‘Prime Time’ – You Either Love Him or You Hate Him

When I first started writing what I call my ‘poorly written blog,’ I knew it was going to be tough. It didn’t matter whether I planned to write once a month, once a week, or even once a day; I knew it would be a challenge. Those who know me understand that I’m a one-on-one guy, very uncomfortable presenting to groups of people. I back that up by not being a very good writer either. So, when I set my mind to write a blog, I basically set out to ‘Embrace the Suck.’ And if you’re reading this, it seems like you’ve embraced it as well.

With that as background, I really wanted to tackle, pun intended as you will see, something that is taking the world I love, college football, by storm. That something, err, someone is Deion Sanders. But before we go any further, I think it makes sense for the readers to watch Deion’s Pro Football Hall of Fame Speech. I know, I know, some of you may not like him because he is cocky. I know many of you may not want to hear him speak. I get it.

But, if you can’t even tolerate watching his HOF speech, you may not want to go any further today because this blog is about Prime Time. If you choose to stop, I understand, and I hope to see you next week. However, if you want a Master’s Class in motivation, storytelling, humility, gratefulness, and marketing, the next 10 minutes and 56 seconds are so worth it.

Unfortunately, you will have to actually visit YouTube due to restrictions placed on the video by the NFL.

When I first saw Deion’s HOF speech, I watched it through the lens of a former Dallas Cowboys fan and a lifelong Florida State fan. The five, six, ten times, since, I have watched with a focus on Deion Sanders the person.

What changed?

Did Deion, one of the most impressive athletes of my lifetime, change? Was he less cocky than I remembered? Was he really a tackler of the likes of Dick Butkus? Did he not pour water on Tim McCarver?

NOPE! NOPE!, NOPE! NOPE!

Prime Time, or Prime as he has shortened his persona to, was/is as cocky as I remember.

Prime wasn’t a tackler of the likes of Dick Butkus.

Prime did pour water on Tim McCarver’s head live on TV after the Atlanta Braves won the National League pennant.

So, what really changed?

Me, maybe you, maybe lots of people when they realized that Deion is and isn’t Prime Time.

In his Hall of Fame speech Deion speaks directly to former and all-time great defensive coordinator from FSU, Mickey Andrews, and his wife. Deion says, ‘You taught me everything. I love you. The two things that you taught me, I could be two persons at the same time. You could yell at us, scream at us, by the time we get in the cafeteria, ‘how’s the family, how’s everything going?’ And you blessed me.’

And right there was the peak behind the curtain. How Deion and Prime could both exist. You just never saw them in the same room at the same time.

Deion took his guilt of being ashamed of his mama’s job and how others looked at it and turned it into his ‘WHY?’ He began to craft, in his own lab, his own version of Mr. Hyde, his own Frankenstein, without any of the violence of those characters. He constructed and rehearsed what ‘Prime Time’ would be and is today.

He knew the talent was there. His work ethic was there. His ‘Why’ was there. He just needed marketing. And boy, did he deliver.

So like Deion learned so many things about life playing sports, maybe we, especially me, can learn a lot about life by watching and analyzing Deion Sanders and Prime.

Here is a short list:

1. Define your “Why?”
2. Focus on your weaknesses and make them stronger.
3. Market your product or service fervently.
4. Deliver what you say you will.
5. Maybe most importantly, Don’t judge books by their covers.

And while some may not like Neon Deion / Prime time, the baseball player, the football player, the athlete, we should all be able to appreciate Deion Sanders, the imperfect son, the flawed man, the cornerback who didn’t get paid to tackle, who may just be the perfect marketer, and when it is all said and done, may be a pretty good Major Division I football coach. I wouldn’t doubt him.

Till next time.

If you are interested in ‘Embrace the Suck’ you can pick it up here.