Deion Sanders’ ongoing feud with the media has Stephen A. Smith and Paul Finebaum turning against each other on First Take.
Sanders took aim at the media again this week, calling out writers and reporters who he believes are “envious and jealous” of college football players making more money than them through their Name, Image and Likeness.
Paul Finebaum suggests Stephen A. Smith might want to return his degree for defending Deion Sanders. 😬 pic.twitter.com/hHlNJUAdei
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 18, 2024
“Once upon a time, you guys never attacked college players,” Sanders said during his rant. “Now they’re making more money than y’all. And some of y’all are envious and jealous about that so you’re on the attack.”
Finebaum joined ESPN’s First Take Wednesday morning where he ripped Sanders’ rant against college football media to shreds, accusing the University of Colorado head coach of “purely gaslighting.”
“It’s really unbecoming of somebody of his stature and status. He knows that’s not true,” Finebaum continued, noting much of the media has campaigned for college athletes to receive financial compensation. “For him to say that is just really specious. It’s baseless and quite frankly it looks to me like he is living in an alternative universe, because that is simply not true…I think it’s desperation and it’s entirely spineless of him to attack the media who has not even attacked his players.”
Smith, however, pushed back on Finebaum’s assessment, calling him “extreme” for accusing Sanders of gaslighting. And the rebuttal from Smith sparked a sports debate centered around Sanders that was tense at times.
Paul Finebaum suggests Stephen A. Smith might want to return his degree for defending Deion Sanders. 😬 pic.twitter.com/hHlNJUAdei
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 18, 2024
“I am really shocked by you trying to split the baby here, Stephen A. You know better,” a disappointed Finebaum said. “Deion Sanders is completely wrong here. There’s no justification for him castigating the entire media for something that never happened…don’t sound like one of these politicians coming here and blaming it all on the media. That doesn’t work in college football.”
Smith admitted he didn’t have evidence of media members attacking Colorado players, but still trusted Sanders’ claim that “some” have.
“I’m quoting the man,” Smith fired back. “And when he said in his quote, ‘some’ of y’all,’ I’m like okay, I don’t know who those people are, I think he believes it. And that’s what I’m saying. Listen, I’m not reading The Denver Post every day. I’m not watching the reports for every beat writer covering the Colorado Buffaloes, okay? I got other things to do with my time. If I’m quoting the man and the man said ‘some,’ then I’m assuming there might be a couple of people that might criticize players. So what? Now if he said, ‘all of ya’s’ that would be different. That’s not what he said. And that’s all I’m saying. You can’t knock me for quoting the man.”
Smith basically admitted he has no idea if Sanders is telling the truth, but still decided to take the college coach at his word and move on, which would seemingly fall short of meeting the journalistic standards he claims to hold. Finebaum accused Sanders of gaslighting. Smith pushed back on that term, which is fine. But if you’re going to debate Finebaum on the issue, bring a shred of evidence to the table.
“Stephen A, when you go to your alma mater on Friday, you might want to take your degree back,” Finebaum said. “I’ve always had great respect for you as a journalist, and I still do, but you’re going through some unbelievable lengths breaking your back trying to make a case for Deion Sanders.”
