Paul Finebaum: Deion Sanders is a ‘bully and a hypocrite,’ actions are ‘disgraceful’

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders grabbed some headlines over the weekend when he and the program banned Denver Post columnist Sean Keeler from asking Sanders questions at press conferences. Deeming his reporting of the Buffaloes as ‘sustained, personal attacks on the football program’ and specifically their head coach.

Sanders took the podium on Saturday , saying that he would not match the ignorance of the media and defending that he comes with peace and love versus hate. But on ESPN’s Get Up Monday morning, college football analyst Paul Finebaum made it clear he is not a fan of Sanders’ latest affairs with the media.

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“He did this at Jackson State ,” Finebaum said. “This is a trait of Deion Sanders. He wants to have it his way and I find him to be a bully and a hypocrite. And quite frankly, as someone who has been a fan of his throughout his entire career, even at Colorado, I am mortified by his actions.”

Sanders has unique language in his contract that states he’s only required to speak to with ‘mutually agreed upon media.’ Which Keeler does not fall under after using phrases like “false prophet,” “Deposition Deion,” “Planet Prime,” “Bruce Lee of B.S.,” “the Deion Kool-Aid,” and “circus” in his reporting of Sanders and the Colorado program.

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But overall, Finebaum believes that Sanders’ behavior with the media shows a contradiction between both parties ahead of his second season in Boulder.

“Coach Prime is showing he is not ready for prime time Greeny,” Finebaum said to host Mike Greenberg. “I find this whole thing to be disgraceful. Deion may want to talk about love and joy, and that’s been the cornerstone of what he seems to be spewing out. But treating reporters like this seems like we’re in some autocratic country. This is not America, and the fact that it’s in his contract is really even more absurd.”

The Keeler ban follows Sanders refusing to speak to a reporter from CBS in early August. Continuing the ongoing saga between the charismatic head coach for the Buffaloes and the media he attracts a ton of attention from.

There’s no question that Sanders has put a unique spotlight on the Colorado program with a personality and panache that he’s carried with him from his playing days as one of the best defensive players to step foot on the field. And while head coaches have made similar bans to media members in the past, the public nature of Colorado’s is what does not sit well with Finebaum.

A couple things to remember, the University of Colorado is a public institution. This is not a private entity where you can put a wall up at the door. As far as Deion Sanders, first of all, he doesn’t have to announce it. There’s a reason why I think he’s announcing a Greeny, he’s trying to intimidate anyone from going down the same dark road,” Finebaum explained.

“By the way, I have been to a million press conferences where a coach would not call on me because the coach did not like me. I’m sure you’ve been in the same spot Greeny, that’s all you have to do. But the reason why Deion is going public is he wants total control, and things have not gone his way. That’s really what this is all about.”

Sanders led Colorado to a 4-8 record last football season after inheriting a team that finished 1-11 prior to his arrival. Once again turning over the roster drastically through the transfer portal in a second consecutive offseason as the Buffaloes transition to the Big 12.

His relationship with the media will be fascinating to track this college football season, but there’s no question that how Colorado performs on the field will have a strong impact on how that rapport looks.

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