Paul Finebaum probably shouldn’t expect a Christmas card in the mail from Deion Sanders this year.
But the ESPN college football personality has made a living off of unnerving college football head coaches, and Colorado’s head man is just the latest. With the SEC Media Days underway, the host of The Paul Finebaum Show took aim at Sanders during Monday’s First Take.
Finebaum opined that the expectations surrounding Sanders and Colorado are completely unrealistic.
.@finebaum says Colorado is “irrelevant in the big picture of college football” š³ pic.twitter.com/4sWxWKEmaY
ā First Take (@FirstTake) July 15, 2024
“Anyone asking whether Deion Sanders and Colorado are close to the playoffs simply doesn’t understand the reality of the road,” Finebaum said. “They are not going to the playoffs this year, and I’m not sure Deion Sanders is ever going to get them to the playoffs because I don’t think he has the patience to stay at Colorado long enough. There’s so many misconceptions out there. Deion Sanders is the best salesman I’ve ever seen. I personally love the guy and what he stands for, but the program looking out has a ridiculously inflated view of itself.
“I heard Shedeur Sanders, who is a fabulous quarterback, say last week, ‘We’re everyone’s Super Bowl.’ Shedeur, you’re not. You’re an easy win nowadays. You got off to a phenomenal start last year, beating a couple of mediocre teams that had big names. And quite frankly, you haven’t done anything since other than crash and burn.
“So, I know that the media loves this story. We fall all over ourselves, but Colorado isn’t important in college football. Deion Sanders is. He’s a standalone person. He’s one of the most charismatic people we’ve ever seen. But Colorado is nothing. They don’t matter. They’re irrelevant in the big picture of college football.”
Please tell us how you really feel, Paul.
Only time will tell if Sanders can defy the odds and continue elevating Colorado into a blue-blood program. At the same time, Finebaum’s comments starkly contrast how Colorado is perceived in the media versus how it perceives itself.
The honeymoon phase may be over, and the real work of rebuilding a contender begins now.
For his part, Sanders responded Monday evening.
“God is good my brother & they mad mad! I sense a bit of anger & hostility. Lolololololol God blessĀ @RGIIIĀ for always keeping it,”Ā Coach Prime wrote on X.
