Richard Sherman

I will say .... Jerry Rice never had to say how great he was or declare he was the best .... it was self-evident.
 
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/HESJgpYYUyM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
Dude is clearly a genius

Didnt read the thread so dont know if this was mentioned but they were just saying on the radio that him and Crabtree got into an argument at some charity event over the summer when Crabtree wouldnt shake his hand and supposedly tried to start a fight...Sherman then told him he was going to embarrass him when it mattered...

Coupled with that commercial and the postgame interview where I initially thought was a heat of the moment type thing but is now quite apparent that it was a calculated move (I mean the guy didnt curse once...) and this guy is just working everyone

And his contract is up soon?

Dude is gonna get PAID
 
Nice. I thought that shit was funny as hell.

Seattle gonna pad the bankroll quite nicely for baseball season.
 
[h=1]Richard Sherman lives 'on the edge,' says Stanford's David Shaw[/h]By Jon Wilner

jwilner@mercurynews.com
POSTED: 01/20/2014 07:44:00 PM PST | UPDATED: ABOUT 14 HOURS AGO




Richard Sherman's brash postgame rant generated national buzz Monday, with reaction mostly ranging from shock to outrage.
But those who know the hypercompetitive Seattle Seahawks cornerback best weren't surprised by his 15-second tirade targeting 49ers receiver Michael Crabtree.
"That's Richard," said Stanford coach David Shaw. "It was in the moment."
Sherman became unhinged after his leaping deflection of a pass -- it was intended for Crabtree in the end zone -- sealed Seattle's Super Bowl-clinching victory Sunday evening.
A day later -- after an epic NFC Championship Game that featured NaVorro Bowman's gruesome knee injury and Colin Kaepernick's fourth-quarter turnovers -- Sherman's words echoed loudest throughout the Bay Area.

Seattle Seahawks' Richard Sherman (25) holds up the NFC Championship trophy after they beat the San Francisco 49ers 23-17 for the NFC Championship Game at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Wash., on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2014. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) ( Nhat V. Meyer )


The loquacious Sherman, who graduated from Stanford with a degree in communications, is usually refreshingly candid in a cliché-dominated sports-media culture.
But occasionally, Sherman's internal braking system malfunctions and the massive chip on his shoulder -- the chip that fueled his rise from Compton to Stanford to the Pro Bowl -- is exposed for the world to see.
"Bill Walsh said you want guys with high character who are great players and great people," Shaw said.
"But every once in a while, you have to line up and defend Jerry Rice. And the guy who does that has to be on the edge. That's where Richard is."
Sherman, who bragged about being the NFL's best cornerback and called Crabtree a "sorry" and "mediocre" receiver, apologized Monday and expressed regret during an interview with ESPN radio.
"Obviously I could have worded things better and could obviously have had a better reaction and done things differently," he said. "But it is what it is now, and people's reactions are what they are."
Seattle coach Pete Carroll, who met with Sherman on Monday, said his cornerback also was contrite about taking attention away from his team: "He was really clear that the last thing he wanted to do was take something away from our team, what we had accomplished."
Had Sherman swatted away a pass intended for any other 49ers receiver, the tone of his comments would likely have been drastically different.
But his dislike for Crabtree is intense, and the feeling appears to be mutual.
"They have a personal vendetta against each other," said Sherman's brother, Branton.
The animosity stems from a charity event last summer hosted by Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Sherman saw a group of people, including Crabtree and Snoop Dogg, sitting around a swimming pool. He went over to shake hands.
"When he got to Crabtree, Crabtree slapped Richard's hand away and stood up like he wanted to fight," according to Branton Sherman, who learned about the incident from his brother.
"Everyone was like, 'Calm down, Crabtree.' Richard said, 'Why are you tripping out. We're off the field.' Crabtree wanted to fight but everyone got in the way and backed him down."
Former 49ers receiver Kyle Williams attended the event.
"I'm not going to get into specifics," Williams said. "Those guys (Richard and Branton Sherman) can say whatever they want.
"To me, what happened (Sunday) was nothing more than two guys who are passionate about what they do and are at the top of their games at their respective positions.
"Richard called him out 100 percent. (Crabtree) will respond. He'll work hard and make sure he's ready to respond on the field."
Crabtree declined interviews Monday, but several 49ers addressed the incident. Linebacker Ahmad Brooks said Sherman was "just hyped up," while tight end Vernon Davis suggested that Sherman needed to learn "how to be a true gentleman that shows good sportsmanship."
Sherman, who authors a first-person column for Sports Illustrated's website, addressed the situation Monday:
"It was loud, it was in the moment, and it was just a small part of the person I am," he wrote. "I don't want to be a villain, because I'm not a villainous person."
Raised in Compton, surrounded by street gangs, Sherman was a straight-A student who took Advanced Placement classes, attended leadership seminars and finished second in his class.
The son of a garbage truck driver and a social worker, he became the first Dominguez High School graduate in the past half century to receive a football scholarship from Stanford.
The 24th cornerback picked in the 2011 draft, he now stands as one of the most dominant defensive players in the league.
The lesser-known side to Sherman, 25, is his relentless commitment to community service.
His charity, Blanket Coverage, has raised approximately $100,000 for inner-city schools since its launch in April, according to Branton Sherman, who runs the organization.
Shaw, who remains close friends with Sherman, recalled asking Stanford players for volunteers to attend Football Camp for the Stars, a San Jose-based event for athletes with Down syndrome.
"Richard was the first to raise his hand," Shaw said. "He was there at the beginning, and he stayed past the end.
"He is the farthest thing from a thug you can imagine. Thugs don't volunteer to help out at Special Olympics when they're in high school.
"But the flip side is a guy who's ultracompetitive. You put him in that environment, where the game is very personal, and when the gauntlet's thrown down, he's ready."


Print
icon-email.gif
Email Return to Top
 
every1 is different, Clown

True everyone is different and there is nothing wrong with being a fierce competitor. But if you want to be successful in anything you do you have to know how act in certain situations. He acted like an ass plain and simple. Had he acted that way in the locker room, no problem.
 
I must be the only one who thinks Erin Andrews reaction is really the gold standard of the whole thing. When she says "Who was talking about you?" it sounds like they are in a sorority together, and Erin is commiserating. I laugh at that part every time.
 
Dunno it's clear everyone here is gonna have to agree to disagree. You either love it or hate it. I for one, love it
 
This thread is highly entertaining. I think I could have predicted almost everyone who has spoken up's opinion before the thread even started.
 
I had Seattle -4 so I didn't have a problem with how Sherman reacted. I just wonder if we find out one day that this was all somehow manufactured and it was poppy cock.
 
Matt Yoder nails it:

Tweet



Richard Sherman calling out Michael Crabtree in a postgame interview with Erin Andrews was seen by approximately 60 million people across America as the audience peaked for the climactic ending of the NFC Championship Game. There are few people that have ever walked planet earth that have the opportunity to speak in front of a microphone in front of an audience of that size. That's only part of the reason why Sherman's pro wrestling promo became the major talking point of the game and not the play itself that led to the interview.


The real reason why Richard Sherman's postgame smackdown of Michael Crabtree became the major sports, and let's face it, mainstream story of the Monday news cycle was because it fed into our hunger and thirst to have an opinion about it.


Our consumption of sports in 2014 is driven by opinion and drawing reactions of passion. Sherman's incredible play to tip Colin Kaepernick's pass in the endzone and save Seattle's Super Bowl hopes was something to be admired. However, it wasn't something we could easily love or hate. The postgame interview certainly was.


On one side is the crowd bashing Sherman for being a poor sport and a bad winner. On the other side is the crowd praising Sherman breaking free of boring athlete cliches and being honest and passionate and, well, himself. Both sides certainly have a reasonable viewpoint. In fact, I'd argue both are true... if that's allowed by the powers that be.


But we can't stop there. Because there's some debatable act here it's not good enough for us to let Sherman's interview be what it was, an interview. No, Sherman's 30 second soundbyte has to define him as a human being, Stanford as an institution of higher learning, and the socio-economic fabric of greater society all in one.


Everywhere you looked on Monday, somebody had a "hot sports take" about the Sherman interview trying to carve out their own niche and somehow make their voice be heard in the overwhelming outpouring of opinion on the matter. A few examples...


Bill Plaschke called the anti-Sherman brigade hypocrites.


Dan Wetzel talked about Sherman surviving in the violent world of the NFL. Bruce Arthur went the football culture route as well.


Dan Levy called it great for the sport in spite of the poor sportsmanship on display.


Deadspin raised the question of race and so did Dave Zirin.


Will Leitch was effusive in his praise of Richard Sherman: the man, myth, and legend.


Gregg Doyel says Bill Belichick is the real villain of the weekend and not Sherman.


Peter King got the sociologists' viewpoint on the reaction.


Jeff Pearlman bizarrely attacked Erin Andrews for... uhh... asking Sherman questions.


Mashable linked Sherman's poor sportsmanship to a Dutch speed skater flipping off his opponent.


Huffington Post went with the totally realistic headline - "What Richard Sherman taught us about America"


Tommy Tomlinson had not 1, but 22 thoughts about the interview at Forbes.


The San Francisco Chronicle asked if Sherman's actions embarrassed Stanford.


Dick Vitale called Sherman's postgame promo "bush" on Twitter.


And most importantly, Steve Politi got the opinion of Mean Gene Okerlund.


Even Sherman himself had a column on The MMQB explaining the interview, which reportedly led to the most trafficked day in the history of the website.


And on, and on, and on, and on it goes...


Why do these moments have to take on a life-or-death importance or say something greater about society? It's getting more difficult to enjoy multi-dimensional personalities like Richard Sherman because of the big business machine of opinion-driven news. Once the machine gets going, it feeds off itself, spinning infinite tangential possibilities. If you looked hard enough, I'm sure you could find a column on what Richard Sherman's interview taught us about the third law of thermodynamics and income inequality.


In the wake of the interview, the reaction to the interview, and the reaction to the reaction to the interview, I find I'm asking myself a simple question.


Why can't a postgame interview just be a postgame interview?


(And yes, before you go there I realize I'm publishing a reaction to the reaction to the reaction.)


Everyone tried to find their own angle to cover the Sherman interview and add their opinion because they had to have an opinion. Not just an opinion on the interview itself and whether it was good or bad, an opinion on the larger impact on sports and society. Just do a Twitter search for Richard Sherman: My Column and see the results. (On second thought, spare yourself and don't.)


Why are we contractually required to think that Richard Sherman's postgame interview was more than a brash, entertaining postgame interview? Why does it have to be either the personification of evil or the GREATEST THING EVER YOU GUYS?


Because there's no room for nuance anymore. Not everyone who wasn't fond of the interview deserves to be lumped in alongside Twitter trolls and racists. Not everyone who was entertained by the interview is calling for the destruction of good sportsmanship and morals in society. In the end, that polarization and the need to have two clearly definable camps of good and eviil to debate back and forth has a negative effect on how we take in sports.


The fundamental drive for opinion and being mandated to love or hate with the fury of 1,000 suns is the id of sports media and sports fandom in 2014 and the underlying reasoning as to why there were a bazillion columns published on Richard Sherman yesterday. It's why ESPN is called to "Embrace Debate" even if it's inauthentic. It's not just Richard Sherman. You can fill in the names of Tim Tebow, Johnny Manziel, LeBron James, Alex Rodriguez, or any other athlete that finds themselves in the middle of a day's news cycle. And ESPN is far from the only entity that takes part as seen by the wide range of outlets weighing in on Sherman.


Despite what the machine would have you believe, Richard Sherman's interview probably didn't cause most of the 60 million people watching to have an epiphany on sports, society, or culture at large. Did Richard Sherman really teach us anything about America in calling out Michael Crabtree in a postgame interview that we didn't already know? Or do we need to use Richard Sherman as a vehicle to fill our column space so we can teach America ourselves?




3 comments


Sign in58



Post comment as...
Newest | Oldest | Top Comments


CraigKirkendall 2 hours ago
been reading/listening to Yoder for a while... "The fundamental drive for opinion and being mandated to love or hate with the fury of 1,000 suns is the id of sports media and sports fandom in 2014..." is the best line I've read... great work! (I was gonna say "great take!" but tongue-in-cheekedness doesn't always translate well via the Internet)


LikeReply


ForeignCharacter 7 hours ago
The whole thing is a bit silly.




LikeReply


jono.smith 8 hours ago
Some of us pedantics are simply fascinated by the sociological and psychological aspects of professional sports. For example, if you grew up watching Mean Joe Greene or John Madden play, why did they never act like this?


LikeReply
Tweet
 
I will say .... Jerry Rice never had to say how great he was or declare he was the best .... it was self-evident.
yes so every black player should be like that. shut up and be a good boy dont brag

shut up
 
i think he looked like a dumbfuck. If you agree with me, great. If you don't agree with me, that's great also. To wrap things up, i'm more concerned with an ingrown toenail than what Sherman has to say.
 
Apparently NFL had Crabtree and Sherman mic'd up for game...has anyone else heard this and that NFL network is going to show some of it?
 
funny tom brady speaks of winning with graciousness

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs06/news/story?id=2731727

The best part of this article is this comment by Merriman...

"It was upsetting to see because they won three Super Bowls," Merriman said, according to the Boston Herald. "It's like a guy on a fast break in basketball and dunking the ball and getting excited. You've won three Super Bowls. You don't do that."

You mean like the way you celebrated every sack like an idiot Shawne? Hi pot, this is the kettle.
 
he did say hell of a game to Crabtree at the end

wasn't taunting him like some people were accusing of him, even after the article (that he or his 'auntie' wrote) said that's what he was doing
 
many people believe it wasn't a heartfelt slap on the ass, "helluva a game" teed...

do you not believe that?
 
"hell of a game, hell of a game" and he sticks his hand out for Crabtree to shake it

dont think that was taunting
 
of course it could be, depends if you think it was sincere or not. I don't

I think he looks and acts like an idiot on the field. Feels like a show to me...But I don't think people who are okay with what he did/does are wrong. Just a matter of taste. Story has run its course
 
look I definitely think it was one of the most over blown things in the history of the world

I said in the in-game I just thought it was bush to call out Crabtree by name and go on about it......

I think the folks that think it was bush league and unprofessional and do not believe the handshake to be sincere, get lumped in with the moronic "what a thug and he is dumb and cheated at stanford" twitter folks

two different views completely
 
Back
Top