Denver news outlets go scorched earth on Deion Sanders, but does he deserve it?

There is a line between cocky and confident, and Deion Sanders is most certainly straddling it. The iconic former all-world cornerback is entering year two as the head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes. After winning a ton of games at the HBCU level at Jackson State, Sanders' Buffs went a miserable 4-8 overall and 3-9 in Pac-12 play last season. After being fed all sizzle and no steak, the media is over it.

This reached a boiling point on Friday when Sanders constantly belittled local media reporters. It all stemmed from an article David Cobb wrote for CBS Sports that essentially power ranked the 16 Big 12 coaches. He had Sanders rated as the 15th best coach in the new Big 12, ahead of only Kenny Dillingham. Cobb also had Sanders ranked as the 61st best head coach in the Power Five this year.

It was especially confusing why Sanders completely embarrassed Eric Christensen of KCNC after he introduced himself to Coach Prime. Christensen works for the local CBS affiliate station in Denver, but Sanders failed to understand that he was not the one who wrote the article. It was Cobb. This odd press conference on his 57th birthday righty after he became a grandfather got zanier by the minute.

It resulted in Sean Keeler of The Denver Post writing this scathing column on Sanders, as well as Scotty Gange of 9NEWS, the local NBC affiliate, going after him with this harsh television segment.

Sanders might be my favorite NFL player of all time, but it is getting harder and harder to defend him.

Should Deion Sanders be getting crushed this badly by the local media?

I think what has happened is Sanders has lost control of the narrative, by simply trying to control the narrative. I understand that many people in sports and the media want to see him fail because of his unconventional rise to prominence in the college football coaching profession, as well as his superstar personality from his playing career in the NFL in 1990s and at college over at Florida State.

While the pungent nature of the media's reaction to Sanders is merited, I am not going to be one who is constantly trying to play gotcha and rake him over the coals. He is trying to do something different, and I respect that. But what I don't respect is him actively bullying media professionals and making their jobs seem like a complete joke. The media can build you up, but it can tear you down even faster.

What seems to be happening right now is Sanders is operating out of fear. Colorado may have been three wins better last year than the Buffs were in 2022, but Karl Dorrell's final team only won one game... Sanders' behavior has made neutral parties dislike him, and those who despise him hate him even more. Honestly, he has made it much harder for those who like him to defend him going forward.

Overall, nobody likes to be picked on, and nobody likes to be made into a fool. For as brash, as loud and as cocky as Sanders was coming into the job at Boulder, his critics have all the ammunition they could ever need to help set him up for failure. This all could go away if Sanders won, and won in a humble manner, but this is Coach Prime we are talking about. It was always going to be different, y'all.

Ultimately, Sanders has reaped what he has sewn from the local and national media. If you act like a jerk, expect to be treated like one. While you don't need to pander to the media, it doesn't serve you to make their lives harder and their jobs out to be a joke. I remember Arthur Smith having a very testy relationship with the Atlanta Falcons media. It played a part in everyone turning on him last season.

The only way to silence the critics is for Sanders to take the Buffaloes bowling in year two at the helm.