The recent decision by the College Football Playoff Selection Committee to choose the Alabama Crimson Tide as the No. 4 seed over the Florida State Seminoles has stirred a swirl of controversy that now involves SiriusXM radio host Danny Kanell and his comments about ESPN.
Will ESPN ever be able to shake claims of SEC bias? https://t.co/EJmSzw1vP8 pic.twitter.com/BJZ8VWevVS
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 6, 2023
It started with the blog "Awful Announcing" posting about ESPN and claims that it has a bias toward the Southeastern Conference.
Kanell quoted the Awful Announcing post and added, "You can't shake what is real."
You can't shake what is real. https://t.co/lfeYeUZyiA
— Danny Kanell (@dannykanell) December 6, 2023
Kanell, 50, played quarterback for Florida State for four years. Following this playing career in the NFL and some brief stints in minor league baseball, Kanell was employed by ESPN but was among about 100 people laid off in April 2017 before he moved to Fox Sports and SiriusXM.
Users on X had some mixed opinions of Kanell's comments.
Dang Danny, you were one of my favorites on 84 but your obsession with the SEC has become unbearable. Oh well, there are podcasts to listen to in that timeslot in the mornings. Hope you can move on at some point because you seem miserable inside.
— GiveToTexasOneFund (@UTexLonghorns) December 6, 2023
"Dang Danny, you were one of my favorites on 84 but your obsession with the SEC has become unbearable," one user wrote. "Oh well, there are podcasts to listen to in that timeslot in the mornings. Hope you can move on at some point because you seem miserable inside."
To which, Kanell actually replied:
Sorry to see you go but if you don't enjoy the truth I guess you can go enjoy the SEC Network
— Danny Kanell (@dannykanell) December 6, 2023
"Sorry to see you go but if you don't enjoy the truth I guess you can go enjoy the SEC Network," Kanell wrote.
The original poster replied back:
If you think the truth is the issue, you struggle reading the room. I agree with some politicians but I don't want to talk to people that obsess with it over and over and over and over. Not even saying I disagree with you completely, it just gets old and is no unbearable now.
— GiveToTexasOneFund (@UTexLonghorns) December 6, 2023
"If you think the truth is the issue, you struggle reading the room," the user replied. "I agree with some politicians but I don't want to talk to people that obsess with it over and over and over and over. Not even saying I disagree with you completely, it just gets old and is no unbearable now."
Well, it wasn't done there. Kanell issued another reply:
I just looked back over last 50 tweets or so and only 2 referenced anything about the SEC bias
— Danny Kanell (@dannykanell) December 6, 2023
"I just looked back over last 50 tweets or so and only 2 referenced anything about the SEC bias," Kanell wrote.
Other users were more supportive of Kanell's stance.
Always follow the money. sEcSPN sets up all of college football for TV ratings, regardless of the best interests of the sport.
— David O. (@david_ozburn) December 6, 2023
"Always follow the money. sEcSPN sets up all of college football for TV ratings, regardless of the best interests of the sport," one user wrote.
In any event, we'll see Florida State — with Tate Rodemaker under center — take on the Georgia Bulldogs in the Orange Bowl later this month.
