Deion Sanders pops off about CBS, trolls Pitt coach at news conference

On the day he turned 57 years old, Deion Sanders apparently had some scores to settle about the past.

One was with the media company CBS, though it’s not clear what his beef is with them.

To top it off, the Colorado football coach also got personal with a writer for the Denver Post.

He made these remarks at a preseason news conference Friday in Boulder. It was his birthday. And his daughter just gave birth to a baby boy. But Sanders had reason to quibble and gloat a bit.

What is Deion Sanders’ issue with CBS?

When a local reporter from a CBS television affiliate in Denver asked a question, “Coach Prime” shot him down.

“CBS, I’m not doing nothing with CBS. Next question,” said Sanders, who turned 57 Friday. “It ain’t got nothing to do with you. This is above that. It ain’t got nothing to do with you. I’ve got love for you. I appreciate you. I respect you.  It ain’t got nothing to do with you. They know what they did.”

“I’m here in Denver, not national,” the reporter said.

“You are who you are,” Sanders said. “CBS is CBS.”

Sanders then told the reporter he respects him but has an issue with the larger CBS organization.

“I got love for you, but what they did was foul,” Sanders said.

It’s not clear why Sanders has an issue with CBS. Was it because CBS Sports recently ranked him as the second-worst coach in the Big 12 Conference?

Or was he mixing up CBS with another news media outlet that published a story he disputed?

A university spokesman said he didn’t know what Sanders’ issue with CBS is. The Denver CBS affiliate and CBS Sports also didn’t immediately return messages seeking comment.

But CBS otherwise has been good to Sanders. He appeared on “60 Minutes” twice in recent years, including last year at Colorado. He appeared on CBS Mornings in March to promote his new book. Last season, CBS Colorado also hosted one of his weekly coach’s shows.

What is Deion Sanders’ issue with Pitt?

Last year, Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi criticized how Sanders overhauled his roster. Dozens of players from Colorado’s previous team left the program after Sanders said he was bringing in his own “luggage.” Some perceived Sanders to be ‘cutting’ players like he was running an NFL team, though he has noted many left voluntarily.

“We’ll see how it works out but that, to me, looks bad on college football coaches across the country,” Narduzzi told 247Sports last year. “The reflection is on one guy right now but when you look at it overall — those kids that have moms and dads and brothers and sisters and goals in life.’

This year, Sanders then took in two transfer players from Pittsburgh – defensive linemen Dayon Hayes and Samuel Okunlola. Sanders made sure to let everybody know where they came from.

“First of all I want to digress a bit and thank the head coach of Pittsburgh for really preparing those young men for us,” Sanders said. “He did a great job. I love those two young men. They’re really great players and they’re gonna be pros… Thank you Pittsburgh. I appreciate everything. God bless you.”

Sanders could have been expressing genuine gratitude to Pitt. But Narduzzi has had his own issues with players leaving, and Sanders’ comments could be interpreted as making Pitt seem like a farm team for Colorado.

Another beef with Deion Sanders

When a columnist for the Denver Post wished Sanders a happy summer, Sanders also got personal.

“You don’t like us, man,” Sanders said. “Why do you do this to yourself?”

“C’mon,” said the columnist, Sean Keeler.

Keeler sometimes has written critical commentaries about Sanders and his program.

Sanders hasn’t liked it, apparently.

“Why do you – you always on the attack,” Sanders said. “What did we do?”

Sanders then asked him, “What happened to get you like this?”

“That’s a good question,” Keeler replied.

“No, I’m serious, because I want to help, because it’s not normal,” Sanders said.

“We can talk about that,” Keeler said.

Keeler tried to steer the conversation away from him and back to football – to no avail.

“Can I ask you a football question, seriously?” Keeler asked.

“No,” Sanders said. “We can talk about that when we talk about that  I talk about that with you. “

Colorado finished 4-8 in Sanders’ first season in Boulder last year, improving a program that finished with a 1-11 record the year before. His second season at Colorado begins Aug. 29 at home against North Dakota State.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. E-mail: bschrotenb@usatoday.com