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Tag: Richard Sherman

  • Erin Andrews Still Plagued By Sherman Interview

    Erin Andrews says she still thinks about that severely awkward (and later, viral) interview from January.

    That “interview” had everyone talking, and laughing, about Richard Sherman for days, but Erin Andrews is still bothered by one aspect of the whole fiasco.

    She said she was struggling to think of a follow up question when he started ranting. Sherman yelled that he is “the best corner in the game” and began a verbal lashing of Michael Crabtree of the San Francisco 49ers.

    “When he started going off, I was able to quickly think to myself, ‘Oh God, this is big because no athletes do this,’” she said.

    “We want them to do this, and the president of Fox Sports said it perfectly when we were flying back to Los Angeles that night. He just said, ‘This is why we do those interviews. We hope for something like this.’”

    Well, she hoped for it and she got it! Erin Andrews asked him to elaborate on who was talking about him, but just got, “Crabtree!”, then more ranting.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQdewVVsUE4

    “Oh God, I better have a really good follow-up question or I’m gonna be crucified.” Andrews said of what was going through her mind.

    That’s where she failed, according to many. Erin Andrews says throwing Joe Buck into the situation is her big regret from that interview.

    “If anything, I’m upset about that interview [because of] the way I threw to Joe Buck,” she said.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrDLP_cwFOc

    “I had my next question ready, I was getting ready to get into it, but I know Fox’s producers were looking out for me. … I was getting ready to ask the next question, and they just said, ‘Get it to Joe, get it to Joe,’ and if anything, I think I made them look bad by going, ‘Uh, let’s send it to Joe’,”

    Andrews continued, “That was just kind of my surprised, jerky, idiot way of doing that, and that’s what I’m upset about from that interview — myself. Any other thing about it, I thought it was awesome.”

    Not that Erin Andrews needs to be worrying about that interview so much now that she in enjoying a significant and controversial career boost.

    Good luck to Erin Andrews on her new gig!

  • Christiano Ronaldo on TIME’s ‘Most Influential’ List

    FIFA soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo is featured this year in TIME magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World” and joins other influentials like Pope Francis, Barack Obama and pop icon Beyoncé on this year’s list.

    There were only five other sports dignitaries noted on the magazine’s 2014 list. They were Brooklyn Nets star Jason Collins, Seattle Seahawks SuperBowl champion Richard Sherman, Tennis virtuoso Serena Williams and golf pro Lydia Ko.

    Brazilian soccer legend Pele heralded his fellow ‘futball’ star on the magazine page featuring the FIFA Ballon d’Or 2013 winner.

    “Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most influential athletes in sports today. I greatly respect his competitive mind-set on the field, and it’s no surprise that he is currently considered the best soccer player in the world. He reminds me a bit of my late friend and Portuguese soccer legend Eusebio,” said Pele.

    “I had the opportunity to share his joy onstage at this year’s FIFA Ballon d’Or ceremony in Zurich. Cristiano never ceases to give his best for his national team. He reminds me a bit of my late friend and Portuguese soccer legend Eusébio. They have the same elegance and creativity,” said Pele.

    “Back when I played, I would have loved having a teammate like Cristiano to play with up front. I would like to encourage him to keep up the hard work and to continue to fuel the passion for the sport among today’s youth.”

    The Portuguese native is the only Real Madrid player in history to have scored more than 30 goals in four consecutive seasons and the fastest player to have reached 100 goals.

    Image via YouTube

  • Seattle Seahawks Acquire Terrelle Pryor, Retain Richard Sherman For 2014 Season

    The Seattle Seahawks have barely come off their win against the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII, but the team is already looking forward to the next season. In fact, the team has already acquired one high profile player and cemented its relationship with another.

    The Seattle Seahawks announced that they have acquired Oakland Raiders’ quarterback Terrelle Pryor. According to ProFootballTalk, Seattle beat the San Francisco 49ers to the punch by signing Pryor first. Both teams would have obviously benefited from Pryor being added to their team. When he was with the Raiders, Pryor started 10 games and passed for 1,953 yards, 9 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

    Interestingly enough, some are suggesting that Pryor may not be a quarterback for the Seahawks. In the acquisition announcement, the team’s general manager, John Schneider, referred to Pryor as an “explosive athlete.” Seattle Pi admits that it may be looking too much into the wording, but the publication seems to think Schneider’s use of the word athlete may indicate that Pryor will be shifted to another position on the team.

    Either way, Seattle is obviously excited to have Pryor aboard:

    In other news, the Seahawks are close to signing a deal that will ensure cornerback Richard Sherman stays with the team. The Sports Xchange is reporting that the deal will see Sherman being paid $13 million per season. If the deal goes through, Sherman will be the highest paid cornerback in the NFL – an honor previously held by Darrelle Revis who signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for $16 million per season. That deal fell through, however, and now Revis is only making $12 million per season with the New England Patriots.

    That may no longer be the case next year, however, as Revis’ free agent status guarantees him $20 million if the Patriots want to keep him after his contract expires in 2015. The team could seek a contract that pays less during the season as it’s unlikely that the team would pay that much money to retain him.

    The Seahawks will be able to exercise its new and returning talent later this year when it goes up against the Broncos in a rematch during the 2014 NFL Season.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Richard Sherman Against Banning The N-word

    The NFL Competition Committee is all for banning the use of racial slurs during games, and they are giving emphasis on the N-word. The committee was in Florida over the weekend discussing the penalties for players.

    Richard Sherman, cornerback for the Seattle Seahawks, has said his piece on the matter to Peter King of Sports Illustrated. Sherman is against the idea saying that it is atrocious and almost racist that they are specifically targeting the N-word.

    Sherman continued to say that the N-word is not always said as a racial slur, especially when it’s said to a fellow African-American player. “It’s in the locker room and on the field at all times,” he says.

    King also got the opinion of two other African-American players, D’Qwell Jackson and Jason McCourty. McCourty agrees with Sherman saying that the N-word is just like calling someone “man” or “bro.” D’Qwell, on the other hand, disagrees with the two.

    Jackson adds that implementing the rule would make it harder for referees to officiate the game, as they will have to keep a lookout for players who use the N-word in the field.

    Ryan Clark, safety for the Steelers, also mentioned that chairman Dan Rooney already tried getting rid of the word and only had temporary results. Clark says that the word was never muttered for a day, but after a while, it came back. “It’s the culture.”

    The committee is in talks about giving players a 15-yard penalty for saying racial slurs on the field. According to Ozzie Newsome, Baltimore Ravens general manager who is also part of the competition committee, they are not only targeting the N-word, but homophobic slurs as well.

    The NFL will be addressing the issue and a new rule may be implemented if it gets approval in the upcoming owners’ meetings, which will be held from March 23 to 26 in Orlando.

    Image via YouTube

  • Erin Andrews Blasted For Post-Game Interview

    By now, everyone is probably familiar with Richard Sherman’s rant after the Seahawks won against the San Franscisco 49ers a few weeks ago, and since then, it seems both him and the interviewer Erin Andrews have become increasingly more popular.

    Sherman received a bump in his overall profile, but also received a fair amount of backlash for losing his cool, but Andrews has caught some heat too for the way she handled the interview, and much of that heat came from long time reporter Kevin Harlan.

    “I don’t know if she was unprepared, her reaction was more about her than the guy,” said Harlan, in an interview with a Pittsburgh radio station.

    “It was very odd. If you go back and look at that interview, her reaction was more like drama queenish. If Michele Tafoya or someone like that were interviewing, I can’t help believe that she would have asked the appropriate follow-up and been a little bit more composed, whereas the gal that was asking the questions was almost like she was on a stage. It wasn’t about her, it’s all about him, and the more I think about it, the more irritated I get.”

    Andrews quickly responded to Harlan, and said she was truly saddened by his comments.

    “I thought it was very unfortunate what he said, especially because I’ve heard he has a daughter in this industry,” she stated. “I don’t really feel like the criticism has really been there. I feel like it’s just people trying to make comments to be heard. I would love somebody to tell me what else I could have done differently.”

    Some might say the Fox reporter could have reacted better to Sherman, and been more prepared for an animated response–instead of looking scared–like yelling after a big play is something so strange.

    However, there are others who believe that Andrews handled the interview perfectly and it looks like Harlan is now one of them, because he’s since apologized.

    “Erin is a pro and I should have given more thought to the situation that she was in, which was incredibly uncomfortable,” he said.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Erin Andrews Didn’t Mind Richard Sherman’s Rant

    Richard Sherman’s rant after beating the San Francisco 49ers to win the NFC championship has received both positive and negative comments, but the lady who interviewed him, Erin Andrews, didn’t seem to have a problem with his outburst.

    For those who may not remember, right after winning the NFC Championship game, the win that would lead them to Sunday’s Super Bowl, Andrews interviewed Sherman. The Seattle Seahawks cornerback said, “I’m the best corner in the game! When you try me with a sorry receiver like Crabtree, that’s the result you’re going to get.” Andrews then asked, “Who was talking about you?” “Crabtree. Don’t you ever talk about me. Don’t you open your mouth about the best, or I’ll shut it for you real quick,” responded Sherman.

    Recently Andrews appeared on Fox’s Media Buzz and commented on Sherman’s post-game outburst. “I don’t think it was bizarre, I think it was great. I wish more athletes would be like that. We want someone to lose their minds like that…That’s why it went viral; that’s why people were going bananas over it. You don’t usually see athletes doing that. You see them very composed,” said Andrews.

    The Fox Sports reporter interviewed Sherman again for the Super Bowl pregame show. Andrews said, “We hugged. We made fun of a lot of people in their comments and we had a good time.”

    It wasn’t just Sherman’s rant that got many talking, but also Andrews reaction. Jeff Pearlman and Kevin Harlan are two notable people who didn’t approve of Andrews during the interview, with Harlan calling her “drama queenish.”

    The two have since apologized. Pearlman took to his blog, saying, “[W]hen it comes to women reporters, networks (in my opinion) place too great an emphasis on looks. I know … I know—it’s a visual medium, and attractiveness draws viewers. Still, it strikes me as an awful double standard. Nobody’s demanding beauty and sexiness from, say, Chris Berman or Joe Buck or Stuart Scott. Yet it seems that—bottom line—women with sex appeal have an inside track over women with fantastic knowledge and poise but, say, a belly. Or a mole. I get it. Really, I do. It just infuriates me, because I’ve known very talented women who have felt they don’t really have a shot.”

    Harlan told CBS Houston SportsRadio 610, “Erin is a pro and I should have given more thought to the situation that she was in, which was incredibly uncomfortable. What people don’t realize is that she’s got people talking in her ear, the director and people in the truck and there’s just a lot going on. I was incredibly unfair with what I said and I wish I would have thought more. I shouldn’t have said what I said. It was wrong.”

    Image via Andrews’ official Twitter account.

  • Richard Sherman Sticks By Peyton Manning Comments

    It’s not unusual for a professional athlete to talk a little smack in the days leading up to a big game, but the situation is magnified when that games is the super bowl, and then blown up even more when the player doing the talking is media lightning rod Richard Sherman.

    Since breaking the internet with his post-game interview after leading his Seattle Seahawks to victory in the NFC title game, Sherman has become one of the most polarizing sports figures in recent memory. However, that hasn’t stopped him from speaking his mind when it comes to the game he is so passionate about.

    In an interview a month ago Sherman was asked to rank the top ten smartest quarterbacks in the NFL. Although he ranked Peyton Manning, his competition in the upcoming super bowl, number 1, he wasn’t so high on the QB’s arm strength: “His arm, however, is another story. His passes will be accurate and on time, but he throws ducks.”

    When asked during a Seahawks media day if he stood by his comments, Sherman refused to back down. Although, it must be noted that he did so while maintaining the utmost respect for Manning:

    “He’s a great quarterback, he does a great job. But at the same time, when he catches the ball, he doesn’t necessarily catch the laces all the time. But he throws an accurate ball, regardless of how he catches it, how he gets it — he delivers it on time and accurately.”

    While Sherman has drawn both criticism and support leading up the championship game, it is without question that he realizes the gravity of his current situation. It seems as if this time he would rather let his play make the statement while still maintaining some of the spark in his words.

    [Image via Sports Illustrated on YouTube]

  • Demaryius Thomas Is Up For The Challenge, Wants Richard Sherman To Cover Him

    The upcoming Super Bowl will be host to one of the most exciting match-ups in recent history. It will feature the top offense, the Denver Broncos, facing the top Defense, the Seattle Seahawks.

    The game will also feature a match-up that has two of the game’s players already talking about the excitement, and with Demaryius Thomas and Richard Sherman set to face off in an epic battle.

    Demaryius Thomas is welcoming the challenge of going up against Richard Sherman, and wants him to cover him during the Super Bowl.

    Sherman is believed to be the best cornerback in the NFL, and he also recently said that Thomas was one of the top five receivers. Richard Sherman has more interceptions than any other player, and is also one of the toughest players in the league.

    Richard Sherman’s recent antics following the NFC Championship Game have gained plenty of attention in the media, including an outrageous post-game interview with Erin Andrews, He also received a fine later in the week for taunting Michael Crabtree.

    Unlike Crabtree, who was referred to as a “sorry receiver” by Richard Sherman, he had high praise for Demaryius Thomas, and looks forward to guarding him during the Super Bowl. Despite his recent antics, Richard Sherman has had an excellent season, and is a likely candidate for defensive player of the year.

    His jersey also made it to the top ten list of highest selling NFL jerseys of the past year, with Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson coming in first and second. Sherman was the only defender to make the list, with everyone else being a running back or quarterback.

    Sherman had high praise for Thomas, who is the favorite target of Peyton Manning, saying “He put together the type of year and done everything in his power to put himself in that conversation. He’s made big catches, he’s got a lot of run after the catches, he turns some small plays into huge plays, and I think that he’s a great receiver.”

    It will be one of the top match-ups of the Super Bowl, and while it is being talked about already, fans are likely to have an eye on the what goes on between Thomas and Sherman.

    Demaryius Thomas is also able to recognize the quality of Richard Sherman, and when talking about the upcoming match-up between the two of them, he said “(Sherman’s) a great player. I’d love to have that match-up to show what kind of player I am. I don’t know if we’ll match up, but like I said, he’s a great player.”

    The Broncos bring the top offense in the league while led by their elite quarterback, Peyton Manning, and the Seattle Seahawks have the top defense, which has been nicknamed “The Legion Of Boom,” in addition to their dedicated fan base, which has been called “The 12th Man.”

    Whether they end up matching up against each other or not, Demaryius Thomas and Richard Sherman will certainly be prepared, and it should be a highly competitive game on both sides of the ball.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • NFL Jerseys: Seahawks Players Claim 3 Of The Top Ten Spots In Sales

    A few of the stars will not surprise anyone, but a couple other players may surprise some people in the list of the top ten highest-selling NFL jerseys.

    Five of the best quarterbacks that the NFL has seen in recent years remain at the top, but after that is where things get interesting.

    The top selling NFL jerseys belong to the two quarterbacks who will be seen in the upcoming Super Bowl, Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson, respectively. Three of the top ten spots also belong to members of the Seattle Seahawks.

    The Seattle Seahawks will be representing the NFC in the Super Bowl, and have had the best record in the league throughout the season.

    They defeated the San Francisco 49ers to get to the big game, while being led by Colin Kaepernick, who is also featured on the top ten list of NFL jerseys.

    After the two quarterbacks that advanced to the Super Bowl, the two that were eliminated last week come in third and fourth, with Colin Kaepernick at third and Tom Brady at fourth.

    Due to the great amount of attention that he has received as of recently in part thanks to his outrageous interview with Erin Andrews, and the recent fine that he received for taunting Michael Crabtree, Richard Sherman has also earned a spot in the top list of NFL jerseys.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcHfdhYITjQ

    Richard Sherman is a cornerback for the Seattle Seahawks, and is a likely candidate to win the defensive player of the year award. He is also the only defensive player on the top ten list for NFL jerseys, with the other nine players being quarterbacks and only two running backs.

    The total sales that account for the top ten sales of NFL jerseys is for the league’s fiscal year, which began on April 1, 2013.

    The full list can be seen here:

    1. Peyton Manning, Broncos
    2. Russell Wilson, Seahawks
    3. Colin Kaepernick, 49ers
    4. Tom Brady, Patriots
    5. Drew Brees, Saints
    6. Marshawn Lynch, Seahawks
    7. Adrian Peterson, Vikings
    8. Aaron Rodgers, Packers
    9. Ryan Tannehill, Dolphins
    10. Richard Sherman, Seahawks

    With the top ten players with NFL jerseys in sales over the past year, the Seahawks have three players with Russell Wilson, Marshawn Lynch, and Richard Sherman, coming in 2nd, 6th, and 10th place. They will meet the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl on February 2nd.

    Image via Youtube

  • Richard Sherman Fined For Taunting Michael Crabtree

    The incident with Richard Sherman and Michael Crabtree rages on. Richard Sherman has been making headlines all week for his interview with Erin Adnrews after the game, but now what he did leading up to the interview has finally caught up to him.

    Following the epic NFC Championship Game between the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers, Richard Sherman gave one of the most talked about and controversial post-game interviews possibly of all time.

    It was finally confirmed by the league on Friday, and Richard Sherman was fined $7,875 for unsportsmanlike conduct/taunting in the final minute of the game.

    The Seahawks went on to win the game 23-17, earning them a trip to the Super Bowl.

    Sherman and Crabtree both exchanged pushing and shoving at the end of the game, and the taunting penalty could have been called on either of them. However, after it all started, Richard Sherman took it to the next level and continued to rant on about his superior playing, and has been criticized for it.

    Despite being fined, and in addition to all of the press that he has received since the post-game interview, the head of the NFL still had nothing but good things to say about the the defensive player. He is one of the candidates for the defensive player of the year award, and one incident will not stop that.

    Although he may have created some bad press about the NFL and the end of Sunday’s game, Roger Goodell, the commissoner of the NFL, said “(Sherman) is such a great young man. He is extremely well-spoken, does great things off the field, obviously a great player on the field. I want him to present himself in the best possible way and make sure that he is reflecting on himself and his family in a positive way.”

    The Seahawks will meet the Denver Broncos in a battle of the the two teams that have remained at the top throughout the season, after they beat the New England Patriots.

    He called himself the best corner in the game, while also insulting the receiver that he was guarding, Michael Crabtree, calling him a sorry receiver. He was penalized for the taunting that he did to him during the play initially, and he has now received a hefty fine for the act.

    His taunting has not been talked about quite as much as the interview itself, but his interview has been called classless among other things, and he has even been called a thug. He has since called his remarks misdirected and immature.

    With two of the best teams in the nation playing that also hate each other, it was expected that the emotions would be running high on both sides of the ball throughout the game, and penalties were delivered throughout the game, although Richard Sherman was the only player to be fined.

    Image via Facebook

  • Richard Sherman Sparks “Thug” Debate

    Richard Sherman Sparks “Thug” Debate

    Richard Sherman, who plays for the Seattle Seahawks, found himself trending almost immediately after their game against the 49ers on Sunday night when he vented on camera about Michael Crabtree to Erin Andrews. Since then, he’s been talked about all around the web and referred to as a “thug” for his outburst. Now, he’s spoken up about the use of the word and what it really means.

    “I’m the best corner in the game,” Sherman said on Sunday after he was asked about the pass he blocked from Crabtree. “When you try me with a sorry receiver like Crabtree, that is the result you are going to get. Don’t you ever talk about me. […] Crabtree. Don’t you open your mouth about the best, or I’m going to shut it for you really quick.”

    The outburst visibly shocked Erin Andrews and subsequently lit up Facebook and Twitter, where many viewers began throwing the word around.

    “The only reason it bothers me,” Sherman said during a press conference this week, “is because it seems like it’s the accepted way of calling somebody the N-word nowadays…it’s like everyone else said the N-word, and then they say ‘thug’ and they’re like ‘oh, that’s fine,’” he said during a press conference earlier this week.

    Sherman’s words have sparked a debate about whether or not the term has a double meaning and why it’s acceptable to use it in reference to a black man.

    “Thug” might have once described people actually deserving of the term—Wall Street swindlers or cops who harass and kill citizens with impunity. But now it’s mostly deployed to attack the character of black Americans, many of whom have done nothing wrong but be offensive to a white person’s sensibilities, wrote Cord Jefferson of Gawker.

    According to Deadspin, the word “thug” was used 625 times on television on Monday; the word made the rounds across the web, too, especially on Twitter, where #RichardSherman was trending almost from the moment he began his rant after the game.

    While Sherman admits that he got loud during his vent, he also explains the reason for his outburst in an op-ed piece for Sports Illustrated, in which he says his issues with Crabtree go further than just Sunday night’s events. Football viewers only saw a small part of his frustration.

    “Erin Andrews interviewed me after the game and I yelled what was obvious: If you put a subpar player across from a great one, most of the time you’re going to get one result. As far as Crabtree being a top-20 NFL receiver, you’d have a hard time making that argument to me. There are a lot of receivers playing good ball out there, and Josh Gordon needed 14 games to produce almost double what Crabtree can do in a full season. And Gordon had Brandon Weeden, Brian Hoyer and Jason Campbell playing quarterback,” he wrote. “But that’s not why I don’t like the man. It goes back to something he said to me this offseason in Arizona, but you’d have to ask him about that. A lot of what I said to Andrews was adrenaline talking, and some of that was Crabtree. I just don’t like him.”

  • Richard Sherman Rant: Candid Or Classless?

    Richard Sherman Rant: Candid Or Classless?

    Richard Sherman, who considers himself to be the best cornerback since Deion Sanders, surprised many, including sportscaster Erin Andrews during a post-game interview.

    At a moment when you might think Sherman would be jubilant after sealing his team’s spot in Super Bowl, he appeared to be everything but.

    When Andrews caught up with him after the game, Sherman took the time to unleashed an EPIC rant aimed at 49ers receiver Michael Crabtree.

    “Well, I’m the best corner in the game! When you try me with a sorry receiver like Crabtree, that’s the result you gonna get! Don’t you EVER talk about me,” shouted Sherman.

    When asked by Andrews to clarify who had been talking about him, he candidly said, “Crabtree.”

    “Don’t you open your mouth about the best,” he continued, “or I’ll shut it for you real quick. LOB!”

    Andrews appeared momentarily stunned by Sherman’s outburst, but quickly regained her composure before directing the cameras back to the announcer’s booth.

    In the closing moments of the game between the 49ers and the Seahawks, Sherman deflected a touchdown thrown by 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick intended for wide receiver Michael Crabtree. The pass was then intercepted by Seahawks linebacker Michael Smith. That play ended the game 23-17 and the Seattle Seahawks advanced to the Super Bowl to face the Denver Broncos.

    Normally, when a team makes it into the Super Bowl on a dramatic final play, people talk about the play and the playmaker. Well, there is certainly a lot of talk about Sherman, but maybe for the wrong reasons. Twitter was chirping about Sherman’s rant almost immediately after it aired on TV. Some appreciated Sherman’s honesty and candor. However, there were those who thought Sherman displayed a lack of professionalism and class.

     

    Crabtree, it seem, is one person who was least impressed with Sherman’s remarks.

    So what do you think? Was Sherman just speaking the truth or was his rant classless?

     Here’s Sherman’s Full Rant

    http://youtu.be/ioo1iUdwAlU

    Crabtree Responds

    http://youtu.be/552n28bX5Ek

    Image via YouTube

  • Tom Brady Blasts Richard Sherman For Rant

    Tom Brady Blasts Richard Sherman For Rant

    After Richard Sherman’s post-game rant yesterday, after defeating the San Francisco 49ers, quarterback Tom Brady has spoken out to criticize him.

    In an interview on the “Dennis & Callahan” show he said that he wasn’t surprised at Sherman trash talking after the game, but it’s something he nor his team would ever do. “I don’t know him at all,” said Brady. “I’ve watched him play. He’s that kind of guy. So, you know, I approach the game, and I have respect for my opponents. That’s the way our team plays. We win with graciousness, and when we lose, we could do better. Some teams don’t always do that, or that’s not their program.”

    And nearly 24-hours after the rant, Sherman told MMBQ that people shouldn’t confuse his on-the-field passion with being angry or bitter, and that his trash-talking-football-persona isn’t the entire person he is.

    “It was loud, it was in the moment, and it was just a small part of the person I am,” he said. “I don’t want to be a villain, because I’m not a villainous person. When I say I’m the best cornerback in football, it’s with a caveat: There isn’t a great defensive backfield in the NFL that doesn’t have a great front seven. Everything begins with the pressure up front, and that’s what we get from our pass rushers every Sunday.”

    Sherman also says that before demonizing him and labeling him a bad person, people should look at what he does off the field for his family and his community.

    “To those who would call me a thug or worse because I show passion on a football field, don’t judge a person’s character by what they do between the lines,” he said. “Judge a man by what he does off the field, what he does for his community, what he does for his family.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Erin Andrews Interview With Richard Sherman [Video]

    After the NFC championship game on Sunday night, Erin Andrews, a veteran broadcaster, made her way to Richard Sherman, the Seattle Seahawks cornerback, for an interview. Andrews expected Sherman to be excited, considering they had just won their way to the Super Bowl, however all Sherman could talk, or yell rather, about was the San Francisco 49ers Michael Crabtree.

    “I’m the best corner in the game! When you try me with a sorry receiver like Crabtree, that’s the result you’re going to get,” Sherman said, obviously upset. Andrews made the effort to calm Sherman down by asking him, “Who was talking about you?” However, despite her efforts, Sherman remained upset and continued his rant about Crabtree. “Crabtree. Don’t you ever talk about me. Don’t you open your mouth about the best, or I’ll shut it for you real quick,” he yelled at the camera.

    Andrews didn’t appear to get intimidate by Sherman’s behavior, and later took to Twitter to talk about the interview. “Richard Sherman gave a candid response seconds after an emotional game..looking forward to a great Super Bowl matchup,” she tweeted.

    Many other Twitter users took to their accounts to react to Sherman’s interview, including Sherman. “A lion doesn’t concern himself with the opinions of a sheep,” he tweeted, and then later added: “There was a lot of talk before the game…. Now I’m the bad guy lol…. Well if u judge my character on the field ….So many glass houses.”

    Image via Twitter

  • Erin Andrews Freaked out by Sherman Rant

    In the waning seconds of Sunday’s NFC Championship matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers, it seemed the Niners were poised for a comeback win. Down 23-17, they made up for the sloppy play of their previous few possessions, cruising downfield to set up a potential game winning touchdown. But thanks to the self-proclaimed “best corner in the game,” Seahawks CB Richard Sherman, San Francisco fans were to leave CenturyLink Field disappointed. Sherman tipped a pass into the hands of teammate Malcolm Smith for a game-sealing interception. Sherman picked up the obligatory unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for harassing intended receiver Michael Crabtree (an ironic buttpat and some choice words to which Crabtree responded with a hearty shove), and the Seahawks ran out the clock.

    Then this happened:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxsy57sWHWA

    For those who don’t speak tickedoffese, that was “I’m the best corner in the game! When you try me with a sorry receiver like Crabtree, that’s the result you’re going to get. Don’t you ever talk about me.”

    The screed was enough to nonplus even a veteran sportscaster like Erin Andrews. After inquiring who specifically was “talking about [him],” Sherman continued, loudly, “Crabtree. Don’t you open your mouth about the best, or I’ll shut it for you real quick. LOB!” [Note: “LOB” stands for “Legion of Boom,” the nickname of the Seattle defense.]

    Sherman is a 25-year-old graduate of Stanford, where he played for current 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh and majored in communications. But despite his field of study, some have speculated that his rant evidenced a lack of media savvy:

    But not everyone’s hating:

    And for his part, Sherman tweeted this somewhat cryptic response:

    And so begins the meme-ing:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPfNZN70m_k

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Lynch Triumphs, Kaepernick Falls Short, Seahawks Win

    Seattle – The Seattle Seahawks held a tutorial on the reasons why they should not be overlooked in the race for the NFC Championship game this season last night when they devastated last year’s Super Bowl contender, the San Francisco 49ers – 29-3. San Francisco Coach Jim Harbaugh and his team looked for a birthday reprisal after losing last December on the 23rd (Harbaugh’s 49th) against the Seahawks. Last night was Seattle Head Coach Pete Carroll’s 62nd birthday and unfortunately for the 49ers the results were not reciprocated.

    The Seattle defense managed to shut out the 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick and his offense to only one field goal, no touchdowns, and 5 turnovers (including 3 interceptions). After a successful week one against Green Bay, the young QB Kaepernick faced immense pressure from the Seahawk defensive line and had limited receivers due to the overwhelming secondary led by Richard Sherman (aka Optimus Prime – Seattle’s All-Pro Cornerback). The game was delayed for almost an hour due to thunderstorms in the area causing a rather uneventful, scoreless first quarter; with the exception of the first Kaepernick interception by Earl Thomas in an attempt to TE Vernon Davis. That would be the 49ers only attempt at the end zone throughout the rest of the night.

    The disappointment of the 49ers nation was capitulated in a comment from Coach Jim Harbaugh stating, “I don’t think any of us are proud of our performance.”

    The standout player of the night was none other than Seattle RB Marshawn Lynch, who had 28 carries for 98 yards rushing, 2 rushing touchdowns, and 1 receiving touchdown.

    The first points of the night happened early in the 2nd Quarter – the product of an offensive holding penalty on the San Francisco 4 yard line off a 2nd and 12. The penalty was enforced in the end zone resulting in a safety – putting the Seahawks up 2-0. Later in the second defensive free agent Cliff Avril causes Kaepernick to fumble leading to a Seattle recovery. The following Seahawk drive was limited to a 30-yard field goal – Seattle leading 5-0 going into the second half.

    At the beginning of the second half, Seattle received and managed a 66 yard drive to the San Francisco 14 yard line. After an incomplete pass on first down, Lynch rushed 14 yards up the middle for his first TD of the night. Extra point by Hauschka is good – Seahawks lead 12-0.

    During the next drive Kaepernick was sacked on a 3rd and 3 on the Seattle 3rd yard line by OLB K.J. Wright. The 49ers were forced to kick a 21 yard field goal on 4th down – which was good. Seahawks still up 12-3 at the end of the 3rd Quarter.

    Throughout the 4th Quarter the Seahawks sealed the fate of the 49ers, outscoring them 17-0 – starting out with a 7-yard touchdown pass from QB Russell Wilson to, you guessed it – Marshawn Lynch (who walked the last yard to the end zone). Extra point was good putting the Seahawks up 19-3. Later on during a 1st and 10, Kaepernick was yet again intercepted on a deep right throw (intended for Vernon Davis) by Sherman. After the interception, Sherman celebrated aside the Seahawk cheerleaders. The drive created by the interception resulted in a 37-yard field goal by Hauschka – making the score 22-3.

    With less than 5 minutes to play, Kaepernick managed to throw his third and last interception, that was picked off by SS Kam Chancellor and brought back to the San Francisco 2-yard line. In the final score of the night Lynch scored his second rushing TD of the night, 2-yards up the middle. After the extra point, the score would remain 29-3 until the Seahawk offense would later run out the clock.

    Image: Wikimedia Commons