There is no love lost, and no love found, between Seahawks CB Richard Sherman and 49ers WR Michael Crabtree.
Early in the week, Sherman used the phrase to describe the Seattle-San Francisco rivalry. In the aftermath of the 23-17 win in Sunday’s NFC Championship, Sherman used his post-game press conference to further take down San Francisco’s No. 1 wide receiver.
In the final seconds, Sherman tipped a Colin Kaepernick pass intended for Crabtree in the end zone to teammate LB Malcolm Smith, sealing the win, and sending the CenturyLink crowd into full party mode. The Seahawks knew they were going to Super Bowl XLVIII. Sherman, the brash All-Pro cornerback from Compton, CA., wasn’t holding back.
“I was making sure that everybody knew that Crabtree was a mediocre receiver. Mediocre,” he said with emphasis. “When you try the best cornerback in the game with a mediocre receiver, that’s what happens.”
After the interception, Sherman went over to Crabtree and offered a mock handshake. When Crabtree refused, Sherman patted him on the butt, then circled him and continued talking. As he walked off the field, Crabtree responded with an open-handed slap to Sherman’s facemask.
During the sequence, television cameras caught Sherman making the universal “choke” sign, grabbing his throat with both hands.
“That was for Kaepernick,” Sherman said.
Sherman was flagged for excessive celebration, but it didn’t matter. QB Russell Wilson needed just three kneel-downs to end the the 49ers season. Shortly after, Sherman went on a tirade in an interview with FOX reporter Erin Andrews.
“I’m the best corner in the game,” Sherman yelled in a moment meant for WrestleMania. “When you try me with a sorry receiver like Crabtree, that’s the result you’re gonna get. Don’t you ever talk about me.”
Andrews asked Sherman, “Who was ‘you?'”
“Crabtree,” he said. “Don’t you open your mouth about the best. Or I’m going to shut it for you real quick.”
“I ain’t getting into that,” Crabtree said of Sherman’s final play. “He knows what time it is. When we’re on the field, he isn’t doing nothing. That’s one play. He knows.”
Sherman and Crabtree have history. In his post-game press conference, Sherman said they had a face-to-face confrontation in Arizona during the off-season. However, he refused to go into more detail.
Kaepernick targeted Sherman twice. In the first half, officials flagged Sherman for a holding penalty that extended San Francisco’s drive. However, Kaepernick’s final throw of the season went differently. Crabtree, meanwhile, finished with four catches for 52 yards.
“There’s been a lot of talk from him, running his mouth during the offseason and in personal conversations,” Sherman said of Crabtree. “I appreciate that we’ve dealt with that now.”
Sherman thanked the “a-hole” fans that criticized him on social media sites Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. He also said that he was going “to be tough on Crabtree for the rest of his career.”
“I’m speechless,” Sherman said, laughing. “But this is me speechless.”
His tip to Smith was a play that the Seahawks began practicing in the off-season, Sherman said, after he missed an opportunity to bat a Matt Ryan pass to S Earl Thomas against Atlanta in the 2012 playoffs. Sunday Sherman pulled it off with a last-second twist and left-arm wave. Smith was positioned perfectly to complete one of the monumental plays in franchise history.
It was the first time Sherman executed the volley since a Week 15 win against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium, site of Super Bowl XLVIII, Feb. 2.
Will Sherman continue to speak his mind when he gets to New York?
“I mean, pretty much,” he said. “Why not?”
9 Comments
Zero class.
Yes you’re right, Richard is so much less classy than the bicep kisser CK.
Sherman is being like athletes like Babe Ruth, Muhamad Ali and Michael Jordan. Telling it like it is and backing it up. Is he the best CB in the game? Yes. Name someone better if he isn’t. Did Kaepernick make a bad decision? Yes. Especially with Maxwell on Boldin and having been picked off by Chancellor minutes earlier. You’re seriously going to test the Legion again? Is Crabtree an average receiver? Yes. He’s the #2 WR on SF and if he was so good they wouldn’t have gone after Boldin in the offseason.
Sherman didn’t do the usual interview of “I give credit to my teammates, I thank God for putting me here, I’m just happy to win, we’re taking things one step at a time” yadda yadda yadda. Those interviews suck. Now Richard Sherman is the talk of the sport world. He didn’t cuss, didn’t disrespect the 49ers or the city of SF. He just called out the player he burned to get to the Super Bowl.
“Sherman didn’t do the usual interview of ‘I give credit to my teammates, I thank God for putting me here, I’m just happy to win, we’re taking things one step at a time’ yadda yadda yadda.”
You mean like Russell Wilson does? Those are exactly the kinds of thing Russ would say.
First off, RW is more genuine. He means it. There’s players who say that and it’s like they’re reading a script. (Forgot the age old “football players make football plays” and “we play the hand we’re dealt.”) I read of Tom Brady weighing in on Sherman and he was saying how he’s about being gracious as a winner or loser and would never trash talk. As most of us remember the time the Pats were here Brady was jawing the whole game with the Legion. Not very genuine there.
Secondly, RW doesn’t stop there. He breaks down the game, gets into the science of the plays, the game, the opponent, what everyone on the Hawks role was and their options. He doesn’t stick with simple answer to the question. He wants you to fully understand where he’s coming from. That’s how you can tell he’s genuine.
Yes, like Russell Wilson. Russ is a nice guy, humble, a good leader, and a decent QB. However, he’s as boring as plain toast. Sherman is many of those things, but humble isn’t one of them, but that’s part of what makes him exciting to watch and interesting to listen to/read.
Sherm. Dude. You’re a great cover corner. Everybody knows. Now STFU. Seriously. STFU.
Because athletes who say nothing are so memorable.
Talking and saying something are not equivalent. Marshawn Lynch is the illustration I’ll use to refute your sarcastic response.