Deion Sanders Accidentally Explains The Only Reason Shedeur Sanders Is Having His Jersey Retired

Look, I don't want to sit here and spend Good Friday picking on college kids. But, when Deion Sanders walks right into a trap and accidentally proves a point he's trying to push back on, then I have to write about it. 

I have no choice. Also, I think this whole thing is so dumb, so I also don't mind. 

For context, Colorado announced this week that they would be retiring the jersey numbers of Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter. No, it wasn't satire. It's true. Yes, it's silly. I don't get it. Nobody really gets it. 

I'm not saying Shedeur and Travis aren't great players. I think Travis is great. Shedeur is fine. I'm not sure how he's going to be in the NFL, but he was a fine college quarterback. 

Both certainly elevated Colorado, which was basically a program nobody cared about for a decade until Team Sanders moved to Boulder a few years ago. 

Anyway, a couple of fine players who certainly deserve praise. But to retire their jerseys … months after they left … after going 13-12 over two seasons with exactly zero conference titles and zero bowl wins? 

Yeah, I don't get it. Nobody really does. The move has been widely mocked on social media. 

Which brings us to Deion Sanders from yesterday …

Deion Sanders proves our point

"If his last name wasn’t Sanders, we wouldn’t have this discussion. Only reason we’re having this discussion is because his last name is Sanders. That’s it. 

"There have been so many things accomplished at this university, expeditiously, it’s been unbelievable. And I think we should be appreciative. We should be thankful."

Look, Deion is a dad, so I get it. You fight for your kids. He should. BUT, he also walked right into this one. 

He's right – if Shedeur Sanders was Shedeur Smith, we wouldn't be having this discussion … BECAUSE HE WOULDN'T BE GETTING HIS NUMBER RETIRED! That's the point! That's why everyone is laughing at this. The optics are silly. 

Again, Shedeur was a good college quarterback. He was fine. But to retire his jersey this soon? Come on. He wasn't exactly Tim Tebow. Or Johnny Manziel. Or Cam Newton. Or Joe Burrow. 

Tebow, by the way, doesn't even have his number retired. Now, to be fair, Florida doesn't do that for some reason, so I assume that's why, but still, you get my point. 

I think if Colorado just waited a year to do this, they'd be in the clear. I don't think anyone would care. But to retire the numbers this soon – with a 13-12 record and a 20-point Alamo Bowl loss on the resume – is objectively hilarious. 

Deion can call out the haters and say they're only mad because it's Shedeur Sanders. That's fine. And he's right!

They're only mad because it's Shedeur Sanders.