Putting respect on Coach Prime's name

The Hump Day Hot Topics

I was taken aback yesterday by many of the comments that I read about Jackson State University Football Coach Deion Sanders correcting a reporter at the SWAC Media Days who kept referring to him as "Deion" instead of "Coach Sanders," a few of which I will highlight below in today's essay. 

For those unaware, the following article provides greater details but for the purpose of today's Hobbservation, Coach Sanders, the NFL Hall of Fame member who is in his first year leading one of the most storied programs in all of college football, told Nick Suss, the Clarion Ledger beat writer for Ole Miss, “You don't call (Alabama Football Coach Nick Saban), 'Nick.' Don't call me Deion."

Undaunted, Suss, whose name matches his suspect behavior, continued to call Coach Sanders "Deion" and later stated, "...when I interview people, I call them by their first name, whether it's someone I've been working with for years or someone I'm talking to for the first time." Mr. Suss's defiance prompted an interview shut down from the legendary “shutdown cornerback” who is demanding proper respect for his new position at Jackson State.

From my perspective, demanding respect is Coach Sanders's right to do, and this incident provides a teachable moment in an era where manners, common decency, and an understanding of history often fuels ignorance by traditional media figures—and dissonance among social media responders. 

As to social media dissonance, when I posted an article about the Sanders-Suss exchange on my Facebook page last night, a number of posters took shots at Coach Sanders, including the following three:

"He (Coach Sanders) would have had a valid arguement until he invoked Sabans name. Then his argument went out the window. I get he wants this respect but gotta make them earn it like the others. Like Coach Eddie Robinson. He did it for years and earned his."

"Let me get this straight...A person who's given the head coaching job simply because of who he is is offended because someone called him by his name instead of coach. Sounds right."

"The reporter in question calls coaches by their first name on a regular basis.  It wasn’t a slight to Deion.  That’s not to say he can’t ask to be called coach.  I would think it would be Coach Sanders and not Coach Prime.  This is not a guy who has put his persona behind him at all.  He wants the always be Prime but wants you to kiss his ring too.  This is a way overblown story in my opinion."

Sigh...

To be clear, no football coach has to "earn the respect" of the title because the minute they are hired by a school or professional team, the title is theirs from that point on! Another key point is that in a professional setting, one should be afforded all of the respect that their position entitles, including being referred to as they wish! In courts of law, judges do not refer to lawyers litigating before them, clerks of court handling evidence, or bailiffs keeping order by their first name during legal proceedings, as such is deemed unprofessional.

When I first meet a medical doctor or a nurse, I ALWAYS refer to them by their professional title unless or until they tell me to refer to them by their names. Similarly, I refer to all adults as "Mr.," "Miss.," "Mrs.," "Sir," or "Ma'am" until otherwise told because I was raised by my elders to avoid "getting too familiar!"

As far as coaches being referred to by their first name or their title, when my family moved to Tallahassee in 1980, I had the privilege of spending quite a bit of time with my father's  legendary mentor, FAMU Coach Jake Gaither, along with his equally legendary coaching staff, and scores of his former players. I would listen at rapt attention to their stories about the 50's and 60's and the struggle that Blacks in general—and Black men specifically—faced from whites who treated them with little to no respect. I learned that whether a Black man or woman was a college president, dean, professor, coach, or janitor, that many whites still condescendingly referred to them as "boy," "gal," or by their first names. As such, I am quite particular about this issue and contend that each professional has a right to be called by their title—until otherwise notified. 

Hall of Fame FAMU Coach Jake Gaither

I can also remember back to when one of my middle school English teachers at FAMU High who happened to be a Jackson State alumna, the late Dr. Barbara Barnes, earned her PhD when my class was in 7th grade. The next year, each time one of her students called her "Mrs. Barnes," she would smile and say "Doctor" until over time, it was understood that she was demanding respect for her hard earned title. Conversely, I know many professionals who, outside of the professional setting, have no problem at all with not being referred to by their titles but again, such is each person's prerogative!

Similarly, as I wrote last night on Facebook, if some reporter or stranger had called my father anything but Colonel or Chief during their first meeting, they would have been corrected in the strongest terms because as he always gave respect, having grown up during Jim Crow, he demanded it in return! This point goes beyond speculative or anecdotal; I remember when I was in second grade that my father broke the nose and fractured the jaw of a white colonel who called him "boy" while pushing him off of a table that dad was leaning against while waiting to brief a general. When my mom, treating dad with a bowl of ice to ease the swelling of his right hand that was twice its normal size, asked him whether he had any regrets (since he could face military discipline), dad, a man who earned decorations fighting in Vietnam, calmly said "I regret that I didn't kill him."  

Thus, my feelings that respect is due all men and women and that when disrespect comes, it should be handled swiftly in a manner consistent with the one who was disrespected's personality. Thus, my kudos to Coach Sanders for making sure that Reporter Suss—and all other reporters—put the proper respect on his name. 

If you have not already, subscribe today to the Hobbservation Point by clicking on the following link!