Ahead of their upcoming games against Oregon and USC, the University of Colorado is set to face Colorado State on Saturday night. During his weekly radio show, Jay Norvell, the head coach, decided to take a playful jab at Deion Sanders’ habit of wearing a cap and sunglasses during his media interviews.
Deion Sanders And Sunglasses
He mentioned that he had removed his hat and glasses when talking to ESPN and emphasized, “When I talk to grownups, I take my hat and glasses off. That’s what my mother taught me.”
This comment provided some motivation for the Colorado team, even though they are heavily favored against Colorado State by three touchdowns. Sanders, however, expressed his dislike towards Norvell’s comments, especially after a week of respectful banter between the two coaches.
Sanders Responds
Sanders shared his thoughts with Pat McAfee, saying, “I didn’t like that it happened because it’s another (Black coach). We started right. He was complimenting me, I was complimenting him, but it just took a quick left. What happened?” In response to this situation, Sanders decided to have a bit of fun by distributing sunglasses to his players on Thursday.
He believed that Norvell’s dig at him would not only fire up the Buffaloes team for the game on Saturday but also potentially boost the sales of the sunglasses.
Increase in Exposure
The sunglasses company that recently partnered with Deion Sanders is experiencing an unprecedented surge in business. Since Wednesday, due to the comments, the company has seen a significant increase in sales, calls, and emails. Sanders seized the moment to address his players Friday, emphasizing, “They don’t realize they just helped me with business.”
The collaboration offers a glimpse into how “Coach Prime” conducts his business affairs. He can seamlessly integrate his brand with products he genuinely enjoys, effortlessly promoting them to a broad audience by appearing on television every Saturday. Even critics of his eyewear choices have contributed to his sales, pushing consumers to look into what brand he wears.
Blenders Eager to Collab
Blenders founder and CEO Chase Fisher expressed his excitement, stating, “We have officially caused a sensation on the internet today.” He noted that the timing couldn’t have been more perfect, with the comment about sunglasses coinciding with the release of the Sanders collection. Fisher likened it to a perfect pairing, saying, “The timing was remarkable, like peanut butter meeting jelly.”
In an interview with GQ magazine published in January, Sanders reminisced, “I didn’t wear anything but EKs then.” However, over the next 34 years, his eyewear preferences evolved, and he wasn’t limited to a single brand, at least until recently.
The Coach Prime signature Blenders sunglasses, which garnered significant attention, are currently available for pre-order at $67. These glasses are scheduled to be released in October and will come in two colors: gold and black, matching the colors of Sanders’ Buffaloes. The official announcement of the partnership between Sanders and Blenders was made on Friday, along with the news that Blenders would be the “preferred eyewear partner of CU Athletics.”
Sunglass Hype
In celebration of the partnership, Sanders gifted a pair of his Blenders sunglasses to all the players during a team meeting on Friday, interestingly, the gesture had been planned before Norvell’s comments sparked a surge in people searching for the eyewear found on Sanders.
The idea for the Coach Prime signature Blenders Sunglasses sunglasses originated about a year and a half ago, thanks to Chase Fisher’s father, who was a fan of Sanders. This was when Sanders was coaching at Jackson State in Mississippi and had his trademark style: sunglasses, a cap, and gold jewelry.
Conclusion
In a positive twist, Fisher revealed he would be in attendance for the game in Boulder on Saturday night. He might even take the opportunity to express his gratitude to Norvell for contributing to the buzz around their collaboration. Fisher remarked, “He had no idea what was about to come. The timing of it was great with the game back in Boulder and us dropping the line. You couldn’t have written a better script. It was perfect.”
