Deion Sanders accuses Obama of “playing political games” by picking Arizona to win over Colorado

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders says he likes Barack Obama, but he had to confront the former president this week.

Obama picked the Arizona Wildcats to beat Sanders' Buffaloes in a game Saturday.

During a speech Friday in Tucson, Arizona, Obama claimed he even saw the Colorado buses as his plane landed and reminded the crowd of the Wildcats' two-game winning streak against the Buffaloes, which dates back to 2022.

“I know Colorado has some good players, but I also know you beat them twice in a row,” Obama said. “Don’t bet against the Wildcats tomorrow.”

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Maher mocked President Obama's persuasion of black men to support Harris. (Michelle Gustafson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Last year, Arizona beat Colorado 34-31 in Sanders' first season with the program. In 2022, the Wildcats defeated the Buffaloes 43-20, prompting Colorado to fire coach Karl Dorrell after the team started the season 0-5.

This year, Sanders and his team proved the former president dead wrong.

Colorado defeated Arizona 34-7 to improve to 5-2 on the season. After the game, Sanders addressed Obama in front of the press and suggested that he only chose Arizona because he had campaigned there earlier in the week.

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Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders rolls out to pass. (Mike Watters/Imagn Images)

“I heard what he said. Mr. President, I heard what you said,” Sanders told reporters after the game. “That’s why I don’t really care about politics, because politicians play the political game. He was here and had to play the political game.”

Arizona is considered an important swing state in the upcoming elections.

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Former President Obama speaks during the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicgo on August 20, 2024. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Sanders particularly criticized Obama's claim that his team only had “a few good players.”

“We have two good players? We have more than two good players. But you were here, you had to support,” Sanders said. “Mr President, come on, man. You are my man. I love you and appreciate you, but come on, dog.”

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders was 23-for-33 passing, throwing for 250 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions and adding a rushing touchdown. Star cornerback and wide receiver Travis Hunter started Saturday after injuring his shoulder against Kansas State last week.

Obama came under fire from another former NFL star who played in the same era as Sanders following other comments Obama made on the campaign trail.

During a recent campaign stop for Harris in Pittsburgh, Obama addressed the vice president's dwindling support Black votersespecially black men.

Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders walks the sideline during a game against the UCF Knights on September 28, 2024 at FBC Mortgage Stadium in Orlando, Florida. (Chris Leduc/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

“Now I would also like to say that this seems to be more pronounced among the brothers. So if you don't mind, I have to talk to all of you for a second and say this, if you have a choice, that it's so clean when, on the one hand, you have someone who grew up the way you did, went to college with you and understands the struggles (and the) pain and joy that come from those experiences,” Obama said.

Obama even suggested that these voters don't support Harris because she is a woman. Obama never acknowledged that the lower support might be due to her past as vice president and her past as a prosecutor.

“I'm speaking directly to men – part of it makes me think that you just don't feel comfortable having a woman as president and that you're coming up with other alternatives and other reasons for it,” Obama said.

Former NFL star running back Herschel Walker, a former Republican Senate candidate in Georgia, criticized Obama this week for his comments.

“(Barack Obama), you have forgotten how hard we fought for our right to vote! Telling us how to vote based on the color of our skin is a step backwards. The bad Biden/Harris policies have hurt us all. We need unity, brother, not division.” !” Walker wrote on X

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