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Deion Sanders and Colorado Still Have More Questions Than Answers

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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.

Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Travis Hunter catches the ball for a touchdown within the second half of the sport at Folsom Field.

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

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?

“We have a long season ahead of us at this point, and Prime, Shedeur and Hunter share the burden of proof.”

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.

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders comes out of the penalty box against North Dakota State on Aug. 29 at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado.

Kevin Langley/Icon Sportswire

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.

William C. Rhoden is a columnist at Andscape and the writer of Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete. He directs Rhoden Fellows, a training program for aspiring journalists at HBCUs.

This article was originally published on : andscape.com
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Jayson Tatum’s dad is embarking on a successful coaching career in Australia’s NBL league

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As Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics attended the 2024 NBA Championship ring ceremony and banner raising on October 22, the Illawarra Hawks head coach took an apparent break from his team’s training in Australia to observe the sport on his cell phone.

Yes, Justin Tatum was on the opposite side of the world holding back his completely happy emotions, nevertheless it was essential to him to see his son and the Celtics – who play the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday (ESPN, 7:30 p.m. ET) – have fun in real time .

“I couldn’t miss this moment if my life depended on it,” Justin Tatum told Andscape. “My team and the organization understood that. I felt nothing but happiness and it was a sign of success that I used to be completely happy to see my son and his teammates succeed. I hope he has the chance to experience this over and over during his NBA career. I used to be just so completely happy for him.

Justin Tatum is attempting to win a championship as head coach of the Illawarra Hawks. He got here to the Illawarra after serving as probably the most successful highschool basketball coaches in Missouri, winning three state championships and 10 conference titles in 16 seasons at Christian Brothers College High School in St. Louis and Soldan High. His biggest highschool basketball challenge was coaching against his son — Justin Tatum went 1-9 against Jayson’s Chaminade High School.

Following a successful career as CBC Head Coach, Justin Tatum left on February 28, 2023 to grow to be a North American Scout and Special Advisor for Basketball Operations on the Illawarra. Illawarra Hawks majority owner Jared Novelly is from St. Louis, who like Justin Tatum also attended CBC and St. Louis University.

However, what began as a front office position evolved into an assistant coaching position on the Hawks staff under head coach Jacob Jackomas.

“If I wanted to challenge myself, this was my opportunity,” said Justin Tatum, 45. “I desired to be certain every little thing was OK with the pinnacle coach first. I didn’t want them to throw me out and say, “Hey, you’ve got to take this man.” We talked about it with the pinnacle coach and we felt that it might be a good opportunity for me to be here because I can be a mediator for the American players.

Illawarra Hawks coach Justin Tatum in the course of the NBL second round match between the Illawarra Hawks and Brisbane Bullets on the WIN Entertainment Center on September 7 in Wollongong, Australia.

Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

The Hawks parted ways with Jackomas after starting last season 2-7 and replaced him with Tatum. Under Tatum’s leadership, the Hawks finished the regular season with a 12-7 record, moving as much as fourth place in the NBL standings and securing a playoff spot. Last season, the Hawks had the 4th best offensive stats (118.0 offensive) and 2nd best defense (109.6 defensive). The Hawks advanced to the semi-finals of the 2024 NBL Playoffs before losing a three-game series to Melbourne United in late March.

“They released (Jackomas) in mid-November. I was the only person on our staff who had head coaching and playing experience,” said Tatum, who played professionally in the Netherlands. “It’s not that I used to be going to vary every little thing, but I used to be going to take a higher take a look at it then…

“I learned the league on the fly. When I got here, I did my homework. But when I found myself in a difficult situation, I had two solid assistant coaches who had coached in the league for a while. I spent nights with them, learning the names of the referees, other teams’ players, and what they ran. I had to learn the FIBA ​​rules.”

Said Jayson Tatum proudly: “They tagged him on interim and he went on a crazy run, making it to the playoffs and what would have been sort of our conference finals.”

Tatum also finished second in this season’s NBL Coach of the Year voting, just a few votes behind Melbourne United’s Dean Vickerman. Tatum was rewarded with a three-year contract with Illawarra before the beginning of the playoffs.

“He has earned the respect of his team, coaching staff and fans in a relatively short period of time, so I look forward to seeing what he is able to accomplish in the long term,” Hawks general manager Mat Campbell said in a statement regarding Tatum.

While away from the States, Justin Tatum at all times keeps an eye fixed on his son and the Celtics.

The Hawks are headquartered in Wollongong, a city of roughly 300,000 people positioned in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia, roughly 50 miles south of Sydney. From St. Louis flight to Sydney and before departure to Wollongong takes roughly 21-28 hours and takes roughly 21-28 hours.

In Australia, Celtics games normally start at 11:00. On training days, Justin Tatum will watch the primary half at work and the second half at home. Time allows him to observe most Celtics games.

However, it’s much harder for Jayson Tatum to observe his father’s games as a result of the time difference.

“If we play at 2pm on a Sunday, on the East Coast where he is, it’ll be around 11am or midnight. It’s rolling the dice. But he’s at all times supportive. If he wakes up and sees that we won, he’ll re-tag or post that the Hawks won or dad was successful. He’ll watch the highlights and he knows we’re doing well,” Justin Tatum said.

Justin Tatum, father of Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics, during a game on the United Center on October 24, 2022 in Chicago.

Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum (right) hugs his father Justin Tatum (left) after winning Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks on June 17 at TD Garden in Boston.

Jenny Fischer/NBAE via Getty Images

After the top of the Hawks season, Justin Tatum was capable of see firsthand how his son “gets the monkey off his back” because the Celtics win a “well-deserved” NBA championship. Weeks after winning the NBA title, Jayson Tatum signed a five-year contract extension price as much as $315 million. However, Jayson Tatum also played sparingly for Team USA Basketball when it won the gold medal on the 2024 Paris Olympics and missed two contests.

Justin Tatum was in Paris for the Olympics and was confused by his son’s lack of playing time.

“It didn’t trouble me, if that made sense. If it made sense to not play it like a matchup,” Justin Tatum said. “But should you cannot make time for him or something, (US head coach) said Steve Kerr. This doesn’t make much sense. (Jayson) had a long season and a long summer, and I just desired to be certain he was healthy. I just desired to be certain that at the top of the day you already know that you simply are still among the finest players in the world. So whatever the coach’s decision or whether or not they determine they do not need you, as coaches we should not at all times right. We hope you are taking this as a sign of motivation, not disrespect. You are certainly one of the five best players. Keep your head up.

“He wasn’t good at not playing. But he wasn’t in the room sulking or throwing chairs, or it wasn’t a topic of dinner conversation. He said he could have stayed along with his family, stayed home or done what was true. But he was completely happy to win gold and never actually played with LeBron (James), Steph (Curry) or KD (Kevin Durant). Being around these guys was a great experience and a very powerful thing we talked about.

Illawarra Hawks coach Justin Tatum talks to his players in the course of the NBL first round match at HBF Stadium on September 21 in Perth, Australia.

James Worsfold/Getty Images

Justin Tatum says he misses his three children, two grandchildren and the straightforward things that family and residential offer.

“I definitely miss barbecues and home-cooked meals,” Tatum said. “Besides my family, I miss being lively doing something day by day. After training, if the weather is nice, I’ll play some golf, a quick nine holes. The remainder of the time there is downtime. There is not much to do. The food is great here. I do not really miss anything from home-cooked food except Pizza Hut.

“I’m in a good position going from the top of winter into spring. And then I come home and the top of spring turns into summer. So I actually have spring and summer all yr round. I only wear shorts and a sweatshirt here and there. My family comes here periodically. My daughter comes in December. Jayson cannot come because he’s playing at the identical time. But life is good here.

Said Jayson Tatum: “I talk to him every few days. He likes it there very much.”

Justin Tatum said there are “high-level talented guys” in the NBL. Former NBA players in the NBL include Montrezl Harrell, Ian Clark, Matthew Dellavedova, Matthew Hurt, Rob Edwards, Bryce Cotton and Derrick Walton Jr. NBL alumni in the NBA include Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball, Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Ousmane Dieng, Milwaukee Bucks guard AJ Johnson and Washington Wizards forward Alexandre Sarr. Moreover, 17-year-old New Zealand Breakers forward Karim Lopez is a candidate for the 2026 NBA draft.

“And I’m not just talking about the former, current or wannabe NBA players that are here,” Justin Tatum said. “Australian players are unbelievably good. It’s very physical. There are a lot of things you’ll be able to’t avoid in the States, but here they let you might have fun.

Jastrzębie entered on Wednesday with the second-best record in the 10-team NBL league at 6-3, averaging 98.5 points per game. Justin Tatum said Illawarra’s offense and camaraderie were key to the Illawarra’s early success this season.

Justin Tatum dreams of sooner or later becoming an NBA coach. But now his biggest goal is for the Hawks to win their first title since 2001 after they were the Wollongong Hawks.

“He wants to educate in the NBA sooner or later as an assistant or at some level. It’s a stepping stone to the goal he was trying to achieve,” Jayson Tatum said.

Marc J. Spears is Andscape’s senior NBA author. He used to have the opportunity to dunk on you, but he hasn’t been capable of do it for years and his knees still hurt.

This article was originally published on : andscape.com
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76ers player Joel Embiid suspended by NBA for pushing a reporter

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Joel Embiid, NBA


After a physical altercation with a reporter who mentioned his son and deceased siblings in an article, Philadelphia 76ers player Joel Embiid was suspended by the NBA for three games.

According to , there might be a suspension start in the primary match wherein he’s eligible and in a position to play. Embiid has yet to play this young season. He is disciplined for pushing columnist Marcus Hayes after the 76ers’ loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on November 2.

“Mutual respect is paramount to the relationship between players and the media in the NBA,” Joe Dumars, executive vp and head of Basketball Operations, said in a written statement. “While we understand that Joel was offended by the personal nature of the reporter’s original version of the column, interactions must remain professional on both sides and must never become physical.”

reported that Embiid was bad in Hayes after he mentioned his brother, who died in a automotive accident 10 years ago, and his son, Arthur, who was named after his deceased brother.

In the article, Hayes wrote: “Joel Embiid consistently points to the birth of his son Arthur as a major turning point in his basketball profession. He often says he desires to be great and leave a legacy for a boy named after his younger brother, who tragically died in a automotive accident when Embiid was in the primary yr of his 76er profession.

After discovering that the paragraph had upset a 76ers player, Hayes took to social media to apologize and inform the general public that he had transcribed the passage.

Embiid was not moved by the apology in any respect, as he mentioned the disrespect he received on November 1 while talking to reporters.

“Like this guy, he isn’t here, Marcus, whatever his name is, I’ve done way an excessive amount of for this fucking town to treat me like this. A hell of a lot has been done. I wish I might be as lucky as others, but that doesn’t suggest I’m not trying and doing every little thing in my power to be there soon.

On November 2, after a confrontation with a reporter, Embiid threatened him after which pushed Hayes away.

“Next time you mention my dead brother and son again, you’ll see what I’ll do to you and I’ll have to… live with the consequences,” Embiid told him.


This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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Joel Embiid and when criticism of athletes goes too far

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It doesn’t appear to be almost three years have passed since one of Philadelphia’s favorite sons knocked the taste out of Chris Rock’s mouth. I remember the initial outrage and how people insisted this is able to be the top of Will Smith’s profession. In a fun twist of irony, a series of movies called “Bad Boys” brought Smith back to prominence and reminded people of his greatness.

I could not help but think of The Slap because the Philadelphia 76ers play center Joel Embiid – pushed columnist Marcus Hayes after the columnist made a cheesy shot in a single of his comments. It was a banner week for Philadelphia sports icons like former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce barbed a rowdy call on Penn State’s campus after a “fan” used a homophobic slur against his brother. Kelce apologized, saying he was met with “hate hate.” But is not that the American way?

These incidents were a reminder of how comfortable society is with crossing boundaries to attack athletes, but most individuals only discover with these conflicts when they turn into physical, resembling Kelce’s encounter or Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts versus several bandits in Yankees apparel through the World Series. But what happens when the media gets involved in these attacks?

The NBA’s investigation into the incident led to: suspension for 3 matches for Embiid. “Mutual respect is paramount to the relationship between players and the media in the NBA,” Joe Dumars, NBA executive vp of basketball operations, said in an announcement. “While we understand that Joel was offended by the personal nature of the reporter’s original version of the column, interactions must remain professional on both sides and must never become physical.”

Dumars lacked professionalism and mutual appreciation long before Embiid lost his cool. From my perspective, the Push was not as damaging as this excerpt from Hayes’ short-sighted and insensitive column:

Joel Embiid during Game 6 of the primary round of the playoffs on May 2 in Philadelphia.

AP Photo/Matt Slocum, file

These lines have since been faraway from Hayes’ column, however the damage was done not only by these specific words, but in a general sense. Russell Westbrook’s response to a racist fan needs to be met not only with a swift reprimand, but additionally with actionable steps taken to stop such incidents from happening again. Because we treat athletes as in the event that they are part of the entertainment and not people, we allow incidents to occur because we consider they’re simply part of the circus.

This sense of politics amongst skilled leagues may be more common if some members of the media didn’t fan the flames with their very own antics. People go so far as to call it “journalism,” regardless that our industry will not be nearly reporting or the top product. It’s about how we engage with the community, whether we use words to construct or tear down.

It was hard for me to get mad at “The Slap” or “The Shove” because I understand America. Violence is irrevocably woven into our DNA, each in terms of poverty and politics. The nastiness we allow in our divisive and hyperpolarized politics – which has little room for decency, let alone democracy – has driven this country mad. What does a single punch or stabbing mean in a world where police brutality continues? When will violence against women, each within the family and in health care, proceed?

This generally is a challenge for individuals who need to separate politics from sports, but there has all the time been reciprocity between the 2. This is why LeBron James has to shut up and dribble while the San Francisco 49ers defense finalizes Nick Bosa’s headgear selections and Harrison Butker’s political kicks, regardless of how right-wing, are celebrated. Moreover, the old saying about “sticks and stones” when it involves words has all the time been intellectually dishonest. Words hurt, and what’s more, words are the start of the narrative that drives this particular industry, for higher or for worse. , you say?

Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers against the Milwaukee Bucks on the Wells Fargo Center on October 23 in Philadelphia.

Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

When media corporations and their underlings, regardless of race and gender, step out of line in a distorted sense of holding athletes accountable, it’s a race to the underside and we’re all losing. Our industry is full of fast food hot takes that not only perpetuate the “fake news” narrative, but additionally devalue each the athlete and what people perceive as journalism.

When – says Embiid that he has done too much for this city for people to say he doesn’t need to play is a comment that goes beyond the court. Contrary to the narrative of individuals who don’t care, athletes put money into their communities in ways in which transcend superficiality or, for cynics, viewing charity as tax write-off. Less than a month ago, I went to Memphis and was impressed by how town has embraced fellow South Carolinian Ja Morant, flaws and all. His teammate, Jaren Jackson Jr., spoke persuasively about players’ conscientiousness when it involves their civil rights legacy on the Freedom Award, the National Civil Rights Museum’s premier event.

Embiid demonstrates this commitment to town in two ways, naming his charitable gestures “In Memory of Arthur.” The faces these initiatives serve are just like mine. And him. They are necessary to those of us who care about greater than just workload management and titles.

The prospect of a championship is really the ironic element of all this. Do you must see Embiid in November or through the playoffs? The Games definitely left their mark on him, but his presence was crucial for this country to win the gold medal. A person needs time to regain his full strength. It’s part of the Process, whether you prefer it or not.

Our industry needs a cultural reset. Our criticism of athletes and celebrities shouldn’t dehumanize them. When celebrities or athletes reply to terrible behavior in a fit of rage, it doesn’t make them any less human. This makes them more human because they repel darkness. Our industry should attempt to do the identical.

Ken J. Makin is a contract author and host of the Makin’ A Difference podcast. Before and after commenting, he thinks about his wife and sons.

This article was originally published on : andscape.com
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