Jaguars legend Fred Taylor ruthlessly slams national media outlet over anonymous quote
Jacksonville Jaguars legend Fred Taylor had some words for The Athletic on Friday. And it had nothing to do with Fred Taylor, the Jaguars, or even Taylor's alma mater, the Florida Gators. Instead, it was in response to an anonymous quote about Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, the son of Colorado head coach Deion Sanders. An […]
Jacksonville Jaguars legend Fred Taylor had some words for The Athletic on Friday.
And it had nothing to do with Fred Taylor, the Jaguars, or even Taylor's alma mater, the Florida Gators.
Instead, it was in response to an anonymous quote about Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, the son of Colorado head coach Deion Sanders.
An anonymous Pac-12 assistant suggested to The Athletic that he thinks Sanders is taking sacks to preserve his completion percentage (which is an absurd thing to suggest).
Sports Illustrated posted the quote on their Instagram account. And that's where Taylor (via the comments section) let his voice be heard.
"That's bait," wrote Taylor in the comments. "The Athletic comes up with so many wild anonymous quotes. One would wonder if it's internal to boost engagement. Put a name on it or don't post it…"
The use of anonymous quotes from coaches has become increasingly common over the years. Coaches don't want to put their names on certain quotes. Dropping the quotes anonymously, however, allows coaches to put information out there without fear of pushback or being confronted.
The problem is that someone can say something anonymously and it's almost impossible (in most cases) to prove whether or not it's legitimate.
In the case of Sanders, it's purely speculation (it's also a bit reckless and creates a narrative that's entirely unfair to Sanders and Colorado).
There are situations where anonymous quotes are appropriate. But it's really a case by case deal. And Taylor clearly didn't feel like this was a case where an anonymous quote should've been used.
