Imagine growing up with your dad scribbling cover-2 defenses on a whiteboard at the airport while most kids were still learning how to tie their cleats. That was life for Shedeur Sanders. No lullabies – just blitz reads and press coverages. As Deion Sanders once put it: “Shedeur is a winner. He is very intelligent and very understanding…I was writing defenses up on the board and they were trying to figure out how to beat me- he and Shilo. So, we’ve always been a football-minded family.” Such dedication, and still the world doesn’t stop testing them. The Sanders family is always under the spotlight. But with attention comes criticism – and apparently, comedy.

At the ESPY Awards, comedian Shane Gillis fired shots that landed somewhere between awkward silence and passive-aggressive giggles. “Shedeur Sanders had his jersey number retired at Colorado this year, and people are saying it’s because of nepotism, because of his father, and it’s not,” Gillis joked. “It’s because he went 13-12 over his career, and he almost won the Alamo Bowl. Definitely not nepotism, right?” He was referencing Shedeur’s 13-12 record and the backlash to his jersey retirement. The audience? Understood the implied jab but remained muted. Lamar Jackson looked down, smiling like someone just stepped on a PR landmine.

The joke wasn’t just about numbers – it was about legacy, perception, and the awkward overlap of father-son dynamics on a national stage. Deion didn’t let it slide. “Ain’t no reason to Ever be Jealous of another person because what GOD has for u is for u! Nobody can take your blessing, your anointing or your spot,” Deion wrote on Instagram. “What’s yours is yours and what ain’t, Ain’t! Stop trying to delay or sabotage folks because that won’t elevate u. #CoachPrime.” Subtle? Not even close. Deion’s message wasn’t just about Gillis – it was aimed at everyone questioning the decisions he’s made for his sons, from high school playbooks to jersey retirements.

The thing that’s bugging Shedeur Sanders’ supporters is that he didn’t just rack up a mediocre record and ride Dad’s coattails. He shattered over 100 school records, dragged Colorado out of a 1-11 hole, and turned the Buffs into headline material. Sure, the jersey retirement was fast-tracked – but it wasn’t handed out like a party favor. Still, it’s moments like this that test not just Shedeur’s poise, but Deion’s ability to let go. As any parent knows, there comes a time when you step aside and let your kids fly or fall on their own. That time might just be now. But as the internet debated the roast, the real punchline came from the ratings.

The jokes fell flat, and so did the ratings

If 2.18 million people tune in to a nationally televised roast and barely crack a smile, did the comedy even land? That’s the question haunting the 2024 ESPY Awards. The show, hosted by Shane Gillis, pulled in one of the lowest viewership numbers in its 30+ year history. Just 2.18 million viewers. That’s barely above the pandemic-era telecasts where people were too busy hoarding toilet paper to care about sports jokes.

Let’s be clear: this wasn’t just a meh year – it was a statistical eyeroll. The ESPYs beat out only two broadcasts in history: the 2020 and 2021 editions, which were hampered by COVID chaos and remote hosting. Only other show it barely edged out. The 1998 version, hosted by Norm Macdonald which drew just 2.10 million. And even that show lives on in cult status. This one? Already vanishing from memory.

Gillis came in swinging with roast-style comedy, taking shots at Shedeur Sanders. Some found his blend of dry sarcasm and bro-style delivery refreshing. Others called it tone-deaf. And yet, that’s always been the deal with the Sanders family – high expectations, louder critics. Shedeur might’ve been the punchline that night, but he’s been proving doubters wrong his whole life.