Stephen A. Smith sends dismissive message on Colorado football during ESPN's 'First Take'

Stephen A. Smith put down the Colorado football program and the city of Boulder during a rant on ESPN's "First Take" in which he proposed Deion Sanders go to an SEC school, potentially even co-host Cam Newton's alma mater, Auburn, for greener pastures.

“I understand Boulder, Colorado. I’ve seen the stadium,” Smith said (h/t On3). “I was there twice, for crying out loud, Deion got me to come to Boulder, Colorado. I get that part. But it ain’t 100,000 showing up in Death Valley or Alabama or Georgia. There’s a different flavor that comes with it. I didn’t say he needed it. I didn’t say that. What I said was, it doesn’t negate the fact that there’s an elevated level of fervor in certain confines that don’t exist elsewhere. Come on now, you watch Colorado, you’ve seen it. I know the crowd, they’re supporting him, they’re there for him, the whole bit, Cam. But come on now. It’s different in the SEC.

“And by the way, Cam: I think Auburn should be looking at him, too. How about that?”

Coach Prime is not satisfying the masses at Colorado, but he's gotten his son, Shedeur Sanders, and Travis Hunter to the top of NFL draft boards in Boulder while transforming the Buffs into a Big 12 contender within two years. He has a mansion in the foothills and a university that granted him the chance to lecture a course about himself and his life.

Perhaps he's satisfied. He's recruiting like he's satisfied anyway. Maybe it's not about pleasing the masses anymore after being a multi-sport star throughout his athletic career.

Based on his hires and his handling of the media, it sounds like Coach Prime isn't trying to be a people-pleaser anymore. And perhaps he'll like it that way enough to laugh through these claims and build something sustainable at CU.