Before Colorado’s football team could attempt to silence critics on the field, the program silenced a reporter.
The program recently banned Denver Post columnist Sean Keeler from asking Deion Sanders questions following his “series of sustained, personal attacks” against the head coach and football team. Keeler has referred to Coach Prime as a “false prophet” and the “Bruce Lee of B.S.”
Amid the controversy, Dan Patrick theorized the media is partially to blame for much of Keeler’s criticism that led to his censure.
“I think what happens is the attention that Colorado has received doesn’t match the end result,” Patrick said on his Monday show (h/t Awful Announcing).
Patrick mentioned College GameDay and FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff going to Boulder and called it “embarrassing” that Sports Illustrated named Sanders its 2023 Sportsperson of the Year following a four-win season. He also cited speculation of the former two-way sports star jumping to a new high-profile job with USC or the Dallas Cowboys.
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While it all may seem like too much, Patrick reasoned that Sanders didn’t ask for any of that.
“The attention, that’s what should be blamed, not the person receiving the attention … All they’re doing is trying to take some of this spotlight that Deion has and get some clicks,” Patrick said. “That’s all that is. It’s silly. But Deion’s not the one who’s saying this.”
However, that doesn’t mean Patrick thinks Sanders has handled the situation perfectly. He said the coach feels like a “bully.”
“He wants to set the tone of, ‘We’re not going to take that negativity,'” Patrick added. “But it goes along with this. If he’s creating great expectations, if he’s saying, ‘Hey, I think we’re one of the top 15 teams in America,’ OK. Then you can hold him accountable with those words. But it feels like, is Deion a false prophet if he’s saying they’re going to be in the College Football Playoff? Do we take every coach at his word for what they say?”
Colorado will begin its 2024 season against North Dakota State on Thursday.
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