As Ducks Digest's Linden Hile pointed out, Deion Sanders may have accidentally proven Oregon head coach Dan Lanning's narrative -- that Colorado football "plays for clicks" -- correct by claiming that "this is really what I do" during an appearance on the Full Send Podcast.
"Supporters of the Ducks will be happy to see that Sanders fed into this exact point in his own words and may resent not being able to play Colorado again as the two schools diverge into the Big Ten Conference and Big 12 Conference, respectively," Hile said.
Sanders refuted Lanning's point on May 9 while speaking to the Nelk Boys.
“Did you hear any other speech that he made during the whole season?” asked Sanders. “Who is playing for the click? This is really what I do.”
Lanning called out Colorado ahead of what would turn out to be a 42-6 rout at Autzen Stadium on September 23 with his infamous "play for clicks" speech.
"The Cinderella story is over man. They're fighting for clicks, we're fighting for wins," Lanning said (h/t Bleacher Report). "There's a difference, right? There's a difference. This game ain't going to be played in Hollywood. It's going to be played on the grass, right? It's going to be played on the grass."
Deion Sanders giving too much material for Colorado football haters
Sanders rarely shows humility in interviews, and after a 4-8 season, it's already come back to bite him. Continuing to take shots at Lanning serves no purpose with CU and Oregon no longer in-conference rivals, but he's still chirping at the Ducks.
Coach Prime has his brand, and it's not easy for everyone to understand, but you'd think he'd take a step back and acknowledge where he stands at some point. By continuing not to, he's feeding the haters bulletin board material to refer back to when the Buffs falter.
Does that matter to him? Clearly not. He has his money, his NFL legacy is in tact, and he's not going to be fired by the University of Colorado outside of a major scandal. And it's arguable that it even matters in the grand scheme to AD Rick George.
But his players may not be ready to take on the mental burden Sanders' words is creating for the entire team.