OT- Thoughts on Richard Sherman interview

Submitted by Wee-Bey Brice on
By now we've all seen the now infamous post-game rant/interview that Richard Sherman delivered on national television last night. Since the interview, I've been paying attention to a lot of the commentary about it and I'm baffled by some of the remarks, quite frankly. - Was he way too amped up? Yes. Although, he did just make the game saving play to send his team to the SB. If Countess made the same play to send us to the NC, I would probably throw my tv into my neighbors yard in celebration. He gets a pass on this one. - Did he lack humility? Yes. However, so does Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. When you can walk the walk, you earn the right to talk the talk. Not saying he's the MJ of cornerbacks but he has been consistently playing at a high level. - Did he scare the piss out of Erin Andrews? Yep. But at least it was funny. My point is that while he was over the top with his approach, he didn't do anything to deserve to be labeled as a classless thug. He didn't curse, he didn't make personal attacks outside of football and he didn't put his hands on anyone. In other words, he did EXACTLY what we wanted him to do; he gave us quality reality TV. He yelled at the top of his lungs but essentially all he said was "I'm the best in the game, don't throw to my side of the field unless you're throwing to Jerry Rice". Nothing about that statement screams "thug". Of course having grown up on the Eastside of Detroit I'm a little more familiar with actual thugs than most, but I just don't see how he's being labeled as anything other than what he is. He's a very intelligent, Stanford graduate that plays football better than most and will make sure you know that he's better than you. Cocky? Indeed. Classless thug? Don't think so. What'd you take away from the interview? ******sorry for crappy format, posted from iPhone****

BlackOps2ForLife

January 20th, 2014 at 10:11 AM ^

I loved it. So he talked shit about Crabtree...big deal; it's football. People who are outraged by this are the ones who contribute to the wussification of America, which has become a serious problem.

BlackOps2ForLife

January 20th, 2014 at 10:36 AM ^

I don't care about class and respect when it comes to certain sports. Winning is all that matters. If you (I don't mean you in particular) can't handle shit talking, don't play or watch sports. What about fighting sports? UFC and boxing have so much shit talking, but no one seems to make a big deal when it happens there. Oh, but football is sooooo sacred in this country and anyone who talks shit about another player or team just ruins the party. So lame.

Everyone Murders

January 20th, 2014 at 2:42 PM ^

Not replying to any of the above, just surprised there's no embed on this for those of us who only saw it live once. 

(FWIW, I think that Richard Sherman sounded like a dope during the interview, which is a shame because he's a really smart guy who happened to get caught in the heat of the moment after the biggest play of his life.  Sherman plays an extremely intelligent game, and seems otherwise like an intelligent guy.  This interview made him seem ... unsmart.)

 

joeyb

January 20th, 2014 at 2:34 PM ^

That was handshake was meant to try to say, "I'm better than you in every way." He got exactly what he was trying to get, which was for Crabtree to over-react and get a penalty.

Had I been calling the game, I would have thrown a flag on both of them (he's not supposed to be gestering to the opposing team) and had them offset.

4godkingandwol…

January 20th, 2014 at 11:55 AM ^

of America is a lazy and overplayed meme.  This is the same country of speak softly and carry a big stick, an attitude that is over 100 years old.  Taking an idiotic rant by a steroid pumped football player and linking that with any sort of softness in the American spirit is ignorant and simple minded.  

Or put in more simple terms you may understand and suits your attitude.  I'm the best poster on this blog.  When you try me with a sorry poster like BlackOps2ForLife, that's the result you're going to get.  Don't you ever talk about me... Don't you open your mouth about the best. 

1 percent

January 20th, 2014 at 2:06 PM ^

Ah yes I remember a prideful local minute man Matthew Remington III during the Revolutionary war state" you gone come at the best minute man in the world? When you come at the best minute man in the world with a sorry, yes, sorry military like England that's what you get. Don't talk about me."



To which Paul Revere quivered "who was talking about you?"



"The King!" Shot back Remington.



'Twas a different time 'twas a better time.

Gameboy

January 20th, 2014 at 12:59 PM ^

There are at least one person who died after being hit by a pitch and many others who were never the same after being hit. Sure, the chances of that happening is low but it is not zero. As far as I know trash talking doesn't kill or maim a recipient. There is something seriously wrong with threatening physical violence for some trash talking.

CLord

January 20th, 2014 at 6:29 PM ^

What planet are you on that trash talking at the wrong time doesn't lead to tempers flaring that doesn't lead to occasional physical violence?  Sherman is setting a horrible example for kids.  When your son pulls a Sherman and you have to go pick him up at the hospital for the black eye he receives, be sure to continue encouraging him to trash talk since it doesn't lead to killing or maiming anyone.

Section 1

January 20th, 2014 at 3:31 PM ^

Let's stipulate, in the age of Twitter, that technology and social networks have allowed us to see exactly how dumb many high-profile athletes (and movie stars, rappers, other celebrities) really are.  Irrespective of race, creed or color.  Twitter is brutally effective in exposing the stupidity of many of its popular authors.  And by no means should we limit this phenomenon to celebrities.  There are lots of stupid people.  Many of them seem to be on Twitter.  

Buccaneer_9

January 20th, 2014 at 8:18 PM ^

Most current baseball players are HUGE pussies.  Verlander strikes me as one of those guys.  He should just stick to waxing Kate Upton's top lip.

I fucking love Richard Sherman.  He talks it like he walks it.  None of that coachspeak bullshit we have to listen to all the time.  He's honest and sincere...it's refreshing.  I'll be rooting for the Seahawks.

B-Nut-GoBlue

January 20th, 2014 at 2:19 PM ^

2 pass break ups because they didn't throw his way.  Stats alone can help tell the story but not the whole thing without reading into some of them.  He's good, real good.  The last play alone, not many can make that play as he did.

No opinion on the whole shit talking matter, but Sherman is a great player.

lensch2

January 20th, 2014 at 5:34 PM ^

Richard Sherman is the best corner in football and was the best corner on the field last night.  The 49ers treated him like Deion Sanders and just avoided whatever side of the field he was on until that last play.

I am just curious why everyone here is all butt hurt that he had a Darius Morris moment.  "Get the F@#@ off my court!"  He is far from a thug, even though he did grow up in Compton and has dreads and for a few moments was a load black man.  He is not in need of media training, I will point to that Stanford Communications degree for that.  He is cocky, he is arrogant, and he is the BEST corner in the NFL.

B-Nut-GoBlue

January 20th, 2014 at 7:09 PM ^

Ya know, that's a pretty good point.  I guess D-Mo didn't say it directly to camera but how is that not worse than what Sherman did?  I'm honestly fine with both "actions" I guess, and if nothing else I just don't care enough to give the 8 billionth opinion on the matter and pretend it means something.

TruBluMich

January 20th, 2014 at 10:15 AM ^

You really think the way he acted was classy? Wasn't thuggish but definitely lacked class. The only fan base I can think of where they wouldn't think that was classless is Ohio State. Bit, even my Buckeye friends thought he showed no class.

runandshoot

January 20th, 2014 at 10:35 AM ^

we are talking about whether his actions were classless.  I don't think his actions were thuggish - I think most everyone will agree with that, but acting like a spoiled child after a big win...I think that is definitely acting like an idiot.  You could argue Richard Sherman is the face of the Seahawks franchise - seeing as he is the best CB in the game today.

Section 1

January 20th, 2014 at 10:51 AM ^

Shit talking, especially in rivalries, is part of the game.

 

It has become part of the game, in recent years/generations.  It never used to be part of the game.  It used to be the rare exception.  Because intelligent, mature, serious people who did things like fight in world wars, or survive a depression, and who had real jobs, understood where sporting events rated in life.  And what sports could mean for society, when done right. 

This "shit" (your word) is representative of a decline in values.  Probably not a big deal by itself; caring little about the NFL to begin with, this is not a thread that I would have initiated.  But since you commented, I was happy to respond.

Section 1

January 20th, 2014 at 12:25 PM ^

Now I didn't bring any racial element to this.  You did, so I'll ask: Do you think that Richard Sherman, as an African-American, should be beyond criticism for this episode?  Not that I'll settle on either side (pro- or anti-Sherman) as being necessrily superior in this context; but do you think that it is out of bounds for discussion?

And since you racialized it, do you think that Richard Sherman was expressing some essential/core element of black culture?  Some of the racist comments on Twitter that Deadspin must have spent hundreds of man-hours collecting seem to demonstrate that among the rudest and least civilized backwaters of racism, the bigots thought that yeah, that's just a black guy being a black guy.  Mark it down as Reason Number 1,987 to end Twitter.

Are you suggesting that they are correct in identifying the issue, but just wrong in condemning it?

I'm beginning to think that this thread (one that I have already said that I wouldn't have started) won't last long.

taistreetsmyhero

January 20th, 2014 at 12:59 PM ^

should be beyond critcism because he is black, i think he should be beyond criticism because i don't see anything wrong with what he did. he expressed his true emotions in a moment when the media was hoping to elicit the exact reaction that he gave. i also don't see anything wrong with trash talking, and i don't think a person is any worse of a person for talking shit.

and here is the subtlety (follow closely):  yes, his actions embodied much of what black urban cutlure is all about--freely expressing yourself. being loud, being proud, being rude, and not giving a fuck.

the difference between my reaction to that and people's reaction on twitter is that people on twitter think it's bad and i am totally fine with it and think it is awesome.

is that confusing? i don't think so.