FAUX PAS OF THE WEEK

Dabo Swinney’s heart was in the right place Tuesday when he gave his unvarnished opinion about Colin Kapernick’s national anthem protest. In saying why he disagreed with Kaepernick’s method of expression, he talked about big themes such as unity and love for your neighbor and Martin Luther King Jr. bringing people together through peace.

“I just think that this just creates more division,” Swinney said as part of an answer that stretched for several minutes. “That’s what I hate to see.”

It certainly sounded good, but Swinney got some blowback — and deservedly so — for a portrayal of race relations that came off as a bit naive to the plight of many African Americans. He also was criticized for oversimplifying King ’s method of changing the world as “love, peace, education, tolerance of others, Jesus.”

Swinney, whose rise from homelessness and family strife has been well-documented, obviously meant no harm. But he found out how coaches wading into social issues can mushroom into a much bigger media story than they intended, especially with race relations taking on a central place in the national conversation.

Hopefully that doesn’t discourage Swinney, one of the most colorful and talkative characters in coaching, from giving more opinions in the future.