Paul Finebaum Eviscerates 'Hypocrite' Deion Sanders For Banning A Colorado Reporter From Asking Questions

Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes athletic department have banned a reporter from asking questions in future press conferences in what has quickly become the most-bizarre stories of the young college football season. ESPN's Paul Finebaum - along with practically everyone else who dares to be critical about Sanders - thinks the decision is utterly ridiculous.

In typical Friday-news-dump fashion, the Colorado Athletic Department issued a statement to ESPN explaining its decision to ban Denver Post reporter Sean Keeler from asking questions claiming that he had issued "personal attacks" on Sanders.

"After a series of sustained, personal attacks on the football program and specifically Coach Prime, the CU Athletic Department in conjunction with the football program, have decided not to take questions from Denver Post columnist Sean Keeler at football-related events," the statement says. "Keeler is still permitted to attend football-related activities as a credentialed member of the media and other reporters from the Denver Post are welcome to ask questions of football program personnel made available to the media, including coaches, players and staff."

According to the Post, the offensive language and "personal attacks" directed at Sanders included "Deposition Deion," the "Bruce Lee of B.S.," calling him a "false prophet," and using phrases like "Planet Prime," drinking "the Deion Kool-Aid," and saying that the program resembled a "circus."

Well, Finebaum appeared on ESPN's ‘First Take’ on Monday morning and made it a point to shred Sanders.

"Coach Prime is showing he is not ready for primetime," Finebaum explained. "I find this whole thing to be disgraceful. Deion may want to talk about love and joy and that’s the cornerstone of what he seems to be spewing out. But treating reporters like this seems like we’re in some autocratic country. This is not America. The fact that it’s in his contract is really even more absurd."

"But don’t forget – he did this at Jackson State. This is a trait of Deion Sanders. He wants to have it his way. I find him to be a bully and a hypocrite. And quite frankly, as someone who has been a fan of his throughout his entire career, even at Colorado, I am mortified by his actions."

While Sanders has every right to be critical of a reporter who he may not agree with, he and the Colorado Athletic Department formally putting a muzzle on the reporter is ludicrous. Finebaum's point about this example not representing America hit home as well given that free speech and the simple action of sharing an opinion is being attacked in this country.

It's been quite entertaining to see Deion Sanders go from being a coach college football fans couldn't stop talking about, and mostly for positive reasons, to a coach that many fans aren't so secretly pulling against to start what will be his second year in Boulder.