Paul Finebaum makes his stance on Deion Sanders and Colorado's playoff hopes extremely clear
Colorado coach Deion Sanders and his sons Shilo and Shedeur Sanders recently made a big splash at the Big 12 Media Days. It promises to be an entertaining season for the former Pac-12 program with the eyes of the college football world on them.
During an episode of First Take, ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum shredded Deion Sanders and the Buffs' chances of making the playoffs.
“Anyone asking whether Deion Sanders and Colorado are close to the playoffs simply doesn’t understand the reality of the road,” Finebaum said. “They’re not going to the playoffs this year, and I’m not sure Deion is ever going to get them to the playoffs, because I don’t think he has the patience to stay at Colorado long enough."
Finebaum continued with his tirade, highlighting the importance of the Buffs in the college football ladder. He pinpointed the role that Coach Prime has played in making them a major talking point in the media.
“I know that the media loves this story. We fall all over ourselves. But Colorado isn’t important in college football. Deion Sanders is,” Finebaum said. “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.”
Paul Finebaum's ongoing feud with Deion Sanders and the Buffs
The Colorado Buffaloes and their charismatic coach Deion Sanders have both been the media darlings and villains at different points during his chaotic 17-month reign. Boulder has become the celebrity center which every famous personality visits for games.
During an episode of McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning a few weeks ago, Paul Finebaum ignited the debate about whether Sanders was a good coach.
“First of all, he is a celebrity but he’s not a celebrity as a coach. To me, Deion, it’s all about what he did previously and I think that’s why I give him a lot of credit for calling himself Coach Prime. Because that puts the emphasis on being a coach,” Finebaum said.
“But listen, he is an industry-created coaching celebrity. What happened last year was generational, but it was mostly forced and created, and it was really, in many ways, illegitimate.”
Deion Sanders has had a career largely built off the angst of fans and analysts as he burned a path to stardom and renown. It's hard, though, to argue with the point that as a coach, he has to be judged based on outcomes, and not reputation.