Paul Finebaum is a very strong man. After all, it takes Finebaum’s tenacity to carry on the barrage of criticism even in the wake of vicious abuse. That’s the exact reason the ESPN host has returned with even more vigor amidst the intense backlash after his ‘irrelevant’ remark following Colorado’s enormous audience figures versus North Dakota State.
Finebaum stated, “That’s what it is, Matt, show,” on The Matt Barrie Show. “Plus, it’s enjoyable. There are some sports events that we only watch.”
Even after learning the startling statistics, Finebaum asked a daring inquiry about Deion Sanders’ buffs without faltering.
“What did Colorado really accomplish other than drawing a big audience for ESPN?”
The host went on to discuss the subject, giving his reasoning for believing that Sanders’s level of popularity comes before his achievements as a head coach.
“It’s a bit uncomfortable to talk about Deion since we both work at ESPN,” Finebaum said. “I’m on some of these morning shows, and Deion is just another big name, like LeBron and Aaron.”
Deion Sanders is naturally popular because of the captivating swagger he brings to the camera. But does he coach a program or is he there to take center stage? Finebaum was prepared to highlight other compelling topics while she awaited Sanders’ next response to that question.
Paul Finebaum finds Deion Sanders’ dominance of the Colorado football sideline to be unacceptable.
There was still more to come from Deion Sanders’ barrage of pointed inquiries. This time, it was an attempt to undermine Sanders’s sideline work in their opening match.
“Although the game was thrilling, Deion’s final-quarter coaching style worries me more than anything else. Does he have command of the sidelines? Finebaum pointed his question to Shedeur Sanders.
Everyone’s breath caught, even though it was only a four-yard call from the quarterback. If quarterback Cam Miller of the Bisons hadn’t mishandled the ball, Colorado might have won the game.
“At a moment when they should have been running down the clock, they kept taking shots, giving the opponent a chance to come back and win,” Finebaum said, further highlighting the embarrassment.
The question still stands, despite the fact that Sanders has already publicly chastised his son for his poorly thought-out action (as have Finebaum’s provocations).
Coach Prime’s only response to this would be on the field on September 7 against Nebraska.
Three reasons why the SEC will never hire Deion Sanders.
Deion Sanders, the head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, has been in the news throughout the off-season. Despite being the head coach of a team that has historically been among the worst in FBS over the past few decades, Sanders has become the center of attention very quickly. He has banned reporters from press conferences and called them out on their language when they ask football-related questions.
While serving as the head coach at Jackson State from 2020 to 2022, Sanders enjoyed great success there, coaching the team to two berths in the Celebration Bowl and their first-ever undefeated regular season in school history. This helped Sanders land a job with the Buffaloes in 2023, where he went 4-8 and doubled the team’s projected win total despite the team having finished with a 1-11 record the year before.
Why is Deion Sanders not going to get a job in the SEC?
1. Deion Sanders ignores the defensive position
The SEC is still a league that takes pride in its defensive heritage, even as it is evolving into the most high-scoring college football conference in history. Despite Sanders’ spectacular and thrilling offenses, given the Buffaloes’ track record on defense throughout his tenure, it would be tough to imagine an SEC team drafting him.
The Buffaloes allowed 34.8 points per game on defense in 2023, which placed them 122nd out of 133 FBS teams. In the opening game of 2024, the defensive line seemed to be even more vulnerable against the North Dakota State Bison, who gained 157 yards through the air. Though it did appear to be slightly better, there are still flaws. Coaching exits are another indication that Sanders is not giving the defense much thought.
2. The program is losing assistant coaches swiftly.
Charles Kelly, the former associate defensive coordinator for the Crimson Tide, made the decision to depart Nick Saban’s staff in order to take a position as defensive coordinator with the Buffaloes in 2023. In Colorado, Kelly’s earlier success as a defensive coordinator did not materialize. But to be fair, this was only a one-year period. But not even Kelly wanted to stay around.
Kelly returned to the East Coast to work as the defensive coordinator for the Auburn Tigers following a season in Boulder. This made it unclear why he would quit the SEC in the first place. You were, after all, a defensive coordinator for Nick Saban, the all-time great coach. Furthermore, Saban has a defensive mindset.
It is dubious at best that Kelly left Tuscaloosa for a program rebuild at Boulder and then came back to the SEC a year later. And if Sanders’s stock ever rises in the SEC, don’t think that athletic directors won’t take notice of this. If coaches express a desire to leave, that may be a poor indication.
3. Sanders’ remarks cast a shadow of negativity
National media outlets covered Sanders’ remarks and contentious exchanges with reporters, with many people supporting the reporter who merely used the term “bolstered” and Sanders criticizing them both for it. In the SEC, of course, winning is everything, but this kind of response is something that, in my opinion, no president, athletic director, or fan base would want.
Sanders, on the other hand, is a coach who is actually making the Buffaloes better. Furthermore, he has not only performed this function there but also at Jackson State. Sanders’s prospects in the SEC may change if he can maintain his composure, continue to help the Buffaloes, and cease seeking attention from the media. But as of right now, the verdict is still out.
