Postgame interviews are often filled with quotes that fans have grown tired of. Players use cliché phrases such as “we left it all on the field” or “turnovers were key for us” when describing the outcome of the game. These answers are, quite frankly, boring to many people.
Bland responses do nothing for the fans, as they give no indication to the player’s true feelings of the game. After the Seattle Seahawks’ win over the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game on Jan. 19, though, the postgame response from Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman was anything but bland.
First off, I will start with a little background information on Richard Sherman. If you did not already know, he is not afraid to say anything. The Stanford graduate (Sherman graduated in 2010 with a degree in communications, ironically) considers himself a pretty smart guy, and most of his interviews provide insightful analysis of the game. Reporters often choose to interview Sherman after games because they know they will get a compelling quote from him.
I do not think that veteran sideline reporter Erin Andrews knew what to expect during her interview with Sherman after his tremendous leaping play to force an interception and seal his team’s victory. There is a lot of bad blood between the Seahawks and 49ers, and Sherman is an outspoken guy. And he let you know about it, too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkTq__jd4I4
After watching the interview for probably the 30th time, I still cannot believe that Sherman said what he did, and there are a few issues I have with his statements.
The first issue I have is with Sherman referring to himself as the best cornerback in the league. It is fine to think this way, but to say this on national television in front of over 55 million viewers is not right. In that situation, I would have liked Sherman to take the high road and give the 49ers credit for a great game, because it truly was an incredible game between the NFC’s two best teams. That moment and that stage is no time to flaunt as Sherman did.
During the interview, Sherman also called 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree, who he was covering on the final play, a “sorry receiver.” This statement could not be further from the truth. Crabtree, coming off of a torn Achilles, played in just five regular season games this season, and played well considering the injury he was recovering from.
He caught five passes for 102 yards in the 49ers’ Week 16 game against the Atlanta Falcons and crossed the century mark again in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, putting up a 125-yard performance in a victory over the Green Bay Packers. In the NFC Championship Game, Crabtree had 52 yards receiving, which is decent considering the success the Seahawks defense has had against 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in the past. Any way you slice it, Crabtree deserves much better than the “sorry receiver” tag that Sherman unfairly placed on him in his postgame rant.
In fact, one could argue that Kaepernick was at fault more than Crabtree on that final play that ended the 49ers’ season. Sherman made a spectacular play to break up the pass, but the pass was slightly underthrown, allowing Sherman to make a play on the ball. Crabtree surely would have caught the pass had Sherman not tipped the ball, yet Sherman unjustifiably went on a rant in which one would assume Crabtree had blown the game, and he did not.
Of course, I understand that the adrenaline was flowing inside of Sherman and that he was excited that his team had just punched its ticket to the Super Bowl. But, as Sherman stood in front of the camera and spoke to, or yelled at, Erin Andrews, he was representing the entire Seattle Seahawks organization.
The word “class” often gets thrown around when describing players and their interviews. I think it is safe to say that Richard Sherman showed no class in that situation. His team had just won the NFC Championship Game, against their most hated rival no less, and I am sure that it was a great feeling. But, the least he could have done is shown some respect for the 49ers and in particular, Crabtree.
Instead, Sherman chose to unearth his personal vendetta against Crabtree and speak badly of him when he knew the entire country was watching. Later that night, Sherman took to every athlete’s favorite place to vent their feelings, Twitter, to even further display his conceitedness.
https://twitter.com/RSherman_25/status/425132828943069184
Now, Sherman and his teammates are off to the Super Bowl, where they will play the Denver Broncos. In a game in which I have no rooting interest, I will root for the classier team, which in this case is the Broncos, led by future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, widely considered a “class act” by his peers.
Fans should want a player like Manning to be successful. He shows respect for the game and always gives his opponents their due. I am sure that Manning will show respect for Sherman if the Broncos win at MetLife Stadium on Feb. 3, but I cannot say the same for Sherman. Lets just hope that it is Manning who gets the postgame interview.