Megan Turner
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Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders abruptly ended his press conference for SWAC Media Day Tuesday afternoon after he was addressed by his first name only.
Sanders, who landed the job in 2020, wasn’t happy that Nick Suss of the Clarion Ledger called him “Deion.” The Hall of Fame cornerback and second-year coach said he doesn’t want reporters to call him by his first name.
“You don’t call Nick Saban, ‘Nick.’ Don’t call me ‘Deion,’” Sanders told Suss, per the Clarion Ledger.
Sanders went on to say he wants to be treated like all the veteran college football coaches.
“If you call Nick [Saban], ‘Nick’, you’ll get cussed out on the spot, so don’t do that to me. Treat me like Nick,” he said.
After another reporter referred to him by his first name, Sanders — who went 4-3 in his first year — walked out of the event.
The Ledger reports that Suss is the outlet’s Ole Miss writer who has crossed over several beats but marked his second time covering Sanders at SWAC Media Day with the event.
“When I interview people, I call them by their first name,” Suss said, via Clarion Ledger. “Whether it’s someone I’ve been working with for years or someone I’m talking to for the first time. This is true of the coaches and players on the Ole Miss beat, the coaches and players at Mississippi State and Southern Miss when I help out covering their teams and, as recently as January, even Sanders, too.”
Come on prime don’t be so sensitive your better than that
No actually he isn’t. For all of his talent at playing and talking football, Deion is a petulant child at heart. Insecure as fuck too, despite all of his talent.
Love Deion, but he has referred to himself in the third person as “Prime.” Kind of hard to feel like this is a slight or insult at this point. But he’s made his position known.
Well Deion, Nick Saban is running out of fingers to put rings on, you just finished barely above .500 in something called the SWAC.
The amount of rings isn’t the point. Use your adult male brain.please
Deion is the one who used that reference, not me. When you have 7 titles to your name you command a certain respect. When you’re coaching just a notch above the high school level (and not very good at it ) not so much.
Exactly. Deion is teaching his team to be outright petulant and act like a child. Listen to every single press conference after the introductory one and 99% of the time ALL the coaches are addressed by their first names. That’s called report. Deion doesn’t want report with this reporter he wants to lord over him. How about no one shows up to watch SWAC games. There solved it for you dumb ass Deion.
Well, I think walking out is a bit much, he raised Saban’s name, so do it like him, chew the guy out. To the reporter, if he asked you to call him Coach Sanders, then respect his wishes. You are not the story, nor are you there to be be buds. Whatever happened to professionalism?
It’s hard to find anyone practicing real journalism. Everyone is an opinion performer…look at me, look at me.
Exactly…well said
You guys are all correct, but Fauci the arrogant media.
As long as he worked in the media you’d think he’d be more patient with them.
Incredibly soft. Dude is just looking for an excuse to be offended.