Deion Sanders has turned Colorado Buffaloes football into event television.
The national media is paying attention with keen interest.
And Sanders entered into one deal that raised everyone’s eyebrows.
NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders took on the task of rebuilding Colorado Buffaloes football.
The team won 10 games in 2016 after 10 consecutive losing seasons but bottomed out again and finished 1-11 in 2022.
Sanders took over the program in 2023 and entered with a lot of fanfare.
Thus far, Sanders has exceeded expectations with the team sitting at 4-3.
ESPN has a conflict on its hands
And Sanders just lent his Coach Prime branding to apparel company Wear, which is owned by Fox Sports sideline reporter Erin Andrews.
Andrews modeled the Coach Prime gear herself and added the Instagram message, “The collab you’ve all been waiting for! The #PrimeEffect has taken over. WEAR is excited to announce that #WEARbyEA collaborated with #COACHPRIME for an exclusive line! Available now at @dickssportinggoods online and #comingsoon to select stores near you.”
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The brand deal was somewhat of a head-scratcher because media figures are generally supposed to be independent of the people they cover.
But that veil of separation has been shattered for at least a decade.
Acclaimed sports journalist and cultural critic Jason Whitlock argued on his show Fearless, “I’m old school. This—you know, 15 years ago, 20 years ago, 25 years ago—major no-no…[I]t’s not a good look in my opinion…Let’s say you’re a young reporter on your way up. You’re some 26-year-old. Why take the risk of criticizing any of these athletes because it may cut you off from access? … There’s supposed to be a separation of media and athletes and media and the people they cover. And that separation has been totally blown to smithereens.”
It’s hard to see sports media figures as impartial, when they’re in brand deals with the people they cover.
The problem is even worse in political journalism.
The election of Donald Trump exposed journalists as little more than left-wing activists.
As for Sanders, he’s also ruffled feathers for his old-school approach to coaching.
During a 60 Minutes interview, Sanders said, “I think truth is good for the kids. We’re so busy lying we don’t even recognize the truth no more in society. We want everybody to feel good. That’s not the way life is…Now, it is my job to make sure I have what we need to win. That makes a lot of people feel good – winning does.”
Colorado finishes the season with a tough schedule, so bowl game eligibility is still in question.
Stay tuned to Unmuzzled News for any updates to this ongoing story.
