Dan Dakich tees off on columnist over bizarre Caitlin Clark interaction: 'Why is it OK?'
Gregg Doyel drew ire of sports fans at Clark's press conference
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Dan Dakich on Thursday sounded off on Indy Star columnist Gregg Doyel and the bizarre interaction he had at Caitlin Clark’s press conference with the Indiana Fever.
Doyel drew a ton of ire on Wednesday when he made a heart symbol with his hand toward Clark – the same one she gave her family during games.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Gregg Doyel, IndyStar sports columnist (Robert Scheer/IndyStar/USA TODAY NETWORK)
On "Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich," the OutKick host joined the chorus of people perturbed over the incident.
"It’s who he is. It’s who I’ve told you he is. He ain’t changing. The whole thing about him is creepy. His life is creepy, family, everything. The whole thing. You got to see it yesterday. It’s a damn shame. It’s a damn shame because, you know what, he felt it OK to bring that into a press conference. ... Why is it OK?"
Dakich said the issue for him wasn’t Doyel’s "antics" at the press conference.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"This issue is: why would a male reporter feel compelled to speak that way to a female athlete? Why is it OK for Caitlin Clark or any female athlete to be spoke to like that? Creepy, condescending voice. Putting some type of relationship in it. … And other reporters laughed along."
Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark talks to reporters on April 17, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
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"What makes Doyel and the others bring that into the room? That is the bigger issue. And it ain’t going away."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Later Thursday, a second comment from Doyel bewildered sports fans again.
He referred to Clark as "that" and "it" in a new video that surfaced while he was talking to Fever coach Christie Sides.
"You were just given the keys to that," Doyel told Sides, referencing Clark.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"What are you going to do with it?"
Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever poses for a photo during her introductory press conference on April 17, 2024, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)
Doyel apologized for his behavior in a post on X and in a column posted to the Indy Star website.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Today in my uniquely oafish way, while welcoming @CaitlinClark22 to Indy, I formed my hands into her signature (hand heart emoji)," he wrote on X. "My comment afterward was clumsy and awkward. I sincerely apologize. Please know my heart (literally and figuratively) was well-intentioned. I will do better."
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