Richard Sherman hates everything
Is there anything the Seahawks cornerback won’t complain about?
Disrespected. Aggrieved. Unfairly maligned. Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman has suffered enough slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. And he wants to make sure you know it.
Sherman hates: Other players
Player safety rules are but suggestions, mere recommendations to the likes of Richard Sherman. To wit:
Cheap. Shot. Artist. By the way, Sherman is blameless. Just ask him. But those other guys? Dirty dealers. All of ’em. In fact, Jared Goff of the Los Angeles Rams clearly deserved the helmet-to-chin shot that left him concussed and out of the game. He ran disrespectfully. Sherman had to teach him with an illegal shot to the head/neck area.
Remorse for injuring another player? That’s for other people. Ones with class.
The 12s want to argue that it was a legal hit. It wasn’t. It should have been flagged. He should be fined. How do we know? Because another famous Seahawk-on-opposing player hit — very similar in placement of Seahawk helmet and opponent’s head/neck area — resulted in a fine. When Golden Tate demolished Dallas Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee with a blindside block, the league stood by the ruling.
Is this a one-time thing? Just an unintended error? Not when it’s a pattern. I remind you of his cheap, illegal, shot to the back of Davante Adams’ head just last week. Would anyone care to defend Sherman here? I’d love to hear your reasoning. As would Sherman. No doubt, Adams deserved this cheap shot from Sherman, if you ask Sherman.
In the clip above, former NFL head of officiating Mike Pereira makes an easy case for fining Sherman for his clearly cheap shot on Adams. And the league concurred. On Dec. 16, it was announced that Sherman was fined $18,231 as a repeat offender for the hit on Packers wide receiver Davante Adams.
But sometimes you have to go it alone. Sherman took up his own defense in a minor Twitter spat with former Packers tight end Jermichael Finley about the legality of his hit on Adams. Unfortunately, he based his argument on a misunderstanding of NFL rules. He later deleted his tweet. Because, you know, facts.
Sherman hates: NFL officials
The Seahawks brand: Mug receivers every time — they can’t call holding or pass interference on every play. Sherman’s hand-fighting and positioning skills are legendary. They’re why he consistently ranks as one of the top cornerbacks in the league today.
But should Sherman ever be called for these fouls? No. Of course not. But things are even worse for Richard Sherman as he goes about his well-paid duties. He’s being wronged by receivers trying to escape him.
See this dropped interception by Sherman. Does he regret dropping the interception? Hard to say. Right after, he’s too busy complaining to the side judge that his clear drop was somehow influenced by his opponent’s attempts to run down the field:
Sherman hates: NFL suits
Ejecting players for repeat violations of unsportsmanlike conduct and personal fouls? Why, only no-nothing suits could come up with that idea. Sherman has a complaint: Richard Sherman on Roger Goodell’s proposal: ‘He’s just a suit’. Unfortunately for Sherman, the suits won. The rule is in effect this season.
Of course, the unfairness of that rule is only one way Sherman is being persecuted. He’s also unfairly singled out for having to play NFL games on Thursdays … like everyone else in the league:
Sherman blasted the NFL on Tuesday for continuing to schedule Thursday-night games. “Poopfest. It’s terrible,” Sherman said. “We got home like 1 o’clock in the morning, something like that, on Monday, and then you’ve got to play again. Congratulations, NFL, you did it again. But they’ve been doing it all season, so I guess we’re the last ones to get the middle finger.”
Sherman hates: His own team
Sideline blowups are just one of the many offerings on the Richard Sherman temperament menu.
During Thursday night’s victory over the Los Angeles Rams, Sherman was seen irately arguing with Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell. From NFL.com: “I’m upset about us throwing from the one (yard line),” Sherman told reporters when asked to explain his sideline blowup Thursday night at Bevell.
The more well-adjusted NFL players tend to leave the offensive strategy to the offensive coaches and vice-versa. Not in Shermanland. Richard Sherman need not concern himself with impulse control, public perception, nor team unity. He’s got dirty laundry and he’s going to air it out on the sideline. In front of everyone.
But don’t worry about any of this weighing on Rich. He’s cool with, you know, whatever. Again from NFL.com: The All-Pro cornerback wasn’t worried about how these sideline rants make him look.
“I could care less. Good thing I’m a villain. It’s not going to kill my perception,” Sherman said.
Have a Coke and a smile, Rich
Consider this an intervention. All this complaining is bad for Sherman’s health. Brain research from Stanford University (Sherman’s alma mater) has shown that complaining shrinks the hippocampus — the area of the brain critical to problem solving and intelligent thought. It gets even worse for guys like Rich:
Travis Bradberry writes in Entrepreneur.com: “While it’s not an exaggeration to say that complaining leads to brain damage, it doesn’t stop there. When you complain, your body releases the stress hormone cortisol. … All the extra cortisol released by frequent complaining impairs your immune system and makes you more susceptible to high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and obesity. It even makes the brain more vulnerable to strokes.”
Science from Stanford University might make a compelling argument to someone, if that someone is still capable of unbiased, rational thought.
Of course, it is difficult to get a word in edge-wise with Richard Sherman unless you have a nationally connected camera and microphone setup. If so, then he’ll be happy (well, not happy; let’s say eager) to tell you his unfettered thoughts. And the NFL Network head-nodders will yuk along.
And that’s the end of my complaint.
© julian rogers
