Paul Finebaum rips 'spineless' Deion Sanders after latest attack on media

ESPN’s Paul Finebaum ripped Deion Sanders and called it “spineless” after the Colorado coach’s latest attack on the media.

Sanders, when talking about Travis Hunter’s ability to play both ways in the NFL, went on a tangent about media personnel attacking college athletes. But Finebaum couldn’t believe the words that came out of Coach Prime’s mouth.

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Finebaum was, frankly, stunned when he heard Sanders’ comments.

“Deion, right there, was purely gaslighting and really unbecoming of somebody of his stature and status,” Finebaum said on First Take. “He knows that’s not true. The people that cover college football have been arguing vociferously for years to get more autonomy for players so they can make more money, so they can’t be treated the same way that they always have.

“And for him to say that is just really specious. It’s baseless, and quite frankly, it looks to me like he is living in an alternative universe. Because that is simply not true.”

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Finebaum made the argument media members actually try and lift up college athletes in the new world of NIL and the transfer portal.

“And to use the word slander, I mean that is so far beyond the pale, because most people, the majority of the media lift these players up,” Finebaum said. “They don’t tear them down. Quite frankly, the only player on his team that has even come under scrutiny is his son, Shedeur Sanders, and right here on this program, 24 hours ago, the entire panel, Stephen A., myself and Shannon defended him for not shaking hands with a player who was trash talking him.

“So I frankly, don’t have any earthly idea where he came up with it. I think it’s desperation and it’s entirely spineless of him to attack the media who has not even attacked his players.”

Deion Sanders attacked by Paul Finebaum

Here are Sanders’ original comments that sent the ESPN commentator for a loop.

When I say I genuinely love these kids, I genuinely really do,” Sanders said. “It’s not about what they can do for me on the football field. It’s about what I can help them with in life. They’re football players. Some of these guys are definitely going pro, but I just want to equip them with the weapons to win life. Because, you know, football has changed, the  landscape has changed in football. 

“Once upon a time, you guys never attacked college players. Now they’re making more money than y’all, and some of y’all are envious and jealous about that. So you’re on the attack … These guys are sensitive. They’ve never been attacked. (They are) somebody out of high school or two years or three years in college, but they’re still sensitive to slander.”

Sanders made the comparison to him, based on what he went through throughout his long career in the NFL, as well as the MLB. The young guys, which includes Hunter, are treated differently these days in his eyes.

“They hadn’t gone through, what a grown man, what I’ve been going through with y’all for years,” Sanders said. They haven’t done that. So it is what it is. I know you’re going to do your job and what you must do, but your job does not say attack. Like if they didn’t play well, leave it at that. But the personal stuff … because if we start flipping script on y’all, you wouldn’t like it. Thank you Lord for stopping me there. That was almost a good one. That would have went viral. He’s a great kid.”