ESPN writer says Lane Kiffin should try to stop Louisiana from ‘eradicating’ black voting power
Why Lane Kiffin’s
Sage Steele joins Will Cain to debunk Lane Kiffin’s “diversity” claims and discuss the CCP’s infiltration through the California city’s mayor. Plus, retired Green Beret Scott Mann talks about the power of storytelling and prevalent social narratives.
OutKick recently suggested that ESPN is moving away from identity politics and inflammatory rhetoric. Many of the channel’s most racist and pagan commentators, from Mark Jones to Clinton Yates, Elle Duncan to Sarah Spain, are now gone.
Yet a few remnants remain. David Dennis Jr. is one of them.
This week Dennis published a provocative article. ESPN.com and Andscap“Why is Lane Kiffin’s ‘Ole Miss’ virtue signaling failing?” Kiffin responded by saying that some black families were upset that their sons and grandsons were playing for Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi, and he later apologized for saying so.
And, oh, is this a doozy.
Lane Kiffin speaks during his introductory press conference as head coach of the LSU Tigers at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La., on Dec. 1, 2025. (Gus Stark/LSU/University Images)
Dennis begins by explaining that he will only refer to the school once as “Ole Miss.”
“This is the last time I use that name, by the way, because its origin also has to do with slavery,” Dennis wrote.
He then accused Kiffin of not paying enough attention to “diversity.”
“His actions before and since taking the University of Mississippi job have not shown that he cares about diversity or that the lack of it at Oxford bothers him. Instead, this appears to be merely virtue signaling to justify his controversial move to Baton Rouge, which is an insult to the people who are truly affected by what the University of Mississippi represents.”
Dennis seemed even more upset that Kiffin took a job at LSU, which he accused of trying to suppress the black vote.
“Like [Kiffin] “As you probably know, Louisiana is ground zero for last month’s Supreme Court decision that gutted the Voting Rights Act of 1965,” Dennis continued. “The state is currently working to eliminate black representation in its congressional delegation. “There is also a groundbreaking movement calling for black athletes to stay away from SEC schools because of the possibility of the Voting Rights Act being overturned.”
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Eliminate black representation in the congressional delegation? OutKick asked Dennis to elaborate on this claim. We did not get an answer. We’ll update this story if we do.
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He ended the segment by suggesting that Kiffin should use his platform to stop the alleged “takedown.”
“If Kiffin is so concerned about new hires being rejected because of the anti-black nature of a state’s anti-black policy, he may want to hurry up and use his power to effect change. He may want to say something about protecting everyone’s right to equal representation,” Dennis wrote.
You can read the whole Here. The article gained traction Thursday night after OutKick founder Clay Travis posted about it on X.
“It is absolutely insane to me that ESPN, the sole partner of SEC athletics, would hire a writer who publishes articles tearing down coaches and fueling racial anxieties through politics,” Clay wrote alongside a screenshot of Dennis’ article. Looks like Dennis blocked him.
It’s really crazy.
And that’s Dennis’ whole joke. He is a poor man’s Bomani Jones.
As a refresher, Dennis is the ESPN writer who covered Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle ad campaign.ashamed“It is. Remember that for a moment.
A detailed view of the ESPN logo on the microphone before the game between the Detroit Pistons and the Cleveland Cavaliers at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan on February 27, 2026. (Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
Other highlights on Dennis’ resume include publishing a hit article about Hulk Hogan just hours after his death and arguing that the wrestling icon should only be remembered as a racist.
“When you are a racist, it is your legacy first and foremost,” Dennis wrote. “Hulk Hogan died as a known racist who also became famous as a professional wrestler.”
The problem with Dennis’ framing is the contrast with the way he praises Hogan. compared to Kobe Bryant. Bryant faced a rape accusation and has also made homophobic comments throughout his career. But Dennis made no mention of either in his fawning obituary titled “Remembering Kobe Bryant, a Man Who Never Trusted in Tomorrows,” in which he praised Bryant’s off-the-court character.
OutKick also asked Dennis about the apparent discrepancy at the time. He never answered. He seems to be another commentator who takes verbal offenses more seriously than alleged violent crimes.
Lane Kiffin speaks at a press conference where he is introduced as the new head football coach of the LSU Tigers at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La., on Dec. 1, 2025. (Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images)
Clay Travis also pointed out how bad Dennis was for ESPN’s business, citing SEC schools and fans as racists. He’s right. But Dennis also undermined another ESPN property, the WNBA, by openly rooting against Caitlin Clark’s fans.
“I hope the people who say they’re staying away from the WNBA now that CC is gone actually keep their word,” Dennis wrote on X in 2024.
For context, Clark’s fans made up the majority of the WNBA audience in 2024.
Sports media reporter Ryan Glasspiegel summarized Dennis’ comments with the following headline: “ESPN employee says he wants lower ratings for ESPN properties.”
At some point you have to wonder why ESPN keeps Dennis on the payroll.
He’s predictable, unprofessional, and painfully one-note. His obsession with racial colors in almost every discussion he has. He’s the same type of commentator that drove viewers away from ESPN in the first place.
What’s more, ESPN regularly features Dennis on major programs like “First Take,” “SportsCenter” and “NBA Today.” Allowing him to post questionable, complaint-driven articles on “Andscape” is one thing. Positioning him as a serious television voice on sports is another.
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Dennis in particular has almost no background in sports. He spent much of his career writing about race, civil rights, and his father. But we can’t say for sure why ESPN hired him. timing This can’t be a coincidence at the height of the BLM and George Floyd uprisings.
ESPN probably understands all of this, but it also needs to be careful. Dennis seems like the kind of person who would instantly claim racism and threaten legal action.
Still, the network will likely find a way to announce soon that David Dennis Jr. has “mutually parted ways” with the company.
Keeping him on the roster undermines everything latest progress ESPN did it.
