ESPN college basketball analyst and Indianapolis radio host Dan Dakich is known for hot takes that anger people, from Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery to Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo to California prep school founder Jeremy Russotti. Arguments about whether NCAA players are fairly compensated for the value they provide to schools also have a tendency to anger people.
So when you combine Dakich with that argument, it’s really going to make some people mad, and one it annoyed this time around was former Wisconsin star and current Charlotte Hornets player Frank Kaminsky. Dakich made a comment about student athletes not being exploited, Kaminsky quote-tweeted him and said he didn’t know what he was talking about, and that led to a full-out Twitter war:
NCAA..only place 18-24 yr old Athletes make $20,000 to $60,000 for 20 hr a week work only 8 hrs work in the summer months and r "exploited"
— Dan Dakich (@dandakich) April 3, 2017
You clearly have no idea what you are talking about https://t.co/MfpSQziG0G
— Frank Kaminsky III (@FSKPart3) April 3, 2017
Riiiight only been a player..coach..dad paying but ur right I have "no idea"..you'll grow up and understand someday son!! https://t.co/mYjZgr5wvx
— Dan Dakich (@dandakich) April 3, 2017
Oh right cause when you played people were making billions yearly off of college sports while telling u ur image doesn't belong to u right? https://t.co/Kgac9Vqmmm
— Frank Kaminsky III (@FSKPart3) April 3, 2017
Clown..read my tweets..who has said anything about image btw ur "image" without WISCONSIN jersey is currently worth 0 zip nada https://t.co/9nUUgLYgdp
— Dan Dakich (@dandakich) April 3, 2017
Must be wonderful to reap the benefits of kids working their asses off by sitting on yours and rambling about 0 zip nada https://t.co/x5J0aZzJfR
— Frank Kaminsky III (@FSKPart3) April 3, 2017
After all the work I put in absolutely.not as good as working 20yrs/week getting ov $100k at 18! How much ur likeness worth w/o WISCONSIN ? https://t.co/M6DQRN7f56
— Dan Dakich (@dandakich) April 3, 2017
Lol yea. Okay. This just proves to me how uneducated on the topic you actually are. https://t.co/XqTsiad187
— Frank Kaminsky III (@FSKPart3) April 3, 2017
Cause I got to where I was by putting in minimum effort at every single stage. Sound logic. Who could argue with that one?!?! https://t.co/XqTsiad187
— Frank Kaminsky III (@FSKPart3) April 3, 2017
And you got paid handsomely at 18-24 for 20plus hours a week good for you!! On Wisconsin.. https://t.co/872QYBaMJ9
— Dan Dakich (@dandakich) April 3, 2017
Fake News. Sad! https://t.co/vA9YvOuF4i
— Frank Kaminsky III (@FSKPart3) April 3, 2017
No. I didn't get paid. I left there with no money and still owed rent through my lease. Actually lost money. Glad I was good at bball tho… https://t.co/phgMQ75OeM
— Frank Kaminsky III (@FSKPart3) April 3, 2017
Sure ya did..that's on you ..not one player in 28 yrs of coaching including my son left like that..but being a victim sells.. https://t.co/um4HkFJLjB
— Dan Dakich (@dandakich) April 3, 2017
"Working ur ass off" isn't playing basketball or lifting weights in my world..Mill work,construction etc is to me ..I've done both not close
— Dan Dakich (@dandakich) April 3, 2017
1. There might be a "20 hour restriction" on college athletes… that argument is complete garbage.
— Frank Kaminsky III (@FSKPart3) April 3, 2017
2. I never asked to be paid when I was in college. I just wanted to capitalize on my image/likeness while my name was big.
— Frank Kaminsky III (@FSKPart3) April 3, 2017
So to sum it up, Dakich thinks student-athletes are treated fairly despite the massive amounts of money in the sport that don’t go to them, Kaminsky thinks they at least deserve to profit from their likeness, and both of them are quite willing to personally insult each other.
As Fred Segal noted, though, Dakich’s views on Kaminsky have changed significantly over time:
🤔 @dandakich, @FSKPart3 pic.twitter.com/009RZXhhLn
— Freezing Cold Takes (@OldTakesExposed) April 3, 2017
No matter which side of this argument you fall on, it seems clear that neither one of these guys is going to change their stance. But their argument did make for an entertaining evening on Twitter, at least, and some decent pre-game programming leading up to the national championship game.
