“Was this written by AI or real human?” – Deion Sanders being named SI’s 2023 Sportsperson of the year doesn’t sit well with fans on social media

Fans are outraged that Deion Sanders is named Sportsperson of the Year for leading a football team to a mediocre record.

“Was this written by AI or real human?” – Deion Sanders being named SI’s 2023 Sportsperson of the year doesn’t sit well with fans on social media

Deion Sanders (via AP)

The emergence of AI has not been without its fair share of challenges. The technology unlocks the realm to endless possibilities, such as editing videos, articles, and documents for one, and until recently, it was found that the technology could write articles and pass as a human without anyone detecting anything being fishy. However, the latest move by Sports Illustrated has some fans wondering if it was humans who made this call or not.

Deion Sanders, the coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, has been named as Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year for 2023. This comes after his team revolutionized college football and attracted millions of viewers to their games. 

YouTube video

The Buffaloes began their season on a 3-0 streak, but eventually, the hype died down and the team ended its season with a record of 4-8. Despite this, Coach Prime did manage to accomplish a lot; he led the Buffaloes to a much better record than last season when they won just one game the entire season.

While Deion Sanders’ achievements are commendable, fans do not think that they are good enough for him to be named Sportsperson of the Year. The criticism got so harsh that some fans began to allude to the recent allegation levied by a popular media page against Sports Illustrated for publishing articles drafted by AI-based writers.

Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes did not beat a single top team in college football this season

The real question is does Deion Sanders deserve to be named SI’s Sportsperson of the Year 2023? It is complicated. Coach Prime has done a great job with Shedeur Sanders and the Buffaloes squad.

He changed the entire culture of a football program; he put the world’s eyes on this one team that, just a year ago, nobody had even bothered to pay much attention to.

Deion Sanders
Deion Sanders (Via CNN)

With that being said, one cannot overlook the fact that Colorado did end up at the bottom of the Pac-12 division. So while Deion Sanders’ accomplishments are noteworthy, they are probably not good enough to be mentioned on the cover of Sports Illustrated. 

Sharing a wide spectrum of reactions online, here’s what fans have to say:

Yea, but it’s Deion Sanders…

The biggest criticism is the fact that Sanders and the Buffaloes did not beat any top teams in college football this season. When it came to winning games that mattered, they folded instantly. It appears this award is celebrating the team for its mediocrity; it is almost an award to the Buffaloes for not sucking like they did last season. 

In case you missed it: