Because most of us watched Sunday’s NFC and AFC championship games, we got to witness what automatically became an all-time classic of a post-game interview.
For those of you who didn’t catch the 49ers-Seahawks evening tilt — which was great, by the way — things got a little heated at the end, when Seattle’s Richard Sherman, All-Pro cornerback and masterful trash-talker, and San Francisco wideout Michael Crabtree exchanged words after Malcolm Smith’s game-sealing interception. Sherman patted Crabtree’s backside, extended his hand for a handshake and, presumably, said something. Crabtree shoved him in the face. Sherman made a “choke” motion with his hands and got flagged.
The game ended, and Sherman moseyed on over to Erin Andrews to answer a few questions. Andrews, and the rest of America, probably weren’t expecting Sherman’s outburst.
“Well, I’m the best corner in the game,” he declared. “When you try me with a sorry receiver like Crabtree that’s the result you are going to get! Don’t you even talk about me!”
He was referring to Crabtree. The two have historically not gotten along, thanks to an alleged altercation at a Larry Fitzgerald charity event last summer, at which Crabtree allegedly tried to fight Sherman. Once again, Sherman had attempted to shake Crabtree’s hand.
“Don’t open your mouth about the best, or I’m going to shut it for you real quick!” he screamed.
It felt more like a professional wrestling promo than a post-game interview (and, fittingly, someone spliced Sherman’s footage over an old clip of a “Mean Gene” Okerlund interview). Although he mean-mugged the camera and barked at fans across America, I’ll give him this: He’s not wrong when he says he’s the best corner in the league.
Despite what you’ll read in some columns, we in the media like a guy like Sherman. He is almost always a lock for a money quote — a guy who can give a blanking columnist an idea in just 30 seconds.
Unlike many of the columnists with the bigger platforms, though, I’m leaning pro-Sherman. I can’t fault a guy for speaking from the heart, not cussing up a storm and playing well enough to back his words up.
Many found fault with Sherman’s actions, which I can understand. This caused Twitter to explode for about two hours, with many people ranting about “class” and, of course, a few choice morons trying to make it a racial issue.
We must remember that athletes are humans. Their sport is their skill set. Their pads help them do their jobs and are not some pieces of magical armor that turn them from mere mortals into Greek gods. Any given athlete is just as good at their sport as one of you may be at your job, but, because sports command so much of America’s attention, the athletes are the ones getting the spotlight. Regardless of what they do on the field, they’re humans — just like us.
As such, we should not expect all pro athletes to be role models for our youth.
Sure, there are genuinely good active athletes like Wilson, and retired guys like Jim Thome — my favorite baseball player ever — who are almost as revered for being kind people as they are for their on-field accomplishments.
But, as with all other walks of life, there are plenty of mean people in the sports world. Many of them even get a free pass, because they are or were so good at what they do. Ignore “Space Jam” for a second — parents should not want their children to act like Michael Jordan.
Young linebackers could do a whole lot worse than to pick up some of Lawrence Taylor’s techniques in the film room, but that’s as far as the emulation should go.
Roger Clemens was unquestionably one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history, but let’s remember how messy — and public — his personal life became later in his career.
My point: Let’s not freak out over one man’s simple trash talk when plenty of worse things have happened before.
You cannot truly succeed as an athlete without having a competitive fire burning within you. Remember: These ball sports were originally kids’ games — we shouldn’t treat a football game like it’s World War III, and we should recognize that trash talk can make competition a little more fun.
If there’s anything we should teach our kids, it’s to know where to draw the line between good, clean trash talk and pure venom. Maybe Sherman didn’t need to call Crabtree a “sorry” receiver, but anyone who can walk the walk should be allowed to talk the talk. He did, after all, help send the Seahawks to the Super Bowl.
