Sports
Deion Sanders talks a lot about character but his bully tactics show very little of it
Deion Sanders’ news conferences often feel like a sermon. When he’s on a roll, his words have a rhythm and energy that remind me of a Sunday morning in the Black church. He will lead you to believe his purpose for being at Colorado is greater than football. Winning may be important, but developing complete people as well as all-around players is imperative. When he talks about the types of recruits he looks for, he mentions intelligence, speed and toughness, but there is added emphasis when he cites character and discipline. He draws out those words, leaving them to linger in the air for a moment longer.
Today, those words ring hollow. Today, Sanders sounds and looks like a hypocrite. The man who once refused to ignore a petty verbal slight from an opposing coach because “my momma taught me that you ain’t just gonna attack me, and I ain’t gonna sit back and say nothing,” is refusing to take questions from a local columnist because he doesn’t like what the person has written about him and the program.
From my vantage point, that doesn’t look like character. Rather, it resembles cowardice.
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Sanders, Buffs will no longer answer questions from local columnist
Everyone knows you don’t run from a bully, perceived or actual. You stand up to the person. Would Sanders tell his team to run and hide if facing an opponent that is a two- or three-touchdown favorite? Of course not. He’d tell his players to stand their ground and meet the moment.
But in this case, he either requested or allowed Colorado’s athletics department to notify The Denver Post that no one from the football program would take questions from columnist Sean Keeler because of “a series of sustained, personal attacks” in Keeler’s coverage of the program. Asked for specific examples, a sports information staffer cited the use of phrases such as “false prophet,” “Deposition Deion,” “Planet Prime,” “Bruce Lee of B.S.,” “the Deion Kool-Aid” and “circus,” according to the Post.
I can understand Sanders being bothered by such characterizations, but I also know the skin of an FBS head coach has to be thicker than one-ply toilet paper. However, Sanders has never handled criticism well, going back to his days as a professional football and baseball player.
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When he suited up for the Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Falcons on the same day decades ago, Tim McCarver, a catcher-turned-broadcaster, criticized him for it. McCarver was a purist and didn’t like what he believed to be a circus taking place. Sanders later responded by dumping multiple buckets of ice water on McCarver’s head in the clubhouse.
A few years ago while coaching at Jackson State, Sanders refused to take a question from a reporter when the person addressed him at the Southwestern Conference media day as Deion instead of Coach Prime.
“If you call Nick (Saban), Nick, you’ll get cussed out on the spot,” Sanders said to the reporter, referring to the former Alabama coach. “So don’t do that to me. Treat me like Nick.”
Two weeks ago, Sanders dismissively waved off a CBS reporter after learning of the reporter’s affiliation.
“I’m not doing nothing with CBS. Next question,” he said. “It ain’t got nothing to do with you. It’s above that. It ain’t got nothing to do with you. I got love for you. I appreciate you. I respect you. It ain’t got nothing to do with you. They know what they did.”
In that same news conference, Sanders also refused to take a question from Keeler. Once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, and three times is a pattern of behavior.
Sanders made amends with CBS reporter Eric Christensen the following week, offering him a one-on-one interview, but the situation with Keeler likely won’t be resolved as quickly or as smoothly. Department officials have not indicated if or when its position will change, though it said it will continue to credential Keeler and other Post reporters for games, practices and other football events. Keeler will not be recognized for questions from the football program, but he can interview administrators, coaches and participants in other sports.
Attempts to control the sports media are nothing new, particularly in college football. In 2012, for instance, USC briefly banned a media member after he reported a player injury. And last season, the Trojans temporarily suspended a beat writer for reporting a conversation that two players had in front of the media.
There are other examples and battles that are fought that the public never hears about, and without a coach who preaches love, peace and empathy running from the opportunity to show his players how to handle a difficult situation. But that’s what bullies do, right? When they realize they are not likely to win, they turn and run. They give ammunition to critics who might argue their sermons are nothing more than hollow words, coated in style but lacking substance.
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(Photo: Louis Grasse / Getty Images)
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Folarin Balogun’s teammates came to his defense after the USA World Cup star was given a red card during the team’s 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday night.
Balogun received the red card after he stepped on defender Tarik Muharemovic’s right ankle. Brazilian referee Raphael Claus only gave Balogun the card after a VAR review. The red card meant Balogun will not be able to play in the team’s Round of 16 match against Belgium.
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United States’ Folarin Balogun, right, stands by after being issued a red card by Referee Raphael Claus, of Brazil, as United States’ Weston McKennie (8) looks on during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between the United States and Bosnia in Santa Clara, Calif., near San Francisco, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
A FIFA official told The Athletic a team cannot appeal against the red card or the suspension. The official pointed the outlet to a portion of the organization’s rules and regulations, which states, “A sending-off automatically incurs suspension from the subsequent match. The FIFA judicial bodies may impose additional match suspensions and other disciplinary measures.”
Balogun’s teammate, Weston McKennie, called the lack of an appeal process “bogus” and disagreed with the referee’s decision to issue the red card.
Bosnia’s Sead Kolasinac (5) talks to United States’ Folarin Balogun after Balogun was sent off, as Christian Pulisic (10) watches during the World Cup round of 32 match between the United States and Bosnia in Santa Clara, Calif., Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (Julio Cortez / AP)
“Obviously the ref made a decision that he made, but I think it’s questionable,” McKennie said. “I think there’s been many other plays like that throughout the tournament on other players that a card wasn’t given at all. It’s disappointing.”
U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino said Balogun’s act “was never intentional.”
“It’s never a red card. Never. … If the intention is to damage the opponent, OK, I understand. But that never was. It was a normal action in football that you are fighting for the ball and your feet land,” he said.
Balogun is the third player to score in a World Cup knockout match and be sent off. He follows Brazil’s Ronaldinho in 2002’s quarterfinal match against England and France’s Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 World Cup final against Italy.
Referee Raphael Claus of Brazil shows a red card to United States’ Folarin Balogun, right, during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between the United States and Bosnia in Santa Clara, Calif., near San Francisco, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
It’s the fifth red card handed to an American in the squad’s World Cup history.
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Eric Wynalda received one against Czechoslovakia in 1990, Fernando Clavijo got one against Brazil in 1994 and Pablo Mastroeni and Eddie Pope each received one against Italy in 2006.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
While veterans jockey for new contracts during free agency, young players are getting their tryout opportunities with NBA summer league games beginning this week.
First-round draft pick Cameron Carr and second-year forward Adou Thiero highlight the Lakers summer league roster that was announced Wednesday. The 16-man team will be coached by Lakers assistant coach Ty Abbott and begin summer league play Friday against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center.
The Lakers also face the Miami Heat (July 5, 1:30 p.m.) and San Antonio Spurs (July 6, 4:30 p.m.) in the California Classic before playing in the Las Vegas summer league from July 9-19. The Lakers play Oklahoma City (July 10), Dallas (July 11), the Clippers (July 14) and Chicago (July 16) in Las Vegas’ Thomas & Mack Center.
The Lakers traded up in the draft to get Carr, a 6-foot-5 guard out of Baylor, with the 24th overall pick. He will make his unofficial NBA debut, along with former Indiana State and Saint Louis star Robbie Avila. The 6-10 center became a bespectacled college basketball cult hero known affectionately as “Cream Abdul Jabbar” while leading Indiana State to the NIT championship game in 2024. He transferred to Saint Louis, where he was named Atlantic-10 player of the year as a senior when the Billikens won a school-record 29 wins.
Although he is entering his second season with the Lakers, Thiero will be playing his first summer league games. Persistent knee injuries hampered his rookie season. The athletic 6-7 forward averaged 1.9 points and 1.1 rebounds in 25 appearances last season. He said after the Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs that he wanted to improve on his three-point shooting during his second year. He attempted only five three-pointers during his rookie season, regular season and playoffs, making one.
Lakers summer league roster
Robbie Avila, C, 6-10, 240
Cameron Carr, G, 6-5, 190
Jon Elmore, G, 6-3, 190
Luke Goode, F, 6-7, 210
William Hickey, G, 6-4, 203
Arthur Kaluma, F, 6-7, 225
William Kyle III, C, 6-9, 230
Chris Mañon, G, 6-4, 212
Robert McCray V, G, 6-4, 188
AK Okereke, F, 6-7, 245
Chase Ross, G, 6-5, 210
Zhaire Smith, G, 6-4, 205
Peter Suder, G, 6-5, 215
Adou Thiero, F, 6-7, 234
Anton Watson, F, 6-8, 225
Jacari White, G, 6-3, 180
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U.S. men’s national team star Folarin Balogun received a red card in the second half of their Round of 32 World Cup matchup against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday night.
Balogun was making a challenge on a ball when he stepped on an opposing player’s leg.
The U.S. men’s national team is down to 10 players for the rest of the match. If the U.S. holds their 1-0 lead, Balogun will have to miss the Round of 16 game.
Balogun scored for the U.S. in the first half.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
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