Deion vs. Buster

Here’s a fun story about the time Deion Sanders maybe wanted to kick Buster Olney’s ass. Alas, it didn’t end in violence:

So I returned to the press box before game time, not knowing about the Clippers’ team meeting and wondering whether Sanders’ anger had subsided and he thought it a waste of time to complain about a column written in a small afternoon paper (one that would fold a decade later).

In fact, Sanders was still quite perturbed. In the fourth inning of the game, the same batboy who had summoned me earlier walked into the press box, holding a baseball. “Deion told me to give this to you.”

The baseball was dirty, probably a leftover from batting practice. In the sweet spot, Sanders had scrawled a message. He didn’t include his signature. “Keep writing like that your whole life, and you’ll always be a loser,” he wrote.

I sort of like that Olney is leading off his link-o-ramas with stories like this. Sure, it started off poorly with the frozen dog poop thing, but he could write about different ballplayers wanting to beat him up every day if he wants to and I’d read it.


5 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Grant
15 years ago

He runs that dopey story every year. I’m getting sick of it.

Luckily I don’t read him anymore.

themarksmith
15 years ago

Stories from Buster I’m perfectly okay with. It’s when he tries to analyze that I get a headache.

Jason @ IIATMS
15 years ago

Yeah, this story is his “tradition”.  It’s a good one but I get lotsa replayed stories from my wife’s grandmother.

MooseinOhio
15 years ago

I watch enough football games to know that Deion was adverse to hitting anyone so I think Buster was worry free about Neon Deion following through on any threat.

Melody
15 years ago

I really liked the story a lot when he told it the first time.  But after a few years it’s losing its charm.  I’m all for traditions, but I wish he’d put a different spin on it or change it up in some way.  I do like his writing style a lot.  He’s usually very thoughtful (neutral world series notwithstanding).