On Friday, the University of Colorado made a significant announcement, informing The Denver Post that head coach Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes’ football program will no longer be responding to questions from columnist Sean Keeler. This decision marks a notable shift in the relationship between the university and the local media outlet, particularly regarding coverage of the football team.
The university’s decision stems from what it describes as “sustained, personal attacks” directed at the football program and, more specifically, at Coach Deion Sanders. In a statement released to The Denver Post, the university elaborated on its reasoning:
“After a series of sustained, personal attacks on the football program and specifically Coach Prime, the CU Athletic Department in conjunction with the football program, have decided not to take questions from Denver Post columnist Sean Keeler at football-related events,” the statement read.
When pressed for examples of these so-called “personal attacks,” CU Athletics pointed to several nicknames and phrases that Keeler had used in his columns to describe Sanders. Among these were “Deposition Deion,” “Planet Prime,” “Bruce Lee of B.S.,” “the Deion Kool-Aid,” and “circus.” These terms, the university claims, contributed to a hostile tone that crossed the line from critical coverage into personal disparagement.
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As a result of this decision, Keeler is now indefinitely barred from asking questions to Sanders during football-related events. However, The Denver Post confirmed that Keeler will still be credentialed to attend games and will retain his access to the team in that capacity. His ban is specifically tied to football, meaning he will still be able to engage with coaches and staff from other athletic programs at the university.
The decision to block Keeler’s questions comes on the heels of a critical column he penned earlier this month, in which he scrutinized Sanders’s conduct during the team’s media day. The column appears to have been the tipping point in what has been an increasingly strained relationship between the columnist and the football program.
It’s also worth noting that Sanders’s contract with the university includes a clause stipulating that he is only required to engage with “mutually agreed upon media.” This clause likely played a role in the university’s decision to limit Keeler’s access, ensuring that Sanders and the football program are not obligated to respond to media figures they perceive as hostile.
This move has sparked discussions about the balance between critical journalism and maintaining professional relationships within sports media.
As the situation develops, it raises important questions about how far a media outlet can go in its critique of public figures before it risks losing access altogether.
