NFL Hall of Famer and Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders has long been one of the most influential figures in the football world. So when his son, Shilo Sanders, came under fire for making misogynistic remarks aimed at Cleveland Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot, many were eager to hear how ‘PrimeTime’ would respond.
During a recent podcast appearance, Sanders stood by his son, suggesting the comments came from a place of defending his brother, Shedeur Sanders.
“We don’t talk about anybody,” Deion Sanders said on The Barbershop podcast.”We don’t do anything to anybody. I know Shilo had a little altercation, and he spoke up for his brother. You’ve got to understand, man, that’s his brother. And God bless Mary Kay’s soul; that’s his brother. I mean, she said something, and he said something, like media are different today. I know a lot of people don’t respect the old school. I do, because I grew up in that era where we didn’t have a say so … But Shilo spoke up for his brother, and he was ridiculed for that.”
The controversy apparently began after Mary Kay Cabot reported that Deshaun Watson was likely to remain the Browns’ starting quarterback. Shortly after, Shilo Sanders reacted on social media by telling Cabot to “make him a sandwich,” and that quickly drew backlash online for being disrespectful and inappropriate.
A day earlier, Deion Sanders also spoke about the situation during an appearance on The Pregame Network podcast.
“Shilo’s gonna stand up for his family because that’s just his fight for the family. That’s just how he gets down,” Deion Sanders said. “The thing about Shilo is he feels as though if you say something about us in the realm that he’s in because he’s in his lane now, he can say something about you. But you can’t get sensitive when he does, because you said something about us…You kicked it off.”
Even though Deion Sanders has defended Shilo by saying his comments were meant to stand up for his brother, the tone and language he used still drew criticism. Many felt the way he expressed himself crossed a line, regardless of intent.
Mike Florio calls out Deion Sanders for defending Shilo’s sexist comments
One can understand the place Deion Sanders is coming from, as his son, Shedeur Sanders, faced a lot of unprompted scrutiny and ridicule during his rookie season. Him defending Shilo for standing up for his brother can make sense. But ignoring the misogynistic tone used by his elder son is something that warrants criticism.
While reporting about Deion Sanders’ reaction to Shilo’s comments, veteran NFL reporter Mike Florio issued startling criticism for the Hall of Famer.
“So, yes, Shilo has every right to defend Shedeur. But if Shilo does it in a way that merits scrutiny, he’s going to experience it,” Florio wrote. “Deion, in turn, has every right to defend Shilo. And, yes, it’s hard for any father to be objective about his children. That doesn’t mean Deion shouldn’t try to understand why Shilo, to use his term, ‘was ridiculed.’ Shilo said something for which he deserved to be fairly criticized.”
Deion Sanders’ defense of Shilo is understandable, but it does not excuse the misogynistic comments directed at Mary Kay Cabot. Shilo had every right to stand up for his brother, but the manner in which he did so crossed a clear line as per Florio.
