Deion Sanders’ information conferences typically really feel like a sermon. When he’s on a roll, his phrases have a rhythm and power that remind me of a Sunday morning within the Black church. He’ll lead you to consider his objective for being at Colorado is bigger than soccer. Successful could also be essential, however growing full individuals in addition to all-around gamers is crucial. When he talks concerning the varieties of recruits he seems to be for, he mentions intelligence, pace and toughness, however there’s added emphasis when he cites character and self-discipline. He attracts out these phrases, leaving them to linger within the air for a second longer.
Right now, these phrases ring hole. Right now, Sanders sounds and appears like a hypocrite. The person who as soon as refused to disregard a petty verbal slight from an opposing coach as a result of “my momma taught me that you simply ain’t simply gonna assault me, and I ain’t gonna sit again and say nothing,” is refusing to take questions from a neighborhood columnist as a result of he doesn’t like what the individual has written about him and this system.
From my vantage level, that doesn’t appear like character. Somewhat, it resembles cowardice.
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Sanders, Buffs will now not reply questions from native columnist
Everybody is aware of you don’t run from a bully, perceived or precise. You stand as much as the individual. Would Sanders inform his group to run and conceal if dealing with an opponent that could be a two- or three-touchdown favourite? In fact not. He’d inform his gamers to face their floor and meet the second.
However on this case, he both requested or allowed Colorado’s athletics division to inform The Denver Submit that nobody from the soccer program would take questions from columnist Sean Keeler due to “a sequence of sustained, private assaults” in Keeler’s protection of this system. Requested for particular examples, a sports activities data staffer cited using phrases resembling “false prophet,” “Deposition Deion,” “Planet Prime,” “Bruce Lee of B.S.,” “the Deion Kool-Support” and “circus,” in accordance with the Submit.
I can perceive Sanders being bothered by such characterizations, however I additionally know the pores and skin of an FBS head coach must be thicker than one-ply bathroom paper. Nevertheless, Sanders has by no means dealt with criticism properly, going again to his days as knowledgeable soccer and baseball participant.
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When he suited up for the Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Falcons on the identical day a long time in the past, Tim McCarver, a catcher-turned-broadcaster, criticized him for it. McCarver was a purist and didn’t like what he believed to be a circus going down. Sanders later responded by dumping a number of buckets of ice water on McCarver’s head within the clubhouse.
A number of years in the past whereas teaching at Jackson State, Sanders refused to take a query from a reporter when the individual addressed him on the Southwestern Convention media day as Deion as an alternative of Coach Prime.
“When you name Nick (Saban), Nick, you’ll get stubborn out on the spot,” Sanders mentioned to the reporter, referring to the previous Alabama coach. “So don’t try this to me. Deal with me like Nick.”
Two weeks in the past, Sanders dismissively waved off a CBS reporter after studying of the reporter’s affiliation.
“I’m not doing nothing with CBS. Subsequent query,” he mentioned. “It ain’t bought nothing to do with you. It’s above that. It ain’t bought nothing to do with you. I bought love for you. I respect you. I respect you. It ain’t bought nothing to do with you. They know what they did.”
In that very same information convention, Sanders additionally refused to take a query from Keeler. As soon as is an accident, twice is a coincidence, and thrice is a sample of habits.
Sanders made amends with CBS reporter Eric Christensen the next week, providing him a one-on-one interview, however the scenario with Keeler doubtless gained’t be resolved as rapidly or as easily. Division officers haven’t indicated if or when its place will change, although it mentioned it can proceed to credential Keeler and different Submit reporters for video games, practices and different soccer occasions. Keeler won’t be acknowledged for questions from the soccer program, however he can interview directors, coaches and contributors in different sports activities.
Makes an attempt to regulate the sports activities media are nothing new, notably in school soccer. In 2012, as an illustration, USC briefly banned a media member after he reported a participant damage. And final season, the Trojans quickly suspended a beat author for reporting a dialog that two gamers had in entrance of the media.
There are different examples and battles which can be fought that the general public by no means hears about, and and not using a coach who preaches love, peace and empathy working from the chance to point out his gamers find out how to deal with a troublesome scenario. However that’s what bullies do, proper? After they notice they aren’t prone to win, they flip and run. They offer ammunition to critics who would possibly argue their sermons are nothing greater than hole phrases, coated in fashion however missing substance.
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(Picture: Louis Grasse / Getty Photographs)
