Deion Sanders has started his coaching career in Colorado in glorious fashion, opening up 2023 with an impressive upset win over 17th-ranked TCU, 45-42. The NFL Hall of Famer was doubted by many when he first decided to move to the sidelines at Jackson State University; being considered a great player, but someone with no real coaching experience. But in the time since, Prime Time has proved many of those naysayers wrong.
Deion Sanders Press Conference | Colorado Football
One of the leading critics of Sanders has been niche woke sports analyst Jemele Hill, who continued her public relations campaign against his tenure at Colorado. She joins a chorus of those who question Sanders’ exit from Jackson State, feeling the whole situation was handled poorly and that Deion had left the school high and dry. (Despite winning 23 of 25 games in his last two seasons, setting records, and bringing in huge crowds.)
Then, during the broadcast of the game Colorado-TCU game, Hill returned to her bread and butter: commenting on X that there was a lot of secret racism going on. It’s been a calling card for the commentator in her career, and one that drew the ire of many viewers during her tenure at ESPN from 2006-18. While with the network, she was suspended for questionable social media posts on multiple occasions and eventually terminated.
“Really interesting listening to some of the commentary around this Colorado-TCU game,” Hill wrote on X during the game cast. “Lot of coded stuff.” But if you were expecting evidence to back up that claim, you’ll be waiting awhile. None were forthcoming.
Hill has been an equal opportunity basher here, not only criticizing Deion Sanders but also criticizing his critics. She started out taking on the former multi-sport star for how he departed Jackson. Then, she went after some of his critics for doubting his coaching abilities. Now, it just appears that she’s angry (?) that it all worked out. It’s been a bit of an all-over-the-place argument since Sanders accepted the Colorado job back in December.
“Him leaving JSU was inevitable, but sometimes it’s about how you do things,” Hill wrote. “Think he made some comments that rubbed folks the wrong way. Understand this: Colorado doesn’t happen without JSU.”
“They gave him an opportunity that not a single Power 5 school was willing to give him, and he proved he knew what he was doing. His path to success happened because of an HBCU and that can’t get lost in his story.”
Deion’s press conference gave everything it needed to give. He’s 100 percent right. https://t.co/lSERf4M555
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) September 3, 2023
To her credit, Jemele Hill did circle back around, and she praised Deion Sanders for his postgame comments. In them, he addressed his detractors and doubters. While it can be fair to argue that the Buffaloes coach probably did do JSU dirty, he made it clear to everyone that he didn’t sell out who he was as a coach and a man.
“When you see a confident Black man, sitting up here talking his talk, walking his walk, coaching 75% of African Americans in the locker room, that’s kind of threatening,” Sanders said at a press conference. “Oh, they don’t like that! But guess what? We’re gonna consistently do what we do because I’m here and ain’t going nowhere. And I’m about to get comfortable in a minute.”
Coach Deion Sanders and his Buffs (1-0) will take on rival Nebraska (0-1) at home on Saturday.
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