CFB analyst on perception and backlash, says "there's nothing fake" about Dabo Swinney |
247Sports college football talk show host Josh Pate addressed the perception he's seen of
Dabo Swinney and offered his thoughts on the longtime Tigers head coach this week.
Pate put the largely social media discussion on Swinney into four categories, spending the most time speaking on those who feel Swinney is not sincere or authentic in what he believes. "Whether you like it or not, I don't care if you tell me you don't like it -- that's just personal preference," Pate said. "When you start telling me someone's fake about it. When you start telling me they're inauthentic about it. When you start telling me without having the first clue about who the dude actually is under the surface that he's 'fake.' 'That's not really him.' How in the world do you know? And how many folks out there do I know, having a little access in the sport, that do know Dabo Swinney on an intimate level that have ever told me that -- the answer is zero. The next person who knows Dabo Swinney the man who tells me he's inauthentic and fake will be the first one." Pate has critiqued Swinney for sticking with some underdog themes regarding the program, but stacked against some other coaches, Pate says Swinney is genuine. "So the guy may have a couple of things I may not particularly love. Here's what I know: what I know is anyone (that is) ultra-close to him, anyone who's been around him -- high school coaches especially that I've talked to come back and say the same thing -- whether you like him or not, there's nothing fake about that. In fact, I'd call Dabo Swinney one of the most brutally authentic and one of the most brutally what-you-see-is-what-you-get kinda guys in coaching. I know some of them that have an image that's sort of a mirage. I know some of them that are what we say in our world, 'heavily produced.' Dabo's not one of them." Watch more below (starts at 26:11 if the video isn't already there for you):
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