clemson nearly lost because Lawrence got hurt. Hurt feelings all around.
To suggest Kelly had no alternatives is also untrue. Dabo offered Kelly a chance to stay with the team, promising not to play KB unless there was an emergency and Kelly wanted to play. He loved Kelly, thought Kelly helped the locker room and wanted Kelly to stay. Kelly said no.
The suggestion that Dabo banished Kelly is also false. Dabo tried to reach out to Kelly on several occasions after he left. Kelly did not respond to text messages. That said, Kelly remained in close contact with many players and is still very well liked inside the locker room.
I disagree with Dabo about his stance on player pay but let’s also clarify that: Dabo doesn’t believe players should not be paid. He believes in the current CFB model.
Dabo wants to maintain amateurism as a model. But he has said, on the record, he loves that the XFL will offer an alternative where guys can get paid. He’s not against paying players. He’s against the NCAA/Clemson paying players.
Moreover, Dabo’s mindset is rooted in his own experience. He grew up dirt poor. His father was out of the picture for a while. His mother lived in his dorm room with him. He sees his college experience as what saved him and wants that for others.
The optics of Dabo’s salary vs unpaid players is problematic. Again, I’m in favor of player compensation. But Dabo’s 1st job wasn’t making $10M/year. He barely made enough to afford gas. He worked his way up to this. It’s not a $10M vs. $0 comparison. That’s a straw man argument.
And again, cash is the only currency that really matters but Dabo has worked tirelessly to provide opportunities for his guys, bringing in folks to help coordinate internships, volunteer opportunities, etc while creating one of the most holistic experiences in CFB for players.
I was there for both the “I’ll go coach in the pros” and the Kaepernick quotes, and I didn’t take either to be incendiary at the time. Only when stripped of context did they blow up.
Re: Kap, Dabo explicitly said that he supports guys who wanted to voice their opinions, his belief is just team above all else. Again, OK to disagree, but he actually encourages his guys to be informed.
Christian Wilkins grandfather was shot/killed by police & no one loves Dabo more than CW. espn.com/college-footba…
I disagree with Dabo on a bunch of things, and I agree that he’s said things that probably don’t hold up well to criticism (his screed against the media after SC players accused Clemson of racist language was bad and he prob didn’t state his Kap argument well).
The bigger issue is that I think Dabo still speaks from the gut, as it comes to him, while the spotlight on him has changed and his words have more meaning than before. He needs to realize that he’s not speaking just for Dabo anymore, but for the sport.
Flip side is, Dabo is as genuine as it gets. He’s extemporaneous & sometimes flat wrong, so you’ll get some “Osama bin Dabos” too. But I’ll take genuine any day over the guys who think and say all the same things behind closed doors and put out a squeaky clean image in public.
I’ll probably get knocked for being in the bag for Dabo after all this, but whatever. My job is to offer insight into what I’ve seen, heard and experienced as a reporter, and this has been my experience. You don’t have to like the guy, but context matters.
/End of Rant.

Enjoy the rest of your afternoon.
Not specific to Dabo, because I hear almost verbatim the same from most coaches, but empowering players with $ or immediate eligibility, from their perspective, always feels like an overprotective parent to me…
For some, it probably is selfish, no doubt. But most have seen so many young kids make awful decisions by listening to the wrong people, and they want to protect them, or at least, they don’t trust them to be smart. They want a safety net, which player autonomy doesn’t offer.
As a parent now, I get wanting to protect your kids from any bad decisions and worrying they’re not mature enough to handle complicated situations. But too many similar arguments made about blacks, women, American Indians… it always seems patriarchal in the longterm.
So that’s where I’m at with Dabo and all the coaches who are against empowering players. Yes, it’s messy. Yes, there will be mistakes & bad outcomes. But what’s right is what’s right and it’s on us to support them and figure the best way forward. My .02.
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