OutKick recently credited ESPN for pivoting away from identity politics and incendiary rhetoric. Most of the network's most racially idolatrous commentators are gone, from Mark Jones to Clinton Yates, from Elle Duncan to Sarah Spain.
Still, a few holdovers remain. David Dennis Jr. is one of them.
This week, Dennis published an inflammatory article for ESPN.com and Andscape titled "Why Lane Kiffin's 'Ole Miss' virtue signaling falls flat." The piece responded to Kiffin saying, and later apologizing for saying, that some black families were uncomfortable with their sons and grandsons playing for Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi.
And, oh, is it a doozy.
Dennis opens by declaring that he would refer to the school as "Ole Miss" only once.
"This is the last time I'll use that name, by the way, as its origins are related to slavery as well," Dennis wrote.
He then accused Kiffin of not caring enough about "diversity."
"His actions before and since taking the University of Mississippi job haven't shown any care about diversity, or that the lack thereof in Oxford bothered him. Instead, this just looks like virtue signaling to justify his controversial move to Baton Rouge, which is insulting to people actually affected by what the University of Mississippi represents."
Dennis appeared even more upset that Kiffin took a job at LSU, in a state he accused of trying to suppress the black vote.
"As [Kiffin] probably knows, Louisiana is ground zero for last month's Supreme Court ruling that essentially gutted the Voting Rights Act of 1965," Dennis continued. "The state is currently working to eradicate black representation from its congressional delegation. At the same time, there's a groundswell movement calling for black athletes to avoid SEC schools because of the potential demolition of the Voting Rights Act."
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Eradicate black representation from its congressional delegation, huh? OutKick asked Dennis to elaborate on that claim. We did not hear back. We will update this story if we do.
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He concluded the section by suggesting Kiffin should use his platform to stop the alleged "eradication."
"If Kiffin is so concerned with recruits being turned off by the anti-black nature of a state's politics, he might want to hurry up and use his power to effect change. He may want to say something about preserving everyone's right to equal representation," Dennis wrote.
You can read the full piece here. The article gained traction Thursday night after OutKick founder Clay Travis posted about it on X.
"ESPN, which is the only partner on SEC athletics, employing a writer who posts articles ripping coaches and stirring up racial angst through politics, is absolutely insane to me," Clay wrote alongside a screenshot of Dennis' article. Dennis has apparently blocked him.
Insane, indeed.
And this is Dennis' entire schtick. He's a poor man's Bomani Jones.
For a refresher, Dennis is the ESPN writer who claimed Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle ad campaign "mortified" him. Let that sink in for a moment.
Other highlights from Dennis' résumé include publishing a hit piece on Hulk Hogan just hours after his death, arguing the wrestling icon should be remembered only as a racist.
"When you are a racist that is your legacy above all else," Dennis wrote. "Hulk Hogan died being known as a racist who also became famous as a professional wrestler."
The issue with Dennis' framing is the contrast between how he eulogized Hogan compared to Kobe Bryant. Bryant faced a rape accusation and also made homophobic comments during his career. Yet Dennis mentioned neither in a fawning obituary titled "Remembering Kobe Bryant, a Man Who Never Trusted in Tomorrow," in which he praised Bryant's character off the court.
OutKick also asked Dennis about that apparent inconsistency at the time. He never responded. He appears to be another commentator who treats word crimes more seriously than alleged violent crimes.
Clay Travis also pointed out how Dennis is bad for ESPN's business by portraying SEC schools and fans as racist. He's right. But Dennis has also undermined another ESPN property, the WNBA, by openly rooting against Caitlin Clark's fans.
"I hope the people who say they are staying away from the WNBA now that CC is gone actually keep to their promise," Dennis posted on X in 2024. "These are about to be all-time series and their toxicity isn't needed. Let us enjoy things."
For context, Clark's fans made up a majority share of WNBA viewership in 2024.
Sports media reporter Ryan Glasspiegel summarized Dennis' comments with the headline: "ESPN employee says he wants lower ratings for ESPN property."
At some point, you have to wonder why ESPN keeps Dennis on the payroll.
He's predictable, unprofessional, and painfully one-note. His fixation on race colors nearly every argument he makes. He's the exact type of commentator who drove viewers away from ESPN in the first place.
What's more, ESPN regularly puts Dennis on flagship shows like "First Take," "SportsCenter," and "NBA Today." It's one thing to let him post dubious, grievance-driven essays on "Andscape." It's another to position him as a serious television voice on sports.
Specifically, Dennis has virtually no background covering sports. He has spent most of his career writing about race, civil rights and his father. We can't say for certain why ESPN hired him in the first place, though the timing - at the height of BLM and the George Floyd riots - cannot be a coincidence.
ESPN likely understands all of this, but also has to be cautious. Dennis seems like the type of person who would immediately claim racism and threaten legal action.
Still, the network should probably soon find a way to announce that David Dennis Jr. has "mutually parted ways" with the company.
Keeping him on the roster undermines all of the recent progress ESPN has made.
