DJB has specific (technical and non-conspiratorial) bones to pick with the algorithm. He’s as much an expert in cryptographic implementation flaws and misuse resistance as anybody at NIST. Doesn’t mean he’s right all the time, but blowing him off as if he’s just some crackpot isn’t even correctly appealing to authority.

I hate that his more tinfoil hat stuff (which is not totally unjustified, mind you) overshadows his sober technical contributions in these discussions.

There are like 3 cryptographers in all of NIST. NIST was a referee in the process. The bones he's picking are with the entire field of cryptography, not just NIST people.