Deion Sanders and his Colorado football team suffered such a big loss to Stanford on Friday night that “Saturday Night Live” made fun of it in an actor segment a day later Kenan Thompson in the role of “Coach Prime”.
Thompson wore a white CU cap and white Colorado hoodie with sunglasses as he answered questions from “Weekend Update” anchor Colin Jost on NBC. The segment mocked Sanders, his trademark confidence and his 46-43 overtime loss to Stanford after taking a 29-0 lead in the first half. Colorado is 4-3 after starting 3-0 in Sanders’ first year as head coach.
“We just keep winning, man,” said Thompson, playing Sanders. “Every game, every minute. We win in life.”
“Yeah, you’re 4-3 too, so you lost a few,” Jost told him.
“Colin, look at me, man,” said the fictional Coach Prime. “Why do you think I care what you think about me?” You don’t understand that my team has everything, man. Coaching? Genius. Offense? Explosive. Defense? I’ll try it. It’s a complete package, man.”
“Yeah, well, millions of people watch your games,” Jost told him. “They obviously turned the program around. But it’s not perfect. I mean, just last night you lost to Stanford in double overtime.”
“Wasn’t that crazy?” said the SNL version of Coach Prime. “Man, we got 29 to zero at halftime, so I went home and fell asleep. I woke up this morning as shocked as everyone else… No one is perfect. Name one team that is undefeated.”
Jost then named several.
“See, that’s exactly my point,” said the fictional Coach Prime.
SNL also mocks his move from Jackson State to Colorado
The segment then covered Sanders’ departure from Jackson State, a historically black university where he coached for three seasons before taking the Colorado job in December.
The fictional Coach Prime said, “Coaching is a higher calling.”
“That’s right, you started your coaching career at Jackson State, an HBCU or a historically black college, right?” Jost said.
“Very good, Colin,” said the SNL version of Coach Prime. “Very good. You know, I really believe that God called me there and said, ‘This is your destiny.'”
“Right, and then three years later you went to Chicago, I mean Colorado,” Jost said.
“Yeah, that’s right,” the SNL prime said. “Because God called me again and said, ‘My mistake.’ And then he showed me the promised land of Colorado. I had these visions, Colin, of a place where there were white people, like every single person was white… Not a lot of people know this, but Colorado is an HWCU or a historically white college, similar to where you went, Colin are.”
“Well, I mean, Harvard is pretty diverse, you know,” Jost said.
“Colin,” SNL Prime said, sparking laughter from the audience.
Colorado has a bye week next week before playing again on Oct. 28 at UCLA.
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: [email protected].