GENERAL SANDERS — The Weekly Opine

I first met Deion Sanders shooting a McDonald’s commercial in L.A. (Photo credit McDonald’s TV ad screen shot)

High stepping back to the bigs

This was inevitable. Deion “Prime Time” Sanders, who long ago shed the rank of colonel, was never going to stay at Jackson State University more than half a decade. Unless, of course, he was unable to produce winning teams at JSU. But winning is what Deion Sanders does, as evidenced by his two Super Bowl rings. Sanders had the exceedingly rare talent to play at the highest level in the NFL and Major League Baseball and did so with flair rarely seen before and not witnessed since.

Hopefully, the suits at Jackson State understood when they hired Sanders the relationship would be fleeting. There should have been no doubt that Sanders would, sooner than later, “get while the gettin’s good” as the character Jerome (played by Martin Lawrence) used to say. And who can blame Sanders?

Claims by some people - of all colors - that Deion is a “sellout” are based on wistful thinking rather than reality. (I heard no one call Luke Fickell a sellout after he announced he was upgrading and leaving Cincinnati to become head coach at Wisconsin.)

Based on my experience, I understand Deion Sanders’ motivation to leave JSU and return to the Big Time.

Resources talk

Shortly after arriving in Chicagoland, following graduation from Indiana University, I landed a coveted entry-level job at Foote, Cone & Belding. FCB was one of the world’s advertising giants, at that time the world’s ninth largest ad agency. It was Big Time, working on Michigan Avenue and living in the big city a few blocks from Lake Michigan’s shoreline.

Two years later, I moved up the street to another Michigan Avenue biggie located in the 100-story John Hancock Center. At that time, J. Walter Thompson was the world’s third largest ad agency. JWT was replete with resources even beyond FCB, including setting me up in an office overlooking Oak Street Beach. Not bad for a 25-year-old from small town Plainfield, Indiana.

Working in downtown Chicago offices in (L-R) the Equitable Building, the John Hancock Center and the Quaker Tower was Big Time. (Photos credit The Weekly Opine)

Then, in my early-30s, I took a job at a small, 25-person Black ad agency named Brainstorm Communications. Brainstorm served as the in-house agency for Soft Sheen Products, makers of Jheri curl products. Brainstorm’s offices were situated in a gritty section of Wabash Avenue under “the El” train tracks. There was nothing glamorous about it, except I had the title of Media Director and was the proverbial big fish in a small pond.

If FCB and JWT were akin to Big Ten powerhouses, Brainstorm was like a small Historically Black Colleges and Universities school. While I thoroughly enjoyed working at Brainstorm, the available resources and connections were paltry compared to the Big Boys.

There were fun times at Brainstorm. Like when I convinced Soft Sheen’s owner, who also owned the New Regal Theater on the South Side, to advertise the powerful musical production “Sarafina!” not only in the usual Black media but also in General Market media. Soft Sheen CEO Ed Gardner agreed that “Sarafina!” was bigger than the South Side. Proving me right, the crowds attending the run of “Sarafina!” were larger and more diverse than anything the New Regal Theater had seen, with patrons showing up from downtown and the North Side to see the grand production on Chicago’s South Side.

But alas, a yearning to return to the Big Time churned inside me. When the opportunity to rejoin the big leagues came along, I said a bittersweet goodbye to the tiny agency and moved on to Quaker Oats Company. The head of Brainstorm said she was very sorry to see me go but understood the allure of joining a larger company. Brainstorm’s resources and profile could not remotely match what was available at FCB, JWT and Quaker.

I clearly see where Deion Sanders is coming from.

Breakfast with a champion

Years later, when I worked at McDonald’s Corporation, I had the pleasure of managing an NFL promotion that included shooting a commercial with Deion Sanders. During a production break a few of us chatted with Deion. We talked about a range of topics including sports, social issues, race relations, and being committed to your goals. Like me, Deion was not a big fan of Michael Jordan, due to Jordan’s silence regarding important social issues. We struck up a nice rapport.

Guess who’s coming to breakfast? (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

About six months later, Deion’s manager arranged for me to have a one-on-one breakfast with Sanders to discuss business opportunities. Sanders was in Chicago for the 2016 NFL Draft, and we met at a downtown hotel restaurant.

Without going through a Who’s Who of celebrities I worked with during my career, I will say no one was more laser focused, charismatic and entertaining than Deion Sanders. He always keeps it real, unwaveringly looking you in the eye. (My only regret is not having the server take a photo of us. But as I used to tell my team, in business situations do not take photos with celebs as it shows weakness and puts you at a disadvantage.)

Rocky Mountain high

Deion Sanders leaving Jackson State for Colorado is a jolt not only for JSU but for all HBCUs. But it should not be a surprise. With no disrespect to JSU and HBCUs, Deion Sanders was never going to be long for Jackson State. Prime Time needs a bigger stage. He’s succeeded under the brightest lights the sports world offers. Going from All-Pro Super Bowl Champion to mowing the football field grass at JSU was never going to fully satisfy a superstar like Sanders. Prime Time belongs in the Big Time.

In August, the city of Jackson’s water crisis forced Deion to arrange for his team to move off campus. The players were housed in a hotel where they could access safe drinking water, functioning showers and toilets. Prime Time became more than the football coach at Jackson State. Deion Sanders was the face of HBCUs.

HBCUs can grow without Deion. From a football competitive standpoint, it appeared Jackson State was going to get all the best players and totally dominate the HBCU scene as long as Deion coached at JSU. Spreading the talent pool around would be a good thing.

Now, a man accustomed to operating like a supersonic fighter jet is stepping out of a commuter plane to once again fly among the stars. Chasing championships on college football’s grandest stage is what Prime Time is all about.

It will take time as Colorado is among the worst teams in Power Five college football. But Sanders, a smart, charismatic leader, has the right stuff to turn things around. This is particularly true in this era of NIL deals and the transfer portal, both tailor-made for Sanders’ pitchman talents. He thrives on the challenge of turning a pile of rubble into a gleaming skyscraper.

When informing his undefeated Jackson State team of his decision, Sanders said when you are head coach “you are either being elevated or terminated.”

With no apologies necessary, Prime Time has been elevated and plans to do the same for Colorado football.