Jemele Hill points out 'coded stuff' around Colorado-TCU 'commentary'

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Colorado upset TCU in one of the first college football games of the season Saturday, 45-42. 

The thrilling matchup featured four touchdown passes from Shedeur Sanders, including a 46-yard go-ahead score from the quarterback to Dylan Edwards with 4:25 to go. It was the first win in the Deion Sanders era for the Buffaloes.

As social media praised Coach Prime’s performance, columnist Jemele Hill directed her criticism toward the "commentary" around the game.

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Colorado head coach Deion Sanders yells from the sidelines during the first half of an NCAA college football game against TCU Saturday, September 2, 2023, in Fort Worth, Texas.  (AP Photo/LM Otero)

"Really interesting listening to some of the commentary around this Colorado-TCU game. Lot of coded stuff," Hill wrote in a vague post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

It wasn’t clear exactly what Hill was referring to in the post. However, Hill’s followers pointed out the criticism levied at Deion Sanders as he came to Colorado from Jackson State. Sanders’ coaching style and the way he used the transfer portal were among the criticisms he faced before the first game.

Others groaned at the idea that Hill appeared to try to turn the game into a commentary on race. The Atlantic writer had previously called Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley racist because she didn’t want Vice President Kamala Harris to be president. She also pointed out the racism in the reaction to the Carlee Russell kidnapping hoax and claimed Black people can "carry water" for White supremacy in regard to the police beating of Tyre Nichols.

Hill didn’t immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for clarification.

One X user wrote to Hill that broadcast Gus Johnson "removed the dog whistle filter" on TV. Hill responded that he "sure did."

Jemele Hill is a writer for The Atlantic.  (Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty Images)

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"I knew my brother from Detroit was going to hold it down."

Another X user added, "I mean let’s be real though Prime been getting smoke from everybody from folks who’re treating him like an amateur to folks who hated that he left JSU…"

"Him leaving JSU was inevitable, but sometimes it’s about how you do things," Hill explained further. "Think he made some comments that rubbed folks the wrong way. Understand this: Colorado doesn’t happen without JSU. They gave him an opportunity that not a single Power 5 school was willing to give him and he proved he knew what he was doing. His path to success happened because of a HBCU and that can’t get lost in his story."

Another X user followed up, "Damn can we just be happy for the Black man. Smh."

"Don’t be so sensitive. It was some comments he made that i felt like shouldn’t have been publicly made. In terms of the narrative, that part was directed at the media, not Deion," Hill wrote.

Deion Sanders addressed the critiques in his postgame press conference.

"When you see a confident Black man, sitting up here talking his talk, walking his walk, coaching 75% of African Americans in the locker room, that’s kind of threatening," Sanders said. "Oh, they don’t like that! But guess what? We’re gonna consistently do what we do because I’m here and ain’t going nowhere. And I’m about to get comfortable in a minute."

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders runs onto the field with his team for an NCAA college football game against TCU Saturday, September 2, 2023, in Fort Worth, Texas.  (AP Photo/LM Otero)

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Hill reacted, "Deion’s press conference gave everything it needed to give. He’s 100 percent right."