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Colorado head football coach Deion Sanders was involved in a pair of tense interactions with local media during a recent press conference. While speaking on the year to come, he shunned two Denver based journalists as they attempted to ask questions.
One of those media members worked for the Denver Post while the other was with a CBS affiliated news station. His response to each differed, though neither would get the reactions they expected.
In the instance with Denver Post writer Sean Keeler, the message was clear.
“You don’t like us, man. Why do you do this to yourself?” he asked when Keeler addressed him. “I’m serious. Why do you do this? You know you don’t [like us]… It would be really hard for me to engage with someone I don’t like or something I don’t like. I’m just asking, why? What did I do?
“You’re always on the attack. What did we do to you?”
Coach Prime presses Denver reporter/ Colorado hater , Sean Keeler😭😭
I’m so glad Prime called that goofy out pic.twitter.com/Vtp6PiAtuU
— GUCCE🦬🐦⬛ (@gucceCU) August 9, 2024
Coach Prime referenced a number of past pieces directly and negatively aimed at the Colorado program. Keeler responded by writing another unfavorable piece on the head coach.
In the case of CBS representative, Deion Sanders‘ response was different.
“CBS? I’m not doing anything with CBS, next question,” he said after the reporter announced his affiliation. “It ain’t got nothing to do with you. It’s above you.”
Coach Prime is not taking any questions from CBS outlet👀
“What they did was foul” pic.twitter.com/Lpx8AKX8FW
— GUCCE🦬🐦⬛ (@gucceCU) August 9, 2024
Many immediately searched for reasoning behind Sanders’ bitter relationship with the network, most coming to the conclusion that it revolved around a recent coaching ranking that placed him 15th out of 16 Big XII leaders.
That was apparently not the topic causing the tension. Prime set the record straight on Tuesday!
Deion Sanders clarified his stance with CBS on social media.
Phillip Dukes of On3 Sports broke the situation down in a podcast segment this week. He seemed to have some inside intel as to why the relationship had soured.
Dukes referenced a failed project between the two sides in which he claims Sanders did his part before CBS pulled the plug. It had nothing to do with the coaches ranking!
Sanders later confirmed that theory with a response on X.
Thank u my brother for keeping some things unspoken. We love it when they ASSume. Lolololol The insanity is better than Sanford & Son at times.
Keep up the outstanding Reporting and keeping it. Relationships in this business is everything. God bless my brother.
-Deion Sanders / X: @DeionSanders
While we don’t necessarily have the behind-the-scenes view of what transpired, we at least have some insight as to why Coach Prime dismissed the questioning so quickly. Hence, his saying to the local reporter that “He’s got nothing but love,” but “you [A CBS affiliate] are who you are.”
We may not get much more clarity on the project referenced, but Sanders is clearly not too bothered by the second-to-last place Big XII ranking.