#2 has been scratched off the list of available jersey numbers for future Colorado Buffaloes players. Just three months after his college football career ended, Shedeur Sanders, Deion Sanders’ youngest son, had his jersey retired. It now resides in Folsom Field, the Buffaloes’ home stadium.
Most athletes have to wait years for such an honor. Occasionally, the standard is bent for extraordinary players or in cases of tragic death. Neither applies to Shedeur.
Jason Whitlock says the move to retire his jersey screams nepotism and potentially foreshadows Deion’s exit.
Rashaan Salaam, the University of Colorado’s first Heisman trophy winner, had to wait 23 years for his jersey to be retired, says Jason. Compare that to Shedeur, who “after going 13-12, 1-8 against top 25 opponents” gets “spanked in his only bowl game appearance.”
“He’s like the George Floyd of college football, getting statues and tributes and memorials undeserved,” he adds.
In a press conference, Deion was asked about the controversial decision to retire Shedeur’s jersey. Clearly agitated, he snapped, “If his last name wasn’t Sanders, we wouldn’t have this discussion.”
“Yes, because if his last name wasn’t Sanders, his number wouldn’t be retired,” says Jason. “Deion Sanders has turned his son into his sugar baby; he’s made him an idol.”
Sanders went on to argue that waiting years to bestow honor on someone is outdated and that we’re in the “now generation,” where instant gratification is the norm.
“I give you your flowers now; I’m not going to wait 20 years down the street, then to bring you back when you limping and barely walk or some tragedy happens to recognize your greatness and what you contributed to this program,” he said, noting that Shedeur and Travis Hunter, whose jersey was also retired, “deserve what they deserve right now.”
“Everything we get is right now; we want something, we order off Amazon right now. We ain’t in no waiting generation no more. That’s over. That’s a wrap on that,” Deion added.
While he may be right about the nature of our now-obsessed culture, it doesn’t mean we should embrace it as good.
“This is idolatry,” says Jason. “I’m embarrassed for Deion Sanders.”
“Fearless” guest Steve Kim adds, “When Coach Prime said if his name was not Sanders we wouldn’t be talking about it, it’s the most unironic self-own I’ve ever seen. I’m like, ‘Yeah, Coach, we all agree.”’
“I know for a fact that a lot of the great Colorado Buffaloes that have that big shiny 1990 co-national championship ring, who built that program, they’re not happy about this,” he says.
Steve argues that the real reason Shedeur’s jersey was retired is not because we’re in the “now generation” but rather because “at this point, Deion Sanders has the leverage.”
Jason agrees. “This to me screams this is Deion’s final year at Colorado” because if he was planning to stay, he would have waited longer than three months to retire his son’s jersey.
To hear more of the conversation, watch the clip above.
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