Deion Sanders is gaining some friends and foes ahead of his Big 12 season. The Buffaloes HC was at the center of a negative spotlight kick-starting this month. And it all started with what was supposed to be a joyful occasion—his birthday press conference on August 9th—but it quickly turned into a bit of a PR nightmare.

By now, everyone’s talking about how Coach Prime snubbed reporters left and right that day. When asked by a CBS reporter, Sanders bluntly responded, “I’m not doing nothing with CBS,” and gave a similar cold shoulder to a Denver Sports reporter. The incident didn’t sit well with many, including prominent figures like Stephen A. Smith and Paul Finebaum. But days after the incident, Deion has now found an unexpected ally.

On his August 26th show, Dan Patrick defended Sanders, arguing that the media is to blame for the situation. Patrick pointed out that it’s the media outlets that are chasing after Sanders for their own gain, saying, “The attention, that’s what should be blamed, not the person receiving the attention,” he says. 

Patrick also highlighted that CBS, before the infamous snub, had already featured Sanders on their “60 Minutes” show twice. Looks like there’s a deeper trust issue brewing between Sanders and the media house here. Amidst calling out the media, he also added that “All they’re doing is trying to take some of this spotlight that Deion has and get some clicks.” Well, here, it seems Dan Patrick is just indirectly calling out some big names who criticized Deion Sanders soon after the incident. 

And among the handful, how can we forget the two notable names that got high traction amidst the issue? 

ESPN experts attack Deion Sanders

Deion Sanders’ frosty interactions with reporters have been a hot topic throughout August, making headlines on national television. Even last week, while discussing the Colorado Buffaloes‘ upcoming 2024 season, Paul Finebaum couldn’t resist taking a jab at Deion. “I mean, this is a program that is living off of its coach’s head, not off of the school reputation,” Finebaum said, mocking how the Buffs last won a title three decades ago.

But he didn’t stop there. While criticizing the team’s mediocrity, he also took a swipe at Deion’s recent issues with the media. Sarcastically, Finebaum added, “I’m sure that’s going to get me in trouble with Coach Prime. I’m sure he’s going to yell at me like he did with the local media on Saturday, but I really don’t care.” It seems the ESPN analyst has been waiting for an opportunity to poke fun at Coach Prime. But Finebaum’s criticism isn’t surprising. Well, he’s been vocal about Deion and his team since last year. But what did raise eyebrows, though, was Deion’s friend Stephen A. Smith joining in. While Finebaum spoke on ESPN’s First Take, Smith also criticized Deion. Even in this Monday show, he simply said, “I do not agree with how he’s handling this situation.” 

It seems the only way for Coach Prime to silence the critics is for the Buffs to win their first game against North Dakota State. Let’s hope the win changes the headlines for good.