On Sept. 26, 2023, the SpaceXMania.com website published an article that said University of Colorado football head coach Deion Sanders, also known as Coach Prime, had suspended two star players for kneeling during the U.S. national anthem. Sanders purportedly said of the matter, "Stand for the flag."
The story was published just three days after Sanders' team suffered its first loss of the season, a crushing 42-6 defeat at Oregon.
The headline of the article read, "Breaking: Deion Sanders Suspends Two Star Players On The Spot For Anthem Kneeling; 'Stand For The Flag.'"
The rumor quickly spread on Facebook after it was posted by the SpaceX Lovers page.
The story began as follows:
Football and politics: two subjects that Americans are passionate about, often colliding in unexpected ways. Deion Sanders, an NFL legend and now the head coach for the Colorado Buffaloes, found himself at the eye of this storm when he suspended two star players for kneeling during the national anthem. His clarion call? "Stand For The Flag."
...
After the game, in a packed press room, Sanders, looking both determined and reflective, explained his decision. "Football, at its core, is about unity. Every training, every drill, every play on the field is a testament to what we can achieve when we stand together. The anthem, for many, represents this unity. I want my players to understand the gravity of that."
He further added, "I respect the right to protest and voice concerns. But there's a time and place for everything. On the field, during the anthem, I expect my players to stand united."
However, this story was not true. SpaceXMania.com describes its output as being satirical in nature, both on its "About Us" page and as a label above articles.
The rumor was also shared on at least one other Facebook page. In that case, the article that was linked to in the comments showed no satire labels at all.
For background, here is why we sometimes write about satire/humor.