Richard Sherman Responds To Critics: “I Can Handle It”

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The topic of discussion went from playoff Sunday to Richard Sherman Monday as the talkative Seahawks player became the subject for all sports junkies after his highly entertaining chat with Erin Andrews yesterday. Not all of the chatter was humorous though as there were those who had a negative response to Sherman’s interview, some calling him less than professional to others who tread the line towards racism.

Sherman heard it all. Never one to shy away from back and forth communication, he responded with an essay published on Sports Illustrated where he explains what happened to cause his overexcited reaction and other points from Sunday’s game, including the adrenaline rush of a big play leading to an even bigger win, Seattle’s 12th man’s bad behavior, his history with Michael Crabtree and more.

“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.

“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.

“It was loud, it was in the moment, and it was just a small part of the person I am. 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 pressure up front, and that’s what we get from our pass rushers every Sunday.”

According to the Seattle Times, that summertime slight took place at a charity event of all places.

“Sherman has been upset with Crabtree since last summer. Both attended Arizona star receiver Larry Fitzgerald’s charity event. While there, Sherman went to shake Crabtree’s hand, and Crabtree tried to start a fight, according to Sherman’s older brother, Branton.

“I’m going to make a play and embarrass him,” Richard Sherman vowed that day.”

Sherman’s always been known to be a brash talker. Anyone who has followed his career knew this long before last night’s game. But, what many fail to realize is he’s not a bad person; he’s just a really obnoxious football player. Seahawks fans know it and most of the 49ers players and faithful will attest to it as well. Sherman knows it too, which is why he also wrote “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. Judge a man by what he does off the field, what he does for his community, what he does for his family.”

Off the field, as previously mentioned, he’s a smart guy. On the academic side, Stanford degrees don’t come easy, jock or not. As an athlete, Sherman’s that guy opposing players detest. He talks for days and weeks leading up to the game, he talks even more during and he doesn’t stop even after time expires. He’s the villain, but he’s also the reason fans tune in. They either want to see him back up his boasts or get burned so they can point and mock. People may not like him, but he’s a character the game needs to make it entertaining.

But that’s on the field. Any questioning of who he is outside the lines and off the field should be done using a different measuring stick.

Sherman closes out his article by noting that the Super Bowl will pit “the No. 1 offense vs. the No. 1 defense. It’s a match made in heaven.” He goes on to note that he and his Seattle teammates “didn’t sneak into the Super Bowl; we earned our way.”

He also points out that “There will be a lot of talking, but at this point, after 18 games, there’s nothing left to say.”

I highly doubt that last part holds true for him though. In fact, I hope it doesn’t.

Not to be forgotten, Sherman new Beats ad mocks the fact that he hears what detractors are saying. Oh, the irony.

Photo: Getty

Previously: “Don’t You Ever Talk About Me”: The Internet Reacts To Richard Sherman’s Postgame Interview