Last weekend was a big weekend for the Seattle Seahawks. They started out slow but were able to come up big in the fourth quarter with three turnovers to beat the 49ers 23-17 in the NFC Championship game.
Rick Clark | Argonaut
The biggest play came when Colin Kaepernick threw a lob pass intended for Michael Crabtree. The ball was instead tipped by Richard Sherman and caught by linebacker Malcolm Smith. Game over, the Seahawks were able to seal the deal. They would be one of the most talked about things in the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl — if it wasn’t for Richard Sherman. Sherman went on a big rant in his postgame interview.
Before the interview, I guarantee you that this was the biggest moment in his career so far. The tip at the end of the game is one that TV stations like ESPN and NFL network will be replaying for months, even years to come. This is one that people will look back at years down the road if he gets a call to Canton (where the NFL Hall of Fame is located).
Coming off that play, Sherman was riding that emotional high that comes with the big play he just made and that is about the time he just imploded with emotion. Erin Andrews comes up to get his reaction and he just snaps. Sherman starts bad mouthing one particular 49er. Heck, Erin Andrews should get an award for field reporter question of the year for asking Sherman, “Who was talking about you?” That 49er — starting wide receiver Michael Crabtree.
Now, Sherman and Crabtree have a history. In the postgame interview, he was asked why he just blew up on Crabtree. His response was that Crabtree wanted to fight him at a Larry Fitzgerald charity golf event and now he’s never going to let him live it down.
Sure, you can say that he should just let that die down and bury that in the pass, but it really isn’t that simple. They play on opposite, rival teams that see each other at least two times a year. You line up in front of each other maybe 80-100 plays a season. It really is that tough to just let things go and stay in the past.
According to Sherman’s Monday Morning Quarterback blog post on SI.com, Sherman made the play and then went to give Crabtree a handshake then Crabtree pushed him. Was it a classy move or was he just talking smack and harassing Crabtree? Whatever the case was or whatever was said, that is when the wheels came off the bus.
He also got an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for motioning to Kaepernick and Crabtree that they had choked — he had his hands around his throat, making the choking motion. If Crabtree was just to walk away without pushing him, the interview probably doesn’t happen and Sherman isn’t motioning to the 49ers the choking signal.
Since Sunday night, Sherman has come out and apologized for attacking Crabtree, but he wasn’t the only one at fault in the situation.
Football is a game of emotion. Some of the best players ever were also the biggest trash-talkers in the league. Deion Sanders, Michael Irvin, Dick Butkis — there are just too many to mention and they are all in the NFL Hall of Fame even with their big mouths.
If you go outside of football, all-time great athletes like Muhammad Ali had a history of talking trash. Sports is starting to come down to whoever can back up their talk with their play because like it or not, everyone talks trash from time to time.
Sherman isn’t any different than the guys mentioned before. When it came down to the final 49ers drive, he stepped up in a big way and his postgame interview was one filled with emotion and authenticity.
Even FOX Sports reporter Erin Andrews said that she was looking to get Sherman for an interview and she was happy that he acted the way he did in the interview. So it wasn’t like he was looking for the spotlight — Andrews wanted a reaction from him. She appeared on the Dan Patrick Show Monday and this is what she said about the situation:
“Dan, how much have you and I wanted a moment like that where an athlete didn’t say, ‘We’re playing Seahawks ball,’ ‘We’re taking it play-by-play, game-by-game, this is what we wanted,'” Andrews said. “He lost his mind and it was awesome for once, you know?”
He is one of the premier cornerbacks in the league and an argument can be made that he is simply the best depending on who you ask. He worked for moments like these and deserves to talk as much as he does. His play can back up all the talking he does.
According to him, he’s the best cornerback in the league and you know what? He might just be right. It doesn’t matter if he is the hero or the villain in people’s eyes, he just wants people to know that he is the best corner playing on the best defense in the league.
Rick Clark can be reached at [email protected]