Deion Sanders talks about Dan Lanning and ‘playing for clicks’
Despite winning just four games, the Colorado Buffaloes were the talk of college football last season. All of the buzz was, of course, brought on by Deion Sanders, the Buffaloes’ new head coach, who made waves with his aggressive tactics in the transfer portal.
Colorado had a spectacular start last season, winning its first three games, which few expected it to do. But when the Buffs came to Eugene, they were rudely awakened by the Oregon Ducks, losing 42-6.
Somehow, the final score and Oregon’s obliteration of Colorado weren’t the biggest storylines of the September matchup. Just before the game, an ESPN all-access camera captured a video of Dan Lanning’s pregame speech, and an eight-word phrase was immortalized.
“They’re playing for clicks; we’re playing for wins.”
Lanning’s comment drew the ire of many fans and pundits across the country. After the game, and now, almost nine months later, Sanders shared his perspective. On a recent episode of the “Full Send” podcast, Sanders had this to say about Lanning’s pre-game statements:
“It’s funny how you say that, but the camera was on when you say that,” Sanders said. “So who is playing for the click?”
Sanders pointed out that Lanning didn’t allow network cameras into the Ducks locker room after the Colorado game, although Lanning said last fall the reason was the backlash he and the Ducks received after the Buffaloes game made it too much of a headache.
“Did you hear any other speech that he made during the whole season,” Sanders said. “Who is playing for the click? This is what I really do. In high school, you can date it back on YouTube or whatever, this is what I do with my team, this is who we are. It’s not playing for something or playing for a click, why would I need exposure?”
By the end of the season, long after the Oregon-Colorado game, the Ducks had played for quite a few wins and the Buffaloes had not, and both teams received a lot of clicks. Lanning’s pregame speech is an odd thing to still be talking about nine months later, but that’s the Coach Prime effect, right?
There’s no denying that Sanders’ philosophy regarding social media and its role in college football is unique, but that doesn’t mean it’s good or bad. As he closed his thoughts on Lanning and the Ducks, Sanders emphasized his belief that a strong social media presence is in the best interest of the kids on his team.
“I want my team to get everything they’ve got coming to them,” Sanders said. “I want those kids to blow up and be the dogs. I want them to earn more NIL money than anything, and I want them to be ‘it.'”
