Longtime sports talk radio host Paul Finebaum, known by many as the leading collegiate sports authority in the South and the “Voice of the SEC,” shared his opinions on Deion Sanders’ upcoming first year at Colorado, and former linebacker great LaVar Arrington wasn’t having it.
Finebaum expressed the opinion of a tiny vocal minority on McElroy and Cubelic In the Morning show on Feb. 20, and deflated the hype around Sanders’ helm at Colorado and the energy around what he will bring to the program.
The Finebaum View
“I think the first couple of games will be a novelty,” Finebaum said. “I couldn’t imagine how he could turn this thing around completely. I don’t think he has a very high ceiling. Everyone will be cheering for him. Losses will be masked as wins. We will be watching Deion very closely but if they get off to a 2-6 start, we won’t be watching them. That’s just the nature of college football.”
LaVar Arrington heard the critique and wanted the world to readjust Finebaum’s and other popular narratives around Sanders’ move to Colorado from his pro opinion.
LaVar’s Leap Of Faith
“Finebaum, hmmm,” Arrington began on a social media post on the “Up On Game” network social media pages on Feb. 23. “‘I don’t think Deion has a very high ceiling. His first couple of games will be a novelty.’ Wow. ‘If they go 2-6, nobody’s going to pay attention. That’s the nature of the game in college football.’ Paul, you couldn’t have got it more wrong, my guy. And then to sit there and for people to justify, ‘Oh well, if he has success, it’s going to be because of the transfer portal.’ Of course, it’s because of the transfer portal; they won one game last year.
“Deion knows how to get it done. He’s shown he knows how to get it done. I know a lot of people are upset that he left Jackson State, left the HBCUs. Y’all need to be celebrating him, not hating him. Yall need to pray for his upcome, not his downfall. Deion is putting it together, and you’re watching history in the making. Appreciate it, don’t hate on it, just love it.”
The energy surrounding the University of Colorado since Sanders’ December signing has been frenetic. Unlike Finebaum, the University of Colorado Board of Regents approved the Pro Football Hall of Famer’s deal with an 8-1 vote, signaling they think higher of his chances at wins than the commentator.
The recruiting portal for a team that has shown no promise since the 1990s is admittedly his saving grace, and why wouldn’t it be? No coach is complete without their weapons. In early February, Sanders flipped the nation’s top corner, Cormani McClain, from Miami, a challenging feat given you are asking to trade palm trees for the cold, rugged mountains. However, Sanders proves he knows what it takes to get the top talent out in the Rockies.
Arrington knows a little about college football. He is a collegiate hall of famer, after all.
Best known for the “LaVar Leap,” jumping over the offensive line, Arrington was one of the most feared linebackers in the late 1990s and is the 19th Penn State player to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.
The 12th Nittany Lion ever selected as a two-time first team All-American, Arrington earned unanimous honors in 1999. The same year, he received the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker and the Bednarik Award as the country’s top defensive player. Arrington, a finalist for the Nagurski and Lombardi awards, finished ninth in the 1999 Heisman Trophy voting. A two-time first team All-Big Ten honoree, Arrington became the first sophomore named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year when he received the honor in 1998.
So when he corrects the narrative about Sanders’ chances for success, Finebaum should listen.
