Shaquille O'Neal said that Deion Sanders reminded him of his old coach Phil Jackson and any grist for the Prime Time mill is going to be maximized so Undisputed used it as a ramp during one of their numerous segments on the Colorado football coach today. In the interest of full disclosure and humility I should say that the Buffaloes have exceeded my expectations on the field and the Colorado-Colorado State game was one of the most electric viewing experiences of my life. So for whatever doubts I may harbor about the long-term viability and what the actual on-field success will be over the next few years, the whole situation in Boulder is clearly a phenomenon.
The most interesting part has been the way the media ecosystem has mobilized to squeeze every bit of juice out of this orange, knowing full well that back-to-back tests against Oregon and USC may make the story less appealing. Reasonable minds may disagree but I really think it rivals anything that happened during the height of Tim Tebowmania.
Consider that after three Division I wins, Bayless is saying it's almost offensive that we're putting Phil Jackson in the same sentence as Deion because there's no phoney-baloney to Deion at all. Like, what is one supposed to do with that?
Jackson won 11 NBA titles as a coach and two more as a player! Sanders' current momentum has been built on the back of beating Colorado State at home as a huge favorite by the skin of his teeth. Allow me to ward this off at the pass: nothing that Bayless or anyone else building these takes that will either age like fine wine or cottage cheese says bothers me or makes me angry. They are just incredible as everyone races to be the most sharable.
Incredible in the present and so intriguing in the future. Because hyperbole has only grown exponentially since Tebow and has never been more valued.
I have no idea what's going to happen with Coach Prime and Colorado in the long-term but it's the first September and he's being elevated above one of the greatest coaches in American sports history. The Nick Saban comparisons seem tame by comparison. Where can we go from here? Where can it go if things go south? Where can it go if, gulp, Colorado keeps winning and competes for a title?
A new guy coming in and winning three non-conference games of varying difficulty after a disastrous season is precedented many times over. This type of coverage is certainly not.
At this point, anything a person writes feels extraordinarily prisoner-of-the-moment. Perhaps the best way to stay sane is to sit back enjoy the show. Or shows. Every show.
This article was originally published on thebiglead as It's No-Rules Thunderdome For Deion Sanders Content Right Now.
