Deion Sanders is no stranger to college media. Since his days at Jackson State, Coach Prime has had a spotlight shining directly on him. Recently, this spotlight intensified in the College Football world as Sean Keeler, a columnist for the Denver Post, was banned from asking football-related questions at the University of Colorado.
While some may argue that Coach Prime is being “sensitive” or manipulative of narratives when it comes to criticism, it can also be argued that Deion Sanders doesn’t have to deal with negative publicity if he doesn’t want to.
According to a Colorado athletic department media relations staffer, Keeler referred to Sanders with terms like “Deposition Deion,” the “Bruce Lee of B.S.,” and a “false prophet.” Keeler even called the Colorado program a “circus”. When asked for clarification, a Colorado sports information staffer told the Denver Post, “Keeler had not violated any specific media policies.” In a social media post, Denver Post sports editor Matt Schubert responded by saying, “It’s well within anyone’s right to not take questions from [Denver Post sports reporters & columnists]. The reasons listed by CU, however, are entirely subjective. It would be more accurate to say, ‘We don’t like Sean Keeler’s critiques of our program.’ “
This isn’t the first time Deion Sanders has banned a media member from asking him questions. In 2021, when Coach Prime was still at Jackson State, a Mississippi Clarion reporter was barred from covering the team the day after publishing a story about an incoming recruit charged with assaulting a woman. One could argue that both moves were necessary to maintain his peace and keep distractions out of the locker room. However, given that this isn’t the first time, it raises the question of whether Keeler’s criticisms of the program hold any weight.
After finishing 4-8 last season, ending in last place in the Pac-12, and barely scraping out a win against NDSU 31-26 on Thursday, August 29th, it might be fair to say that Coach Prime, along with Colorado, aren’t quite ready for the big stage.
