The 2024 college football season has not even started yet, and Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders is already off to a rocky start with the local media.
After a defensive press conference a couple of weeks ago where he refused to answer questions from a local CBS affiliate (an issue that seems to have been resolved), Matt Schubert of the Denver Post reported on Friday that one of their columnists — Sean Keeler — has been banned from asking questions to Sanders and the rest of the Colorado football program.
Sanders reportedly has a clause in his contract that only requires him to answer questions from mutually agreed upon media, something that is almost unheard of in high-level sports.
The football program informed the Post that Keeler would be banned from asking questions for what it called “a series of sustained, personal attacks.”
“When asked for specific examples of how Keeler personally attacked Sanders and the program, a sports information staffer cited his use of phrases such as ‘false prophet,’ ‘Deposition Deion,’ ‘Planet Prime,’ “Bruce Lee of B.S.,’ ‘the Deion Kool-Aid’ and ‘circus,” Schubert wrote.
“’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,’ the CU statement read.”
The paper was also informed the decision is indefinite.
This is a tough look for Colorado. When Sanders arrived at Colorado expectations were through the roof, especially after a couple of early wins to open the 2023 season. But things quickly unraveled due to a lack of depth and offensive line problems, resulting in a 4-8 record (and 1-8 in conference) and a season-ending six-game losing streak.
While the criticisms and comments from Keeler might be harsh, it is the exact type of thing every big-time college football program or professional sports team faces when they do not win. Sanders and the football have put a pretty big target on their backs by raising expectations and talking a big game. So far, they have not delivered. As long as that is going to be the case, heavy criticism is going to come with the territory until they start producing.