Last year, former Dallas Cowboys’ cornerback Deion Sanders was the media darling.
“Coach Prime” had risen up to head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes in the Pac-12 Conference of Division I college football.
Just when you weren’t seeing enough of him on the sidelines of a game, he was the subject of discussion on all the shows filled with talking heads.
Even the commercial breaks offered no relief. Because there he was with Coach Nick Saban hawking supplemental insurance.
One wonders, given last week’s news, if AFLAC covers butthurt claims or not?
Hit Right In The Feelz
Last season started out with a bang for Sanders in Boulder. The Buffaloes started 3-0 and cracked the Top 20.
Then they started Pac-10 play and won just one game over their last eight – including their last six – to finish 4-8.
Suddenly it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows in Boulder.
Colorado recently announced that Denver Post columnist Sean Keeler is hereby – and forever, at least for now – banned from asking his Royal HighnessCoach Prime any questions.
The ban also excludes Keeler from asking questions of anyone connected to the program. The ban does not apply to any other Post writer, however, so there’s that.
Here is the full statement given to ESPN by the athletic department at Colorado:
“After a series of sustained, personal attacks on the football program and specifically Coach Prime, the CU Athletic Department in conjunction with the football program, have decided not to take questions from Denver Post columnist Sean Keeler at football-related events. Keeler is still permitted to attend football-related activities as a credentialed member of the media and other reporters from the Denver Post are welcome to ask questions of football program personnel made available to the media, including coaches, players and staff.”
Basically, Keeler can still do his job. He figuratively has to go to work with tape over his mouth whenever he’s at a game.
The reason for the ban?
Apparently, Keeler in his job as a columnist has referred to Sanders’ time in Colorado as: “Deposition Deion,” the “Bruce Lee of B.S.,” a “false prophet,” “Planet Prime,” “the Deion Kool-Aid” and “circus.”
I mean, let’s just roll out the guillotine here, right? Side note: That was sarcasm folks, not an actual call for someone’s head, okay?
It Comes With The Territory
Keeler is just doing his job. If Sanders doesn’t like what’s being said, he needs to not finish 4-8 after being hyped up as “Colorado Jesus.”
That one’s all mine, Prime. Don’t at Keeler over that one.
Sanders has a history of doing this kind of thing dating back to his Jackson State days.
He comes off as a nice guy. But he has mighty thin skin, it would seem.
Does AFLAC cover that too?
Someone get Saban on the line. I have a feeling I’ll be joining Keeler on the “Deion No Like You” list at this rate.
Seriously though, if Sanders wants to remain in Division I – or even eventually get into the NFL as a head coach – he needs to toughen up that skin a little.
His ban of Keeler isn’t going to hamper Keeler’s ability to do his job. I know because I’ve got one on me too.
Not from Colorado, but there is a professional sports team who all but told me that any request with my name on it will be DOA.
They didn’t go to the extreme of broadcasting it for all the world to see. But it’s still there.
Nor am I going to name names either.
It was handled quietly. I see no need to make a spectacle of it.
Especially since it didn’t impact my ability to do my job.
It also failed to stop me from dropping the hammer on the team when said hammer needed to be dropped. I suspect Colorado is about to discover the same thing with Keeler this season.
Hopefully, cooler heads will prevail.
Especially if Sanders’ fails to turn the Buffaloes around and he gets fired. It would behoove the school to immediately revoke the ban on Keeler within the first five minutes after Sanders’ eventual departure.
This Was The Way
It would have been better though if Colorado had handled the issue like an Arizona official handled a high school athletic director’s attempt to ban me from covering high school sports in Arizona about 30 years ago.
The official told the AD that if he didn’t want me to write “negative things” about his program then maybe he should “stop doing stupid s***.”
That was a direct quote as relayed to me by said official when he told me the story a few days later.
Sadly, they don’t make people that run sports the way they used to.
They definitely don’t make college football coaches the same either, it would seem – at least in Colorado.
So, Coach Sanders, if you’re reading this: #FreeSeanKeeler and lighten up, Francis. It’s just a game.