by Donal Ware
I like a good reality TV show. I love sports. So, when Jackson State hired Deion Sanders as its head football coach last October, I thought this could be a good thing. It could be both of my likes rolled into one, in a good way. But if you know me, I keep high-profile happenings with HBCUs in perspective. I generally take a wait-and-see approach.
Sanders had very little, if no, track record with HBCUs prior to being hired by Jackson State. He was an ambassador when the NFL decided to put together a scouting combine for HBCU players last year. From that alone, I thought he could be good for our schools, perhaps in a manner like NBA star Chris Paul definitely is. But ever since he arrived at Jackson State, he has not always said the right things in relation to HBCUs or Jackson State. We’ve really gotten more than we can chew from “Coach Prime.” His attitude seems to be more of “I am here to save HBCUs.”
The SWAC coaches Zoom conference on Monday took the cake for me. He was late to the call as he has been when I have been on the call. All the other coaches were on time. Is his time more valuable than theirs because he’s “Coach Prime?” Further, the calls are done in alphabetical order according to the school name. So, for instance, Alabama A&M is first, then Alabama State, etc., all the way to Texas Southern. Jackson State should be somewhere in the middle, yet the SWAC has Jackson State go last. Since when does the letter “T” come before “J”?
Sanders came on the call, and before the moderator could even ask him to give his opening statement, Sanders talked about how unprofessional Alabama State was as host of the game between Jackson State and Alabama State. Mind you, this was after the Tigers lost to ASU in what was a really good game. It was the Tigers’ first loss of the season. He mentioned that there were no stats provided (by Alabama State) at halftime.
“Can we do a better job… like at halftime, I like to have stats,” Sanders began. “Every coach wants stats. Can we do a better job in some form or fashion? As well as at the conclusion of the game, can we set up prior to the game, a place that we can do the postgame press conference that’s not in the middle of a walkway… and somewhere that has the look that we would want, that you would want, that HBCUs would want so that we could put a better image out there as well. Just want to do better man.”
The Alabama State media relations department is one of the best in the business so I inquired about Sanders’ comments and whether this was true. ASU sent a statement that read, “We have COVID-19 protocols that have been in place since the pandemic started and since we returned to play in January. We adhere to those policies in every sport to protect everyone involved, and those policies are the same across the board for every sport.”
I gathered this to mean that ASU hasn’t provided stats to any team this season, not just JSU, due to its COVID-19 protocols. During the game, I know that ASU keeps live stats and it seems to me it would be a matter of going to a tablet or phone at halftime and pulling the stats up. You can argue that ASU should provide stats even in a pandemic. But if that’s the protocol and as long as ASU is not providing stats, even to its own team, then it’s a level playing field. Either way, why make that public? How is that helping HBCUs?
Media availability is not where you air those types of grievances. Call ASU, the SWAC, or the NCAA and let it be known. This is not the first time Sanders has said something or admonished someone on these calls. Last week, he made a comment to one of the reporters about why he was wearing a hoodie and baseball cap during his interview on the virtual coaches media session. This week, that same reporter wore a Yankees baseball cap during the interviews with the other coaches, but when Sanders came up, the media member had on a shirt and jacket. Why can’t that man be comfortable in his own skin?
Some of his comments are incendiary, particularly what I heard on Monday. HBCU sports are not a reality show. This right here, what we do and what we’ve been doing for in excess of 100 years because we were excluded, is real life for us. Jackson State isn’t Florida State. This is a good thing.
We as HBCU people are kings and queens. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Thurgood Marshall, Oprah Winfrey, Spike Lee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, to name a few, say so. Jerry Rice, Walter Payton, Wilma Rudolph, Willis Reed, Althea Gibson, and Sam Jones also say so. We are excellent. We may do things differently than others, but we are still excellent.
I have seen it before and know what it looks like. A coach comes to an HBCU with no HBCU experience. They may make comments here and there, but nothing like what I have heard from Sanders. If Jackson State and the SWAC want to put up with his remarks and not check him because it makes (dollars and) sense from a business standpoint for them, okay. BOXTOROW has a responsibility to the people, so we will not be a participant.
Remember the situation about Sanders’ items being stolen during the game against Edward Waters? It was the first thing Sanders mentioned during that postgame presser. Jackson State said the items weren’t stolen but “misplaced,” while Sanders maintained that the items were stolen but the “thief” was caught in the act by one of his assistants and later “stashed away in another location” as reported by Ross Dellinger of Sports Illustrated. (Ross is the former Clarion-Ledger beat writer for Jackson State.) Why did Sanders and JSU have two different statements on the matter and why did he feel the need to make mention of that at that moment?
Sanders has done some good things. He was able to obtain his degree from Talladega College. He has brought a lot of notoriety to HBCUs—there is no doubt about that. I have definitely heard him advocate for HBCUs for better TV coverage and recognition of great athletes in the SWAC. But at times, he acts like he is above HBCUs.
“Respect is earned, it’s just not given,” he said last week during the SWAC Zoom call. Sanders has to earn his respect from us in the HBCU community.
Do we as HBCUs have our challenges? Certainly. But what school doesn’t? I am a proud Morgan State University graduate. Morgan State believes in excellence. I believe in excellence. And I don’t need someone who doesn’t understand how my excellence works trying to tell me how to be excellent.
What I saw on Monday at the beginning of Sanders’ part of the press conference was distasteful. And while I love reality television, if some of his comments are part of a reality show, I don’t want any part of it for my HBCUs.
Donal Ware is the host of the nationally syndicated sports talk radio program FROM THE PRESS BOX TO PRESS ROW, airing in over 26 markets across the country and on ESPNU Radio SiriusXM and on SiriusXM Channel 142 H.B.C.U. He is a Morgan State University graduate and has been covering HBCU sports for more than 20 years.
Who cares about your feelings hurt and now you want to do a neg story on the man .I hope he never interviews or answer questions from you. You are the one distasteful, deion has been hated every since he was hired
You must went to alcorn and not Morgan state. Everyone is different and who cares whether you first or last in conference fucking call , get over it and he can start off with what the hell he wants to say it’s a free nation.
Obviously, a JSUer. Appreciate the read.
Why mention Alcorn?
Great commentary, I think some of what Coach Prime has done for JSU and HBCUS are good but his attitude and arrogance gives me pause. Some of his ideas could be positive if done the right way.
Thank you for the comments and the read.
Thanks for the story! Deion is only at JSU because no FBS program is willing to hire him with only high school coaching experience on his resume. The JSU gig is an attempt to gain coaching experience until a FBS team gives him a chance. Honestly, nothing is wrong with that. His condescending attitude and fake love for HBCUs is the issue.
The good – Other schools on JSU’s schedule will most likely gain some TV time. Take this opportunity to showcase your program.
The bad – when Deion loses, be prepared for his usual sore loser attitude and excuses. He will get over it real soon!
Appreciate your feedback. Thanks for the read.
I love a good article, but this is not it. This sounds more like a personal attack because you are in your feelings about what you feel the level of standards should be for HBCUs. Why should we settle with complacency? We as a people re not a monolith when it comes to expectations for our people, and you are certainly not the authority on decency and order. Failure to mention the inappropriate actions and comments towards Sanders and JSU by other SWAC coaches makes you look as if you are just grinding an axe with no real wood to chop. Stagnate thinking and complacency gets no one anywhere. If you are satisfied with mediocracy so be it. But for those who want the opportunity to rise above it, now they have a choice. Black folk ought to get tired of fighting for the crumbs on the table, or that have fallen to the floor and want the whole darn cake!
Coach Prime is good for JSU. Also his name recognition is good for the conference. Coach Sanders is in his 1st year and will mature in his role as head coach. Coach Sanders is the Muhammad Ali or the Archie “Gunslinger” Cooley of HBCU athletes. This means he can sell out stadiums which benefits the entire conference. My only recommendation is for Coach Prime to read and research the history of JSU and the SWAC. Or maybe have the Public Relations team or History Department give him a presentation on the significance contributions of JSU and HBCUs to the NFL and the world! I think given time this relationship will mature and be a win/win. JSU and the conference will have to continue to deliver a good product for this experiment to work. “A rising tide lifts all ships”
Thank you for your response. I am not an authority on decency and order, but I do have an opinion. I have no agenda other than speaking on matters involving HBCU sports which I have done nationally for in excess of 20 years. As you have read this commentary, where in it did I mention anything about other coaches? This piece has nothing to do with other coaches and their thoughts. As stated a few times in the piece, this dealt with what specifically was said on Monday. What specifically did an opposing coach say that you feel like I failed to mention? Also, do you feel like we are mediocre? You mentioned this being an article. This is a commentary and their is a vast difference.
Thank you for your response and the read.
There are six types of articles. (1) Original research, (2) Review article, (3) Clinical case study, (4) Clinical trial, (5) Perspective, opinion, and commentary, and (6) Book review.
Commentaries are short, narrowly focused articles (sometimes written by narrowly focused individuals, if I may add).
So since you were wrong about my use of the term.”article”, it may be safe to say you were wrong about other things you initially stated and rebutted as well.
I said your failure to give both sides of the story weakens the credibility of your opinion. Cause and effect and context are always important to having a valid argument. But those who just have distaste for something or someone never want the whole truth now do they? It would expose them.
Unfortunately as a JSU alumni, I agree. I don’t like how he talks about current players versus his 5 star players that are coming. The hbcu tradition is about taking the least of these and making them the top… not just going for super stars. He’s learning and growing so we gotta give him grace
So you like to flex and try to call people out, but can stand being corrected. Your 20+ years of speaking on matters involving HBCUs should have toughened your skin; that is if you accepted everyone else’s opinion and not just those blowing smoke .
There are six types of articles. (1) Original research, (2) Review article, (3) Clinical case study, (4) Clinical trial, (5) Perspective, opinion, and commentary, and (6) Book review.
Commentaries are short, narrowly focused articles (sometimes written by narrowly focused individuals, if I may add).
So since you were wrong about my use of the term.”article”, it may be safe to say you were wrong about other things you initially stated and rebutted as well.
I said your failure to give both sides of the story weakens the credibility of your opinion. Cause and effect and context are always important to having a valid argument. But those who just have distaste for something or someone never want the whole truth now do they? It would expose them.
Expose me to or as what? In the piece, I mentioned some things he has done which are good for HBCUs. Again, my commentary had nothing to do with what other coaches said about him so I am not sure why you keep referencing that. Curious are you a JSU fan/grad or Deion fan? You can break down the term article all you want. Has nothing to do with whether I am right or wrong. An article gives two sides to a story or the truth as the reporter/writer may see it. A commentary is just that. But while you’re breaking things down, I’m sure you know that only facts can be wrong, not opinions.
Thank you for your response, honesty, and the read.
Just saw your post about the 20 years. In this business and in my position, you better be tough-skinned. I am not mad about your response, I welcome it just like i welcomed others who disagree with me. That’s cool. Just trying to understand why you are referencing why I didn’t speak about what other coaches have said about him.