Nunnie on the Sideline

By Sylvester “Nunnie” Robinson

This has been an amazing week of college football, especially the Deion phenomenon in Boulder, home of the University of Colorado Buffaloes. The Ft. Myers bred, FSU Seminole sensation, Hall of Fame gridiron star, and professional baseball phenom turned  leader of young athletes, has brought winning and excitement to an erstwhile moribund program. His visionary, charismatic leadership style (critics probably lament his overtly confident persona,  viewing it as cocky) and unexpected early success have reshaped the college football landscape. In our community the viewership has been expanded commiserate with his team’s success. You’d be surprised at the number of people who stayed up until the end of that absolutely thrilling double overtime victory over in-state rival Colorado State. Comments by CSU head coach Jay Norvell, himself a minority,  added fuel to the fire with his incendiary comments – “My mother taught me to take my hat and shades off when speaking to an adult “ – Coach Sanders took as personal. If you, as I do, see the glass as half full, then we now know who Coach Norvell is. I was completely clueless before. It’s alleged that he told Coach Sanders that his comments were meant to motivate his own players, not a personal attack on Coach Deion.  So he brought, intentionally or not, a level or degree of notoriety to his program. Two egregious plays by CSU players tainted their valiant effort: the unnecessary sideline hit on the Buff’s duel threat phenom Travis Hunter and the visceral  sack  of Heisman candidate, QB Shedeur Sanders,  Deion’s son. I thought both coaches displayed class and sportsmanship when they spoke after the game in middle of field.

Our society needs to get a grip as death threats have been leveled at the player who hit Hunter. I thought he should’ve been ejected immediately from game, but nothing rises to that level of vitriol. Dispensing punishment is the responsibility of athletic administrators and on field officials. As a nation honored and respected by many, we can and must be better.