Sports
Deion Sanders and Colorado Still Have More Questions Than Answers
I’ve watched more college football previously 4 seasons than I did within the previous 10. There’s one reason: Deion Sanders, first at Jackson State, where he played HBCU football, and now on the University of Colorado, where he’s revived a struggling football program.
Colorado opened its season on Thursday with a nail-biting 31-26 home opener over North Dakota State, the Buffaloes’ first win since Oct. 7, 2023, once they defeated Arizona State. I watched every minute of Thursday’s game, and I’ll watch every minute of several more Colorado games, and I’ll be there in person for greater than a couple of.
What are we trying to find out and what questions are we attempting to answer? Is Coach Prime an excellent college football coach? Is he a greater promoter than a coach? Will Colorado have a winning season? Will Colorado play within the playoffs? Finally, will Sanders stay in Colorado after this season, since his son Shedeur Sanders and potential Heisman candidate Travis Hunter are set to enter the NFL Draft in 2025?
Some of my colleagues called Thursday’s season opener an important game of Coach Prime’s coaching profession.
With all due respect, no.
Thursday’s game was an important game until the subsequent game. Then the subsequent. Then the subsequent.
All Colorado proved Thursday was that it has two more NFL-ready superstars than North Dakota State: Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders — Hunter, a spectacular two-way player, and Sanders, a legitimate top-five quarterback prospect. Hunter caught seven passes for 132 yards and three touchdowns. On defense, he played greater than 40 snaps as a cornerback.
Shedeur continued where he left off last season, which is each good and bad news. Sanders plays a novel brand of hero ball, and it largely works. He has thrown 100 touchdowns in his profession and finished last season with 27 and a formidable 69% completion percentage. But that comes at a price.
Last season, he was essentially the most sacked quarterback in major league college football and threw so over and over attempting to make plays that he had to take a seat out the ultimate game of the season. On Thursday against North Dakota State, Sanders was sacked only once and kept the sport alive. He also made several throws right after the ball was released. Can he last a full season playing his swashbuckling quarterback style? And can Colorado win if Shedeur plays in a different way?
After the sport, Shedeur was criticized by his father, Coach Prime, for throwing a protracted pass to LaJohntay Wester within the fourth quarter when the offense must have been using a timeout. Sanders, nevertheless, rationalized that his son was simply attempting to be an excellent teammate by letting Wester get entangled on an evening when Hunter and Jimmy Horn Jr. were having great nights.
“Shedeur is such a good kid that sometimes it takes a toll on him because at the end of the game we just want to run with the ball,” Sanders said, rationalizing his son’s poor judgment.
The relationship between Sanders and his sons, Shedeur and Shilo, has been essentially the most fascinating aspect of the Coach Prime phenomenon at Jackson State and now at Colorado. Sanders has coached his sons at every level of football, and in his candid moments, Sanders admits the road between father and coach has often been blurred.
That’s why I’d like Prime to remain on as a coach after Shedeur and Hunter — his adopted son — leave for the NFL. Only then will we get an accurate picture of who Sanders really is as a coach, although I’m undecided that’s high on Prime’s list of priorities. Coaching his sons was such a special experience that life after they’re gone might be disappointing.
But there will likely be time for such speculations yet.
Now, with a protracted season to go, Prime, Shedeur and Hunter share the burden of proof. Hunter wants to point out he’s a legitimate Heisman candidate. Shedeur desires to prove he ought to be considered one of the primary three quarterbacks taken within the 2025 NFL Draft.
Of course, Sanders has the potential to prove he’s greater than just the football equivalent of a snake-oil salesman whose primary job is to advertise his program. He can show he’s a tactician who can match the intellect of the most effective coaches within the country.
You will achieve this by winning.
Coach Prime can also be in a position to prove that his scorched-earth approach to constructing rosters can also be effective. Sanders isn’t the sort to plant seeds and watch them grow. He prefers to plant mature trees.
Last 12 months, it made a splash and hurt feelings by drastically changing its roster. It brought in 68 latest scholarship players, 47 of whom transferred from other four-year programs.
He has done it again this season, bringing in 50 latest scholarship players, including 39 latest signings. Will it work? We’ll see.
Evaluating Deion Sanders solely on football criteria is complicated by the undeniable fact that he does greater than just coach football. He does other things, and I take his word for it that he cares concerning the well-being of the young men he coaches. Not necessarily those he runs out of, however the ones he coaches.
Last week, for instance, we learned that Sanders had partnered with a bank to open “529 accounts” for eight dads and fathers-to-be on his team. Each account will start at $2,121 (in honor of Sanders’s NFL-era number). A 529 is a tax-advantaged savings account designed for use for the beneficiary’s educational expenses. The idea is that if players can repeatedly deposit $200 of their very own money into the account, they will eventually pay for his or her child’s college education.
The larger issue surrounding the University of Colorado and its football program is how free the press is in covering Coach Prime’s tenure.
Closely related to this is whether or not the media buys what Deion is selling. Sanders, like many college coaches — HBCU, FBS, FCS — tends to be, or at the least aspire to be, dictators. Sanders has a thorny relationship with the media and has cleverly created his own media machine to present his story the best way he wants it presented.
In Colorado, he handles the press by picking and selecting who he considers too harsh and critical. That includes banning a Denver Post columnist whose criticism Sanders considered too personal. With the university’s permission, the reporter was barred from asking questions.
In an ideal world of one-for-all, one-for-all, if a Denver Post columnist were banned, your entire press corps would revolt and respond by boycotting Sanders. Imagine: Prime walks right into a news conference without cameras, reporters, or microphones. Colorado is riding a renaissance wave precisely since the football coach brought in cameras and microphones. Imagine suddenly having none.
In reality, Colorado doesn’t need to imagine it. The university knows what it’s like since it experienced it within the years leading as much as Prime: lethargy, indifference, darkness.
In any case, a media boycott won’t ever occur, and that is the crux of the matter: the media cannot afford to boycott Coach Prime. He’s a rankings bonanza. He’s news now, and we’re within the news business.
We all have our standards. Sanders and the university have set standards for what they consider “crossing the line” coverage. I even have my standards for what I consider interesting news.
Coach Prime won at Jackson State. He talked about black empowerment and constructing institutions, but he won. The news in college football is whether or not Coach Prime can lead Colorado to a winning record and a bowl game. The Buffaloes will likely be compelling in the event that they win, average and boring in the event that they lose. Pure and easy.
One match down, 11 left.
Sports
NFL star Terrell Owens signs a contract with Michael Strahan’s talent agency
NFL Hall of Fame receiver and podcast host Terrell Owens has signed with a talent agency to further strengthen his claims within the entertainment game.
According to , Owens was signed by SMAC Entertainment, headed by host and NFL Hall of Famer Michael Strahan and his business partner Constance Schwartz-Morini.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz has also joined SMAC Entertainment.
“We are excited to add TO and Jordan to the SMAC family. They are both at the top of their game and set the standard in their industry,” Schwartz-Morini said in a written statement. “TO and Jordan have already brought an infectious energy to our team, and we are excited to help them realize their vision for careers in media, business and branding.”
A five-time first-team All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowler, Owens played for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals. In 2018, he was finally inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
A member of the 2000 NFL All-Decade Team, Owens finished his profession with 1,078 catches for 15,934 yards, 14.8 yards per catch and 153 touchdowns, rating third all-time in receiving yards and touchdowns.
Since retiring from skilled soccer in 2012, Owens has already made several moves. He has appeared in several movies and tv shows, including “,” and in addition had his own reality show, “, on VH1.
He currently co-hosts the podcast with former NFL player and sports analyst Shannon Sharpe.
SMAC Entertainment is home to stars similar to rapper and actor Common, Wiz Khalifa, Strahan, Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders and current NFL players similar to Stefon Diggs and DK Metcalf.
Sports
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker brings an NBA championship desire with his Olympic experience
The gold medal went to the USA Basketball team. Mission completed on the 2024 Paris Games. U.S. men’s basketball coach Steve Kerr just answered his final query during his final news conference on Aug. 10 after his team defeated France within the gold medal game.
However, before leaving the stage of the press conference in Paris, Kerr stopped to deliver an unsolicited message to media around the globe.
“Devin Booker is an amazing basketball player. Nobody asked about him. He was our unsung MVP. I just desired to say that,” Kerr said.
The “underrated MVP” compliment meant so much to the Phoenix Suns guard.
“It meant everything. No one really asked him,” Booker recently told Andscape. “That was probably something that was weighing on his mind throughout the entire process. A 12 months ago I said what I desired to do for this team and what we desired to do for the country.
“It was a lot larger than all of us. Survival was something we’d discuss for the remainder of our lives.
The USA Basketball team was centered around NBA star icons LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant. There has also been some discussion amongst media and fans in regards to the lack of playing time for Jayson Tatum and, to a lesser extent, Tyrese Haliburton. Lost within the shuffle was the all-around, unselfish play of sharpshooter Booker wearing the armband.
Booker was fourth in scoring for the U.S., averaging 11.7 points, 3.3 assists and a couple of.2 three-pointers made early in all six Olympics, and likewise had the perfect plus/minus (plus-130) for an American. Kerr was impressed with Booker’s deal with a difficult defense, regardless that he is thought for his offense, ball movement and the way he has adjusted to not being one in every of the highest options on offense.
“I just understood what was at stake,” Booker said. “I’m proud to be from this country. I’m happy with playing basketball. Even though it wasn’t invented in America, we dominated for a very long time. Obviously the world is incredibly talented and the sport is growing, however it was just one other message to allow them to know who we’re.
Booker said he also learned in regards to the preparations from his all-star team, watching the preparations on and off the court. The 28-year-old added that he gained lifelong friendships.
“It’s cool to see that everyone has their own issues,” Booker said. “In my 10 years in the NBA, I’ve learned that you have to choose what you can use for yourself. But the level of detail, the attention to detail, the intensity – it’s all consistent across the board.”
As for Durant, Booker said the bond between the 2 Sun stars “is close and grows stronger every day.” They live about five minutes from one another within the Phoenix area and commonly spend time at home and on the road. Most recently, Booker had to steer the Suns without Durant, who was sidelined with an injury.
The amazing Durant averaged 27.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and three.4 assists, which were tops for the Suns. However, the 14-time NBA All-Star has been sidelined since November 8 with a left calf strain. Suns players Bradley Beal (calf) and Jusuf Nurkic (ankle) were also sidelined. The Suns are 1-5 without Durant, which incorporates 4 straight losses.
Booker and Suns sans Durant’s next rivals shall be the New York Knicks on Wednesday evening (ESPN, 10 p.m. ET). Over the last six games, Booker is averaging 24.1 points, shooting 43.2% from the sphere and making 16 of 43 three-pointers. Suns guard Tyus Jones said there was numerous pressure on Booker offensively due to the injury.
“We’re asking a lot of Book,” Jones said after Monday’s 109-99 loss to the visiting Orlando Magic. “It’s numerous pressure for him. We are very focused on it. They are physical with him, holding him and grabbing him, throwing two or three bodies at him all night long. So he’s got so much on his plate and we just need to proceed to seek out ways to get him open within the moments we will and proceed to assist him when other players are taking shots and making plays.
Booker currently has two Olympic gold medals, 4 NBA All-Star appearances and one NBA Finals appearance. The only thing missing from the Suns’ second-leading all-time scorer is an NBA championship. Since the Suns joined the NBA as an expansion team in 1968, they’ve yet to win a title.
After experiencing the joys of winning a gold medal, Booker as an NBA champion wants the gold Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy much more.
“Most of the guys that were there did it,” Booker said of his Olympic teammates who were NBA champions. “They were champions. This is standard for them. Anything lower than that, they need nothing to do with it. It’s contagious…
“That’s all I want. That’s all I want.”
Sports
New Unrivaled Women’s League Reveals Team Rosters and Coach Allocations
After months of introducing the players and coaches who will participate in its inaugural season, the brand new Unrivaled 3-on-3 women’s basketball league announced its team rosters and coaching assignments on Wednesday.
Founded by WNBA players Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, Unrivaled consists of six teams of six players each. The league was created to offer WNBA players with a substitute for playing overseas in the course of the offseason.
Although initially announced as having 30 players, the league has since expanded to 36, which Collier attributed “above financial forecasts”. The league has announced 34 players publicly up to now.
The inaugural season of Unrivaled will begin on January 17, 2025, with all games going down in Miami. Here are the official teams for the inaugural season, as well season schedule.
Vinyl Basketball Club:
– Coach: Teresa Weatherspoon
Rose Basketball Club:
– Coach: Nola Henry
Mgła basketball club:
– Coach: Phil Handy
Lunar Owls Basketball Club:
– TBD: wild card
– Coach: DJ Sackmann
Phantom Basketball Club:
– TBD: wild card
– Coach: Adam Harrington
Laces Basketball Club:
– Coach: Andrew Wade
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