“Neon” Deion Sanders is back, and I am a richer man for it.
Now, I know I should be saying that he’s too old, he can’t hang, blah, blah, blah, but the fact is that could not be further from the truth. There is no downside here. The NFL will be better, the Ravens will be better, and perhaps most important of all, the fan experience will benefit as a result of his return. Come on, who wouldn’t want to see His Prime-Timeness return an INT for a TD?
Not you, you say? Well, my friend, you must hate football. That’s fine.
Deion is one of those rare athletes who non-traditional fans will tune in weekly to watch, the same way people leave the channel lingering on WWE programming if The Rock just happens to be making a guest appearance Monday night. People who were not fans of basketball tuned in to see the antics of Rodman, much like they will tune in to see the showmanship of one Deion Sanders.
Joining his pal Ray Lewis, the feared Baltimore middle linebacker, on an already stacked Ravens D, Prime will no doubt be itching on the sideline, waiting for that third and long passing situation, only to hit the field with 55,000-plus screaming as he returns that pick for a TD.
This is all realistic given that the Ravens have already stated that he will be utilized as a nickel back, meaning his job is to pressure opposing receivers on third down. Granted, his usage will branch out into kick and punt returning, and rightfully so. In his prime, Sanders was two to three ahead of the rest of the league, so the fact that he may have lost a step or two is irrelevant. He can still contribute; both with locker room leadership and with experience, as well as the occasional dazzling play.
Whether or not two megalomaniacs like head coach Brian Billick and Sanders can co-exist is another matter entirely, but so far Billick has been positive about Sanders’ return.
Deion has gone so far as to wear #37 this season, to remind all opposing players of his age. The haters will have to swallow their hateful pride this time, as Deion said in a recent interview with James Brown (the commentator for Fox Sports, not the Godfather of Soul), “Put your seatbelts on, baby, because there’s getting ready to be a ride.”
Of course, how long and far of a ride is strictly up to Deion.
To bottom-line the situation, no one loses and everyone wins when a sport you love gains a tremendously athletic and entertaining figure such as Sanders. Revenue goes up, fan support goes up, and other teams are forced to raise their level of play to match his ability; not to mention he is on a team where last year’s defense ranked third in the league. Put your seatbelts on indeed.