The University of Colorado Boulder sent BuffZone a statement explaining why Warren Sapp was hired as a Colorado football GA -- not a senior quality control analyst as was originally reported -- despite his controversial past that includes allegations of domestic violence.
“Warren Sapp successfully completed all of the necessary steps required of anyone who is employed at CU Boulder, including a background check,” CU told BuffZone in a statement. “Furthermore, Athletic Director Rick George personally met with Warren to clearly articulate the department’s standards and expectations, to which he acknowledged and agreed.”
Violence Free Colorado, the federally recognized, anti-domestic violence coalition for the state of Colorado, had protested the potential hiring with a statement of their own in January.
“By recruiting someone with a history of public allegations of gender-based violence, including domestic violence, they risk promoting violence rather than speaking out against it,” said the org's statement (h/t USA Today). “They risk saying that violence is excusable if the player or coach is successful. They risk undermining the public work CU has done to speak out against domestic violence. As advocates, we know the answer is not to ignore the allegations against Mr. Sapp, but to address them head on.”
Steve Hurlbert, a spokesman for CU Boulder, had specifically addressed Sapp being hired as an on-field coach for the Buffs; specifying that it hadn't been discussed.
Maybe things changed, but there were rumors of Sapp being hired in a similar role then. So perhaps he was just saving face for the university.
Or perhaps Deion Sanders fought the university head-on to hire his long-time friend and won.
Deion Sanders' Colorado football program furthers villain narrative to many
While there are a good number of college football fans who've adopted the Buffs since Sanders took over in Boulder, many, many have begun to hate CU after either ignoring them completely or previously laughing at the program's futility for the better part of the 21st century; even embracing them as villains.
If you thought they were villains before, though, Sapp's hiring makes it even more so to that same crowd.
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