The growing sign-stealing scandal involving the Michigan football team is becoming a national storyline. As more and more comes out, and message boards around the country pour through hours of video clips and thousands of still photos, a story is brewing that will likely hang over the Wolverines for the rest of the season.
Deion Sanders’ response to Michigan’s sign-stealing allegations is perfect
Coach Prime added his unique perspective, and it is worth a listen
Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images
Mark Schofield is a former college quarterback and attorney covering the NFL and F1.
However, at least one college football head coach has a somewhat different view than current consensus, that can be boiled down to just a few words.
“You still gotta stop it.”
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders was asked about the Michigan story at a press conference on Tuesday, and offered a lengthy response. In it, the former two-sport athlete talks about the difference between knowing a curveball is coming, and knowing a sweep is coming:
What makes this perspective pitch-perfect is Sanders’ experience, having played in both the NFL and in the MLB. He’s one of the few people on the planet who has been in both situations at such a high level. As he knows full well, in the individual battle between hitter and pitcher, knowing what pitch is coming is a huge advantage. But when you know what play the offense is going to run, you still need 11 players working together, in unison, to stop it.
Perhaps most interesting is the portion where Sanders talks about his days with the San Francisco 49ers, and their storied rivalry with the Dallas Cowboys.
“Back in our glory days with San Francisco against the Cowboys you know darn well Emmitt Smith is getting the ball. You know darn well Mike Irvin is running a comeback. You know darn well Jay Novacek is gonna do what he’s gonna do. And you couldn’t stop it.”
His point is a strong one. Football is a physical game, with a lot of moving parts involved on a given play. Even if, as he outlines, you know a sweep is coming, you still need the defenders to properly fit against that running play, and you still need a player to make the tackle.
Still, keep the message board investigations coming. Those are amazing.
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