Deion Sanders’ Colorado had an upsetting loss, 21-35, to TCU on Saturday.  After losing a 14-0 lead and accumulating four turnovers, the loss was as biting as the Colorado winds. Kaidon Slater threw interceptions and two touchdowns, bleeding into halftime. Wrapping up the second quarter, it appeared a tie, 14-14. He threw two touchdowns to Omarion Miller and ran for another score in the fourth quarter, culminating in a 21-35 loss. Add to that, Warren Sapp’s ‘inappropriate’ action did more than aggravate the already miffed-up fans.

Warren Sapp, the NFL Hall of Famer and seven-time Pro Bowler who joined Sanders’ staff as Colorado’s defensive pass-rush coordinator, found himself at the center of controversy after a peculiar pregame ritual. With headphones on and music blaring, Sapp was caught kicking over pylons in the end zone, bobbing his head along as if hyping himself up before the game. The act, caught on video, spread quickly online, and not in a good way.

Sanders’ close friend and Colorado reporter Romi Bean described his action as his pre-game ritual. “Warren Sapp’s pre-game tradition: Kicking over the pylons,” wrote on X. Pylons are put on the four corners of the end zone to help identify and mark the goal line and the end zone. But kicking them is a subtle sign of disrespecting the opponent and is seen as unsportsmanlike behavior. Since it was a road game, where they faced a loss, fans have been calling it out as disrespectful and irresponsible to the crowd.

Bean, a close friend of Sanders who also hosts Coach Prime’s Playbook with Romi Bean, was left baffled by Sapp’s actions and the criticism they attracted. “I have no idea why lol,” Bean commented amid the outburst. Amid the off-field distractions, Sanders’ Buffaloes couldn’t find much solace on the field either, suffering a 21–35 loss to TCU.

“Truly disappointing,” Deion Sanders said post-game. “It’s one thing to lose. Then it’s another thing to feel like you beat yourselves…. We were beaten in Houston. These other games, we had opportunity, ample opportunity to win the games.” For the Buffs, the game started with disappointment. Kaidon’s first throw into the game was an interception, with the second interception caught by Eric McAlister and returned for a 23-yard touchdown. He completed 18-of-29 passes for 217 yards. Besides that, the roster accumulated six penalties and a fumble.

In addition to the upsetting defeat, Warren’s unusual pre-game ritual has invited a slew of criticism from the fanbase.

Fans mount cries over Warren Sapp’s actions

Following the game, Colorado fans had been disappointed, but that disappointment grew manifold over Warren Sapp’s ‘inappropriate act’, for both the Buffs and the TCU fanbase. “This is ridiculous stuff right here. This doesn’t feel like a tradition. It feels like disrespect. It’s not your field. Coaching isn’t just about football. It’s about being a leader to young men.”

The individual continued his take. “In my opinion, this is a terrible example. I’m glad TCU won the game,” the individual added, pouring out frustration. Sapp, who was drafted 12th overall in 1995 and won the Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has earned much dislike from fans over his actions. “Warren has always been just an awful person,” said another person. Another person wrote. “Entirely inappropriate and offensive to the pylon community.”

The last time both these programs squared off was in 2023’s season opener. A Prime victory, 45-42 against TCU, but the 2025 season saw the Buffs’ defeat, and as it appears, Sapp is not taking it well. “He always been a weirdo and a trash human being,” commented another fan. One thing is clear: the Colorado fanbase is losing its patience, and the Sapp’s activity observed on the field did little to appease the already frustrated fans.