Dabo No Longer Taking Calls on Weekly Show
By Tucker Harlin
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney appears to have taken a step to limit quotable lines for opposing fan bases to use against him.
Swinney announced Monday that his weekly radio show will no longer take listener calls in 2024.
Instead, fans will be able to text and email questions for Swinney to answer on air.
It's official: Clemson FB coach Dabo Swinney will no longer take live calls from fans on his weekly radio show
— Chapel Fowler (@chapelfowler) August 26, 2024
The new format is called "Tiger Sports Hour with Dabo Swinney." Fans will able to submit questions to him via text/email. First show tonight at 8 on @1055TheROAR
In the midst of the 2023 season, Swinney had a tense exchange with a caller by the name of Tyler from Spartanburg on this midweek radio show.
Given the Tigers’ early struggle last season, the viral encounter left many wondering if Tyler was a plant in order for Swinney to influence his team.
But with Swinney’s decision to indirectly engage with listeners, I don’t think there’s anything fake about Tyler from Spartanburg.
Regardless of what your beliefs on Tyler from Spartanburg are, this is a new piece in a concerning development among college coaches in the last week.
If Swinney doesn’t take calls, he can simply filter out questions from fans that he would like to avoid.
Caller and coach interaction is part of what makes these midweek radio shows entertaining. Vol Calls has long been a staple of local programming during the middle of the week locally. Even Nick Saban enjoyed talking to listeners while he was on Hey Coach in Tuscaloosa.
Dabo’s decision is concerning, but it doesn’t even come close to one that was made in Boulder at the end of last week.
Deion Sanders banned a Denver Post reporter from his press conferences Friday due to a clause in his contract that only allows for “mutually agreed upon media” to talk to him.
The last time I checked, freedom of the press is a fundamental part of the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
It’s one thing to ban crazy fans from asking you crazy questions but it’s another to ban a reporter for doing their job.
We see coaches deflect questions all the time by answering reporters in vague manners at press conferences. But denying media the right to do its job is a little excessive.
