Deion Sanders has taken his unofficial war with the local media to a new level, as the Colorado head coach and his team have vowed not to talk with a Denver Post columnist.
The Post reported Friday that the Colorado athletic department informed the paper that Sanders and the team will no longer take questions from columnist Sean Keeler, citing “a series of sustained, personal attacks.”
NEW: CU athletics informed The Denver Post that head coach Deion Sanders and anyone else within the Buffs football program will no longer take questions from columnist Sean Keeler due to what CU perceives as “a series of sustained, personal attacks” https://t.co/lwrw49I4pG
— The Denver Post (@denverpost) August 23, 2024
When the Post asked CU officials to clarify what Keeler had said to “attack” the program, a sports information staffer mentioned several terms the columnist had used to describe Sanders and the situation at Colorado: “False prophet,” Deposition Deion,” “Planet Prime,” Bruce Lee of B.S.,” the “Deion Kool-Aid” and “circus.”
The staffer said the refusal to cooperate with Keeler will be for an “indefinite” period. However, Keeler and other Post staffers will continue to be credentialed for CU games, practices and other events.
According to the Post, Sanders has a specific clause in his contract that requires he speak only with “mutually agreed upon media.”
Sanders has energized the Colorado football program since his arrival last season. After winning one game in 2022, the Buffs posted four wins last year and were far more competitive and entertaining, drawing sell-out crowds and attracting celebrity attention.
Yet Sanders has also been criticized for his coaching style and issues with the program. A recent Athlon Sports report cited examples of bullying and violence with the football team.
The former NFL star has had an uneasy relationship with the media. At a press conference earlier this month, Sanders debated reporters, questioned them on word definitions, and waved them off. A Denver TV anchor called out Sanders for trying to “intimidate” reporters.
Sanders has also had a beef with CBS for an issue involving a Black reporter.
This is not new behavior by Sanders. While at Jackson State in 2021, he blocked a reporter from the Clarion Ledger from covering the program.
