We're All Just Living Within The Reality Show That Deion Sanders Created At Colorado, And It's Working

If you were looking for a reality show that takes you behind the scenes of the everyday life that comes with being a college football head coach, Deion Sanders has been providing that entertainment for the past four years. 

There is a bright spotlight that follows Deion Sanders throughout college football, whether on the field or inside a room filled with reporters. But are fans outside the Colorado fan-base starting to get tired of that hovering light that seems to only get brighter as each day passes?

As media members gathered inside the Buffaloes complex on Thursday to hear from Coach Prime, Shedeur Sanders and Shilo Sanders, we were about to witness a moment that isn't scripted for television. I'd think by now you've seen the video of Deion not taking a question from a local CBS reporter because the Colorado head coach was upset with the CBS national branch. 

We even had one reporter talk about a medical situation he was dealing with (I hope he's OK), then used his time to ask Deion Sanders about Aflac. Yes, this happened. 

Then, it was a Denver Post reporter that was going to ask a question, but was cut-off by Sanders, and instead got a lecture on why he was not going to get his question answered, as Deion thought the writer had taken too many shots at him and the Colorado program. 

DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 24: Deion Sanders, Travis Hunter, and Sheduer Sanders pose for a photo during the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Denver Nuggets on October 24, 2023 at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images)

Outside the perceived bubble, colleagues were wondering why these two were given the microphones to ask a question, if they weren't going to be answered. And why is Deion Sanders trying to lecture an AP reporter about the definition of ‘culture’ and ‘chemistry’ within a football team? 

There's a good chance that Sanders wanted to know what ‘culture’ meant to the reporter, as he most likely has a different take on what it means to him. Either way, it led to another viral moment that was on social media within twenty minutes. 

"Do you see how much attention the Colorado football program receives right now?," one Power-5 AD told OutKick. "I would love to see us get that sort of media play on a yearly basis, so it's hard to disagree with how they are doing it. It seems like every day there is a video on YouTube that people are talking about, and it's working. Folks might not care for some of the stuff that comes out, but they're definitely paying attention, and that means it's working."

The video that followed came from ‘Uncle Neely’, who followed Deion Sanders to Colorado from Jackson State, and is one of the biggest promoters of the work being done in Boulder. 

At the same time, it can lead to content like this, with the title reading ‘MUST SEE!! WATCH COACH PRIME SHUT DOWN CBS AND DENVER POST’ 

If you haven't figured it out yet, the content creators inside the football building are already giving you a reality show, with Deion and his children playing the starring roles. It's an inside-look at a program that you won't see on other campuses around the country. 

Because this is just how he is, and I'm not saying it's right or wrong, but it's not as if Deion Sanders is going to change. Maybe he was ready to fight back against some of the stories that have been written about him or his team recently. You can be the judge on the most recent stories, but Sanders felt it was time to fight back, in his own way. 

For Sanders, he brought the attention on himself, and it's his job to figure out how to deal with the good and bad press that comes with it. 

Deion Sanders Not Having A Filter Is Entertaining, Just Admit It

What makes Deion Sanders so interesting in the eyes of many, including myself, is his ability not to be filtered. What you see is what you get with the Colorado head coach, and that bothers a lot of folks. In my opinion, we should just enjoy the ride, as it could end this season, or ten years from now. 

If you're hoping Sanders is going to change, you're fighting a battle that will not be won. This is who he is. A coach that doesn't come from the Nick Saban tree, or any other legendary coach that has roamed the sidelines. What you're getting is raw, unfiltered and straight to the point. 

But at the same time, Deion Sanders cannot get upset when someone doesn't agree with him, and writes that in a column or postgame roundup. We're past that point now, with cameras following him around on a daily basis for clicks on social media. His son runs a very successful social media account that gives fans a look behind the curtain on a weekly basis, and I imagine he's making some type of money from YouTube in the process. 

And that's what I mean when I say everything feels like a reality show in Colorado, and a very good one I might add. But it still doesn't make life any easier for the folks involved, and a recent press conference is proof of that. 

If we're entering the month of October and Colorado has already been dealt two losses, the temperature is only going to rise at these gatherings. But, outside the fans that hate Colorado, if you're rooting for the demise of Deion Sanders, I promise you he feeds off those feelings. 

Colorado Administration Needs The Deion Train To Continue Rolling

There's nothing more that the folks inside the administration building want more than to see Colorado succeed, and continue to grow the football program, while also raising money for the athletic department. Rick George, the current AD, needs this to work on the field. We've already seen that this experiment works outside the confines of the football stadium, if we look at the impact Deion Sanders has made on the local economy on weekends in the Fall. 

But the theatrics of what we saw last week could be a sign of things to come in the future. If Deion and Colorado have a successful opening month, folks will tap the brakes a little bit harder based on how last season ended, but that won’t stop Sanders from being himself, with a few cameras following him around. 

Is there more attention on Deion Sanders? Sure there is, but he also invited everyone in for the show, so getting upset at reporters for doing their job is a bit overboard. Most coaches don't want to sit at a podium for twenty minutes and answer questions about team chemistry or which linebacker has had the best camp so far. 

News flash, they despise that part of the job, but it comes with the territory, and it's also part of their contract. 

But working on the Colorado beat has to be one of the crazier experiences in this business, as nothing is normal in Boulder. And if you look hard enough, you'll realize that this is just one big promotional reality show for the football program, which is not a bad thing to have. Just ask the athletic department. 

And it's working, as folks are arguing over a program that might only win six games. 

There are going to be those ‘un-scripted’ dramatic parts, the uplifting stories of inspiration and the low-points that bring viewers in. For a program that was in the dumps just two years ago, I tip my cap to how those inside the complex have turned this brand into something worth promoting again. 

And if this season is successful, there will be enough cameras around to capture it all. If it's a disaster, then expect more press conferences like we saw last week, because the stories will be written and somebody will have to answer for what happened. 

But don’t expect Deion Sanders to change, as he told you how this was going to play-out the minute he stepped off the plane in Colorado. 

I look forward to the next season of ‘Coach Prime’ on Amazon, as we're all playing a character in this show, whether you know it or not.