Deion Sanders walked out of SWAC Media Day on Tuesday for a very surprising reason, and the Jackson State coach appeared to address the issue in a tweet.
Sanders was apparently upset that a reporter called him “Deion” while he was fielding questions. On Wednesday morning, the Hall of Famer sent a cryptic tweet about “respect.”
Morning Word, COACH PRIME pic.twitter.com/kB9eQX2s5M
— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) July 21, 2021
A story from the Mississippi Clarion Ledger’s Langston Newsome said Sanders scolded a reporter for calling him “Deion.” Sanders told the reporter that he would not call Nick Saban “Nick” and that Sanders should be treated with the same level of respect. On Tuesday night, Sanders shared a video of the exchange between him and Nick Suss of the Clarion Ledger. The clip showed the coach laughing about the situation, though he did appear to stand up and leave the video conference.
Stop allowing folks you don’t have a relationship with to convince you otherwise about someone you do have a relationship with. I’ve been with you since 85 and I ain’t gon stop now that I’m COACH PRIME. And I had a GREAT TIME AT THE HBCU PRESS CONFERENCE & I NEVER LEFT.
— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) July 21, 2021
It’s possible that Sanders simply has a problem with the Clarion Ledger. The news outlet claimed in a later story on Tuesday that one of its reporters has been barred from covering Jackson State football in the wake of a story about a domestic violence charge against a recruit.
Whatever the case, it was quickly proven that plenty of reporters call Nick Saban “Nick.” The video compilation below shows that:
— Brennon Chapman (@BrennonChapman) July 21, 2021
There was some speculation that Sanders may have been cracking a joke, as a reporter flipped out last year over the way someone addressed Saban during a news conference. However, it appears there is a lot more to it than that.
