On his birthday, Deion Sanders isn’t talking to reporters who criticize him

Entering his fifth season as a college football head coach, Deion Sanders continues to be who he has always been, dating back to his days as a superstar athlete in the 1980s and ’90s — a wild card. On Aug. 9, also Sanders’ 57th birthday, his Colorado football program held its media day. Sanders, also known as Coach Prime, approached the podium with a full offseason beard, shades and a Colorado hat.

He started off his presser pleasant before challenging a report nearly eight minutes in. An Associated Press reporter asked Sanders about his “bolstered” offensive line.

“What does ‘bolstered’ mean?” Sanders said, as he looked the opposite way to other communication staffers in the room. “Because I don’t know all that ‘bolstered’ stuff. I’ve never used that in a sentence in my life.”

The reporter tried again.

“Alright, so you beefed up the offensive line-”

Sanders cut him off again.

“‘Beefed up?’” Sanders asked. “Improved?”

The reporter continued to try to ask his question while Sanders repeated his new word suggestion.

“Improved?” he said. “Improved? How about that? Let’s say that. We’ve improved our offensive line.”

The reporter then asked Sanders about the offensive line’s improved chemistry.

“What is chemistry?” Sanders asked.

The room got quiet as he stared down the media member.

“You guys use it all the time. What is it?” Sanders asked. “You guys work together; you don’t like each other, most of you.”

Another reporter in the room said they “love each other.”

“No, you don’t,” Sanders said. “You definitely don’t like the guy back there. Y’all can’t stand him, but you still work together. You get the job done … Some of you don’t even have chemistry at home, but you go there every day.”

Sanders then declared the question to be over and asked for the next reporter. It was Eric Christensen from CBS Colorado.

“CBS, I’m not doing anything with CBS, next question,” Sanders said. “It ain’t got anything to do with you. It’s above that. I got love for you, I appreciate and respect you. It ain’t got nothing to do with you.”

As referenced in Awful Announcing, Sanders has been featured on “60 Minutes,” one of the network’s premier shows, twice in recent years as a head coach. However, this offseason, CBS Sports ranked Sanders as the second-worst coach in the Big 12 Conference and the 61st-best coach in the nation. The outlet also dubbed him as more of an entertainer than a coach.

Coach Prime is not taking any questions from CBS outlet👀

“What they did was foul” pic.twitter.com/Lpx8AKX8FW

— GUCCE🦬🐦‍⬛ (@gucceCU) August 9, 2024

CBS Sports has also published stories about his son and starting safety Shilo Sanders filing for bankruptcy, but multiple other national outlets did, as well. Shilo’s reported filing came after a Dallas security guard asked for nearly $12 million from Shilo for allegedly assaulting him in 2015. The football standout was 15 at the time. Shilo and the security guard got into an altercation that the guard said left him with spine and neurological issues. In March 2022, Shilo was ordered to pay $11.89 million. The security guard made a GoFundMe account, claiming his medical expenses after the fight were $900,00 and by the time of a published New York Times article that cited it, the fundraiser only received $150.

“This allegation is based on pure conjecture and media ‘hype,’ without hav(ing) any basis in fact and reality,” Sanders’ lawyers wrote.

Coach prime called out a Denver reporter who’s always talking bad about him & the program pic.twitter.com/LeMRIZAiOv

— Shannonnn sharpes Burner (PARODY Account) (@shannonsharpeee) August 9, 2024

Denver Post columnist Sean Keeler’s questions were also cut off, and Sanders refused to answer them because of Keeler’s past criticism. After Colorado went 4-8 last season, Keeler wrote that he wouldn’t bet on the program winning more than eight games this season. He also wrote that Sanders is a “false prophet” for claiming the program can make this season’s College Football Playoff.