Colorado head coach Deion Sanders said he likes Barack Obama but had to call out the former president this week.
President Obama has chosen the Arizona Wildcats to beat Sanders’ Buffaloes on Saturday.
During a speech in Tucson, Arizona, on Friday, President Obama claimed to have also seen Colorado buses as the plane landed, reminding the crowd of the Wildcats’ two-game winning streak over the Buffaloes dating back to 2022.
“I know Colorado had some good players, but I also know you beat Colorado twice in a row,” Obama said. “Don’t bet on tomorrow’s game against the Wildcats.”
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Maher mocked President Obama for resorting to “scolding” black men to support Harris. (Michelle Gustafson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Last year, during Sanders’ first season with the program, Arizona State defeated Colorado State 34-31. In 2022, Colorado fired coach Karl Dorrell after the team started 0-5 as the Wildcats defeated the Buffaloes 43-20.
This year, Sanders and his team proved the former president very wrong.
Colorado defeated Arizona 34-7 to improve to 5-2 on the season. After the game, Sanders called out Obama to reporters and suggested he only chose Arizona because he was campaigning in the state earlier this week.
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Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedur Sanders rolls out to pass. (Mike Watters/Imagine Images)
“I heard what he said. Mr. President, I heard you,” Sanders told reporters after the game. “That’s why I don’t get too involved in politics, because politicians play political games. He was here and had to play political games.”
Arizona is considered a key battleground state in the upcoming election.
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Former President Obama speaks at the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago on August 20, 2024. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Sanders took particular issue with Obama’s insistence that the team only had “a few good players.”
“Do we have two good players? We have more than two good players. But you were here, you had to support,” Sanders said. “President, come on, come on. You’re my man. I love you and I appreciate you, but come on, dog.”
Colorado quarterback Shedur Sanders completed 23-of-33 passes for 250 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions, and added a rushing touchdown. Star cornerback and wide receiver Travis Hunter started Saturday after injuring his shoulder last week against Kansas State.
Mr. Obama’s comments on the campaign trail also drew criticism from another former NFL star who played in the same era as Mr. Sanders.
During a recent campaign stop for Harris in Pittsburgh, Obama cited the vice president’s declining support among black voters, especially black men.
Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders walks along the sideline during a game against the UCF Knights at FBC Mortgage Stadium in Orlando, Florida on September 28, 2024. (Chris Leduc/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“Now, I would also like to say that it seems to be more pronounced among the brothers, but if you don’t mind, I just wanted to talk to you guys about something. On the other hand, when you have someone who grew up like you, went to college with you, and understands the struggles (and) pain and joy that come with that experience, you can make such innocent choices. ,” President Obama said.
Obama even suggested that these voters support Harris not because she is a woman. President Obama never acknowledged that his low approval ratings might be due to his record as vice president or his career as a prosecutor.
“I’m talking directly to men, and part of it is, you just don’t feel the idea of having a woman as president, and you’re not coming up with other alternatives and different reasons for it. “I thought so,” Obama said.
Herschel Walker, a former NFL star and Republican candidate for Senate in Georgia, criticized President Obama’s comments this week.
“(Barack Obama), you forget how hard we fought for the right to vote! Telling us how to vote based on the color of our skin is a step backwards. Biden/Harris ‘s bad policies have hurt us all. We need brothers who unite, not divide!’ ” Walker wrote about X.
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Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked at ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals and interviewed iconic figures such as Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz, and Roger Clemens.