You’d be hard-pressed to find a football player with more media coverage during these past two weeks. Richard Sherman, a cornerback for the Seattle Seahawks, has gained national notoriety for his controversial interview after his victory over the 49ers in the NFC Championship.
The public reaction has been surprising. Some people are understanding to the fact Sherman was excited, having just won his ticket to the Super Bowl. Other people defaulted to criticizing his race and character.
Getting in Your Face
To first understand Sherman’s reaction it’s important to look at his rivalry with Michael Crabtree and the 49ers.
To say tensions are high whenever the two teams play each other is an understatement. Crabtree, the 49ers receiver, has had issues with Sherman long before the NFC Championship, including claims of trying to fight Sherman at a charity event.
The rivalry simply came to a head during the NFC Championship. After the nail biting game, Sherman went over to shake Crabtree’s hand. Sherman tried to reach out by saying, “Hell of a game, hell of a game!” Crabtree responded by shoving Sherman in the face.
It seems pretty understandable for someone to be upset when a longtime rival pushes you in the face. Things get heated in football and it leads to trash talk.
Sherman just happened to have his moment broadcasted to the entire world.
History of Trash Talk
People have criticized Sherman’s interview for being ungracious or unprofessional. The fact is, trash talk has been a part of sports for a long time. Muhammad Ali engaged in trash talking his opponents and definitely doesn’t hold the same reputation.
Trash talk, in reality, is sometimes more entertaining than a robotic thank you speech. It’s a reminder that these players are real people with real emotions.
Why Going Viral Changes Everything
It doesn’t make a lot of sense for Sherman to suffer for something athletes have been doing forever.
Thanks to the age of social media, the interview was posted everywhere. Even my grandmother, who doesn’t know the first thing about football, saw the interview.
Unfortunately, social media gives people the power to say horrible things while remaining anonymous. The anonymity and speed of content has blown this controversy even farther out of proportion.
At the end of the day, Sherman wasn’t violent, he didn’t curse on live television. He did his job as a cornerback, and clinched one of the biggest games of his life. He expressed his excitement and emotions honestly, and that’s really all we can ask for.
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