NFC Championship: 49ers at Seahawks

[Snodgrass'Muff]

Did you actually read my post? Because that video indicates that you did not.

 
I took the last sentence at face value.  If you want to narrow it down to only immediately following season ending interceptions in the conference championship, the sample is going to be so small it will be worthless.  All I'm saying here is that there's a chance Sherman just tried to say "Good game."  I've acknowledged that is probably more likely he was not being a good sport.  The assumption that he could only have been trying to taunt Crabtree seems a bit too extreme to me.  Human beings are complex creatures and sometimes do unexpected things.
 
And besides, the only reason this even came up was because I was curious to see if redsahx's opinion of Sherman would change if Sherman's claim that he only wanted to say "Good game" was actually true.  I don't know if I buy that explanation personally, but I was interested in how that information might impact redsahx's position.

 

[kenneycb]

You apparently didn't read my first sentence and are being willfully obtuse.

 

[Snodgrass'Muff]

You apparently didn't read my first sentence and are being willfully obtuse.

 
How?  You said "After the game."  The video I posted is Brady and Manning shaking hands after an overtime win for the Pats.  What am I missing?
 
Edit: The game was over even if there was still time on the clock, but if that's what you are referring to, then I can see your point.  I'm still not convinced that there was no possibility that Sherman's claim is true, but again, I'm not sure I buy his explanation in the first place.

 

[DaughtersofDougMirabelli]

 
I took the last sentence at face value.  If you want to narrow it down to only immediately following season ending interceptions in the conference championship, the sample is going to be so small it will be worthless.  All I'm saying here is that there's a chance Sherman just tried to say "Good game."  I've acknowledged that is probably more likely he was not being a good sport.  The assumption that he could only have been trying to taunt Crabtree seems a bit too extreme to me.  Human beings are complex creatures and sometimes do unexpected things.
 
And besides, the only reason this even came up was because I was curious to see if redsahx's opinion of Sherman would change if Sherman's claim that he only wanted to say "Good game" was actually true.  I don't know if I buy that explanation personally, but I was interested in how that information might impact redsahx's position.

 
There is such a large difference between immediately after a huge play (doesn't even have to be in a big game, that just makes it more egregious), and after the final whistle blows. It's not even worth talking about if you see them as the same. 

 

[redsahx]

And besides, the only reason this even came up was because I was curious to see if redsahx's opinion of Sherman would change if Sherman's claim that he only wanted to say "Good game" was actually true.  I don't know if I buy that explanation personally, but I was interested in how that information might impact redsahx's position.

IF Sherman really did sincerely approach Crabtree with good sportsmanship in mind, said something nice to him, then got smacked in the mouth and lost it afterwards, then obviously that changes everything. I just don't think that's the case. Sherman doesn't have a track record of being gracious in victory. If people are OK with that then fine, but he does tend to push that envelope.

 

[brandonchristensen]

I'm just disappointed that I didn't know about Sherman before this. I only really pay attention to pats off the field.

Watching some of his interviews, it sounds like what he does is very calculated. He claims Crabtree said some shit in Arizona in the pre season. If true, he's just coming back at him. He claims the same thing about his "You mad bro?" When the Hawks beat the Pats last year.

If these claims are true, he's kind of a genius to shine a light on these players that get a media pass for talking shit when the cameras aren't on them.

 

[curly2]

The interview doesn't bother me. to me the worst thing is the "choke" gesture to Kaepernick. Celebrate it as your own great play, not a choke by the other guy.
 
Of course, his head coach famously made the choke sign many years ago.

 

[Ralphwiggum]

I don't understand the pathological need to defend the guy.  He's a great player who did something at the end of the game that to many people made him seem like a dick. And he has in my opinion displayed his dickish behavior on more than one occasion.  Others obviously don't have an issue with him and that is fine, but why is it not OK to dislike Richard Sherman based on his ridiculous display at the end of the game?  I'm not saying he should be fined or suspended or thrown in jail, he's just an athlete I don't have much interest in rooting for.
 
The lengths that some of you are going to to try to expose the fact that fans are not consistent in who they like and don't like is absurd.  There are double standards for sure, anyone who denies that is lying.  Some people are entertained by Sherman's antics, other think he's a poor sport.  There is room for both opinions, and again, I don't think Richard Sherman gives two fucks either way.

 

[Tony C]

 
 
Davis looks to be getting open there too FWIW

 
or Davis couid have been a blocker. CK is getting a lot of props and god knows he's a great runner, but to me R Wilson played a helluva game after the 2nd play. Much more impressive. CK will never be a top notch QB despite his legs and arm unless he smartens up.
 
 

 
She was just on with Dan Patrick.
 
* Stunningly, and in direct contradiction to a post of mine earlier in this thread, her producers did indeed break away from the interview early. Sherman did not walk away. She wasn't given any reason and hasn't had a chance to discuss it with the production crew, but suggests it might have been a fear of profanity (which I find downright unbelievable and idiotic if that was the case).
 
* The decision to ask the follow-up ("who is talking about you?") was hers and not the producers'. She said she was pretty sure who Sherman was referring to since she knew there was no love lost between him and Crabtree, but wanted to get it on the record so it wasn't presented as an assumption in any future discussions or references.
 
* At no time did she feel intimidated, threatened or accosted by Sherman. He yelled at the camera, not at her (watching the replay, she's perfectly calm and collected).

 
 
I'm amazed at this. People are talking about this as much as the game, and some idiot producer stopped it? That guy should be fired.
 

 
I'm surprised that anyone suggested that this was the case. She was even nodding at his responses. She knew what she was doing, like Jim Gray did when he trolled Pete Rose. Not to compare Erin Andrews to that smarmy prick, but it's the general idea. The sideline reporters aren't as dumb as the producers want them to be.

 
She did do a great job. Compare that to Pam Oliver who caricatured the dumb, emotional bimbo sideline reporter with her embarrassing post-game interview with Harbaugh.

 

[kenneycb]

 
How?  You said "After the game."  The video I posted is Brady and Manning shaking hands after an overtime win for the Pats.  What am I missing?
 
Edit: The game was over even if there was still time on the clock, but if that's what you are referring to, then I can see your point.  I'm still not convinced that there was no possibility that Sherman's claim is true, but again, I'm not sure I buy his explanation in the first place.

Your edit hits on it.  I would just find it odd if guys congratulate each other when there are still snaps to be played as I can't remember that happening pretty much ever.
 

I'm just disappointed that I didn't know about Sherman before this. I only really pay attention to pats off the field.

Watching some of his interviews, it sounds like what he does is very calculated. He claims Crabtree said some shit in Arizona in the pre season. If true, he's just coming back at him. He claims the same thing about his "You mad bro?" When the Hawks beat the Pats last year.

If these claims are true, he's kind of a genius to shine a light on these players that get a media pass for talking shit when the cameras aren't on them.

The report came from Sherman's brother.  Something along the lines that he went to shake hands with Crabtree and Crabtree tried to fight Sherman.  Consider the source so I imagine there's some added things in there.

 

[CaptainLaddie]

WBV, you should feel relieved: someone added Sherman's Wonderlic score to his wikipedia page.  Rest easy.  Everyone now knows Sherman scored a mediocre score on a useless test.

 

[redsahx]

Apologies.  Trolling a trolly statement is no excuse

How was my remark about the Sherman-Brady incident "trolly"?

 

[Five Cent Head]

Your edit hits on it.  I would just find it odd if guys congratulate each other when there are still snaps to be played as I can't remember that happening pretty much ever.
 

 
Well, one play later, after Seattle's first snap on offense (during San Francisco's 2nd timeout, so two plays still to go), Russell Wilson and Aldon Smith shook hands and exchanged a few words.

 

[twibnotes]

brandonchristensen wrote:

I'm just disappointed that I didn't know about Sherman before this. I only really pay attention to pats off the field.

Watching some of his interviews, it sounds like what he does is very calculated. He claims Crabtree said some shit in Arizona in the pre season. If true, he's just coming back at him. He claims the same thing about his "You mad bro?" When the Hawks beat the Pats last year.

If these claims are true, he's kind of a genius to shine a light on these players that get a media pass for talking shit when the cameras aren't on them.

He's a sharp guy, clearly, but I am starting to think Sherman's behaviors at the end of the game are anything but calculated. He was clearly pretty jacked up and emotional ("jacked and pumped" in Carroll land), and once he calmed down a bit, even in the subsequent interview, he became far more measured, thoughtful and showed better respect for his opponent.

His piece on the King site included an explanation for his behavior if not outright remorse. He didn't seem proud of his actions.

 

[wibi]

How was my remark about the Sherman-Brady incident "trolly"?

 
Seriously?  After your comment about how Sherman last night did the most classless thing you've ever seen a player do in sports (history) you really want me to engage you in a serious discussion about how Brady can be a trash talker and that game was him getting back at Brady for earlier comments Brady made.  I get you hate Sherman and that is well within your rights but you are going to have to do a ton better than saying Sherman went after Brady as a reason as to why we should all hate him for being a classless player. 

 

[Reverend]

 
Richard Sherman is a Stanford graduate who has succeeded against long odds and has a bit of a chip on his shoulder as a result. He's also a graduate of the Deion Sanders School of Self-Promotion. As part of his efforts to court superstar attention at a position that often goes unnoticed by casual fans, he has embraced the role of a villain. Calling Sherman's haters racists gives Sherman himself too little credit for creating a public persona that is designed to evoke these sorts of feelings.
 
As a Steelers' fan living in New England, I have come to relish rooting for the villain, so I'm loving this. The next two weeks will be more fun for me than they would be if Sherman had mouthed the usual platitudes after last night's game. Obviously, not everyone likes rooting for the villain, so some folks here who were inclined to root for the NFC champs may find themselves unexpectedly cheering for Peyton Manning. That's all part of Sherman's plan.
 
Edit: Should clarify that I'm sure Sherman's comments to Erin Andrews weren't planned -- but they do fit nicely with the persona Sherman has been cultivating for some time. (And that's true of the Seattle D more generally -- they have talked a ton of trash all season and have earned a fair amount of hate for it, but they seem to relish it, and of course they have backed it up on the field at every turn.)

 
 

Sherman's interview with Ed Werder is awesome, too.
 
"This is a joke, right?"
 
Yes. yes it is.
 
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47BQkAw0SCU[/video]

 
 

 
I just saw this. There's no way you think that right? Unless of course you started watching sports exactly when the game ended yesterday.
 
Sherman's talking is more classless than the hundreds of examples we could find with 5 minutes of google searching of cheap shots in all major sports?

 
 

 
Well, he did graduate as his high school's salutatorian with a 4.2 GPA.  
CBS Sports has a nice timeline up about him from back around the end of October.
 
The more I learn about him, the more I like him.

 
 

I love him.  His take down of Bayless is outstanding too.

 
I've never turned around so quickly on a football player, but all of a sudden, this thread has me rooting for him.
 
Here's the thing for me: I'm sick of people coming down on chirping more than substance. I don't follow the NFC much, so if anyone want to explain to me that he's a dirty player, then fuck him, I'm gone and done with him. But otherwise, the line quoted up-thread about wanting to watch people hurt each other, not talk smack is absolutely on point. 
 
If you don't like it, hating on Sherman is the NFL version of feeding the troll. He's a troll, and he feeds off the energy. He understands that very clearly, that much is obvious.
 
 

 
I think he's a great football player. I respect what he's accomplished coming from his neighborhood, and respect the fact that he graduated from Stanford. But so do 90% of the members of the football team. His high school is one of the worst in the State of California, and the country. He got a 990 on his SAT. I think it's possible for him to be a great football player and a bright guy without having to buy into the "he's a genius" narrative.

 
Dude.
 
You're gonnna point out that the guy went to a shitty score and then point to his SAT score as indicative of his intelligence?
 
Duuuuuuuuuude....
 
 

Where in this thread did anyone refer to Sherman as a genius?  Someone accused him of saying something gang-related (later they retracted it).  Others referred to his actions as the most "classless" thing they have ever seen in sports.  And still others accused him of being on a drug-fueled rant.  I can't find the genius comment though.  

 
I get worried when you start playing things straight. Clearly, this thread is out of control.
 
 

 
Whatever, dude.  You win.  Congrats.

 

 
 

  
You two obviously misinterpreted my comment. I wasn't even ripping Sherman there. My point was that if you want to get noticed and enhance your "heel" status, then obviously going after a visible target like Brady then tweeting your encounter after the game will get you some attention, especially from a hyper-sensitive fan base like New England. That was really when a lot of people first started taking notice of Sherman.


Where exactly did I infer Brady was a saint who doesn't talk shit? Obviously Dogman2 was hinting to you that you were sort of bailing me out here with this straw man.

 
He's also kinda awesome at football, isn't he?
 
This gets back to my chirping v. behavior thing.  I only ever started noting Sherman once I saw he was fucking awesome at football.
 
 

I don't understand the pathological need to defend the guy.  He's a great player who did something at the end of the game that to many people made him seem like a dick. And he has in my opinion displayed his dickish behavior on more than one occasion.  Others obviously don't have an issue with him and that is fine, but why is it not OK to dislike Richard Sherman based on his ridiculous display at the end of the game?  I'm not saying he should be fined or suspended or thrown in jail, he's just an athlete I don't have much interest in rooting for.
 
The lengths that some of you are going to to try to expose the fact that fans are not consistent in who they like and don't like is absurd.  There are double standards for sure, anyone who denies that is lying.  Some people are entertained by Sherman's antics, other think he's a poor sport.  There is room for both opinions, and again, I don't think Richard Sherman gives two fucks either way.

 
I dunno that it's properly called a "patholigical need to defend the guy." I think it's more that some of us think that ripping on him as some sort of monster for crafting what is clearly a contrived personality that involves a lot of yapping is a bit, well, silly.
 
It's an intensely violent contact sport that damages strong men so severely that they commit suicide to avoid the consequences of their injury, and I'm supposed to care about some yapping on the sidelines?
 
If you can't handle Sherman's interviews you shouldn't be watching the game.
 
Damn, now I'm sorta pissed off... I probably shouldn't watch the games, come to think of it...

 

[Stitch01]

The choking sign was poor form and sort of silly given the really great play he had just made.

 

[redsahx]

Seriously?  After your comment about how Sherman last night did the most classless thing you've ever seen a player do in sports (history) you really want me to engage you in a serious discussion about how Brady can be a trash talker and that game was him getting back at Brady for earlier comments Brady made. I get you hate Sherman and that is well within your rights but you are going to have to do a ton better than saying Sherman went after Brady as a reason as to why we should all hate him for being a classless player.

Where did I say that or even imply it? I even had an earlier post where I mentioned Brady chasing after Anthony Smith from Pittsburgh during that 2007 game, so maybe you should try reading the thread before jumping to conclusions that I need to be mocked for somehow not believing that Brady talks trash. If you read further you would also see that I subsequently made a post clarifying that I was not ripping Sherman for his actions with Brady. I had a one sentence response to Maufman after he talked about Sherman coming from the "Deion Sanders school of self-promotion" and later suggested that Brady probably made perfect sense as a target if you are trying to promote yourself as a WWE-type villain given that the hyper-sensitive New England fan base is bound to heap attention on you for that. The context of Maufman's post was that Sherman is looking for some of that attention.

Obviously you jumped to your own conclusion as to what I was saying there.

 

[redsahx]

 
I dunno that it's properly called a "patholigical need to defend the guy." I think it's more that some of us think that ripping on him as some sort of monster for crafting what is clearly a contrived personality that involves a lot of yapping is a bit, well, silly.
 
It's an intensely violent contact sport that damages strong men so severely that they commit suicide to avoid the consequences of their injury, and I'm supposed to care about some yapping on the sidelines?
 
If you can't handle Sherman's interviews you shouldn't be watching the game.
 
Damn, now I'm sorta pissed off... I probably shouldn't watch the games, come to think of it...

 
I think most of us acknowledged that a majority of Sherman's antics are harmless (well technically they were all harmless). For me the only thing that rubbed me the wrong way was how he responded immediately after the clinching interception. His team had the bragging rights for the next 9 months, Crabtree had nothing left to do but stew over the loss, and Sherman gets to celebrate his Super Bowl birth. There is nothing Crabtree can say at that point in response, unless he wants to be humble, but Sherman didn't even give him that chance. There was nothing to be gained by getting in his face at that point. Just be satisfied that he has to live with that loss and go celebrate with your own team, grab the cheerleader pom poms again and start dancing, whatever. The Erin Andrews interview by itself didn't bother me, and was more funny than anything.
 
As violent and unforgiving a sport as it is, most of these strong men manage not to go quite as far as Sherman did. FWIW, I say this as someone who wasn't all that comfortable with the Pats repeatedly mocking the Eagles during Super Bowl 39 by flapping their arms after every big play, including Rodney Harrison after the clinching interception. The difference though is that at least Harrison didn't chase down Donovan McNabb and flap his arms right in his face.

 

[DanoooME]

Sherman issues an apology
 

"I apologize for attacking an individual and taking the attention away from the fantastic game by my teammates ... That was not my intent," Sherman said Monday in a text message to ESPN's Ed Werder.
Sherman also addressed his postgame comments in an interview Monday with ESPN Radio on the "SVP and Russillo" show.
"Obviously I could have worded things better and could obviously have had a better reaction and done things differently," he said during the interview. "But it is what it is now, and people's reactions are what they are."
 

 
I'm sure this won't do much to reduce the controversy.

 

[Devizier]

"I'm sorry you were offended."

 

[redsahx]

Sherman issues an apology
 
 
I'm sure this won't do much to reduce the controversy.

 
Well for me it does somewhat. Even though I am sure he was put up to this by the Seahawks media people, I am willing to back off some of my earlier criticism if he is willing to acknowledge that he went a little overboard or can clarify his comments. I wish I knew more about the context of his feud with Crabtree, because it's entirely possible that I could do a 180 on this if I knew more. From the ESPN piece linked above:
 

"He said something personal face-to-face," Sherman said. "He knows what he said, and he knows I'm going to be tough on him the rest of his career."

 
 
I admit I am a bit discomforted by the company I was keeping on the anti-Sherman side, such as NY Post political columnist John Podhoretz, who tweeted
 

Richard Sherman. What a role model for today's Taliban youth.
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) January 20, 2014
 

 
 
He later pulled the tweet, calling it a botched joke.
 
Brady also weighed in: 
 

 
“I don’t know him at all,” Brady said, via Phil Perry of CSNNE.com. “I’ve watched him play. He’s that kind of guy so . . . you know . . . I approach the game and I have respect for my opponents. That’s the way our team always plays.
“We win with graciousness, when we lose we could do better. Some teams don’t always do that or that’s not their program.”
 

 

[kanga12]

Don't know when the injury occurred but this might have been a factor in his (lack of production): Gore may have suffered broken hand

 

[kolbitr]

 
Seriously?  After your comment about how Sherman last night did the most classless thing you've ever seen a player do in sports (history) you really want me to engage you in a serious discussion about how Brady can be a trash talker and that game was him getting back at Brady for earlier comments Brady made.  I get you hate Sherman and that is well within your rights but you are going to have to do a ton better than saying Sherman went after Brady as a reason as to why we should all hate him for being a classless player. 

 
I have no problems with Sherman for yesterday, but I do value getting facts straight. All reputable accounts of that particular game (including Sherman's own narrative postgame) reported Brady as responding to initial trash talk by Sherman and Thomas, who basically said 'keep throwing, we'll take one away'. At which point Brady said something to the effect of, check the scoreboard (NE was winning at the time), talk to me after the game. And so they did. And NE lost, Brady wasn't interested in talking, Sherman and Thomas got in his face, and Sherman then posted some pretty silly stuff about it. So be it.
 
Brady has talked his share of trash/refuse/garbage/shit...2007 was probably the height of it though. Players tend not to engage in it as much after they've been humbled, and a heartbreaking SB loss and a torn ACL tend to do that to even the highest-caliber athletes.
 
OTOH, it was only last year and the year before that Jets players were talking to reporters about how disrespectful TB was during games, alleging that he pointed to their sidelines, or at least stared at them. It is odd to think of defending Richard Sherman's choking handgrip, yet excoriate a vacant QB stare. Takes all stripes, I guess...

 

[gaelgirl]

As a die-hard Niners fan, fuck Sherman. I hope he gets destroyed by Denver. 
 
I don't think he's dumb, though. He's just a jackass. Fuck all of the Seahawks, I can't stand any of them. 

 

[garlan5]

As a die-hard Niners fan, fuck Sherman. I hope he gets destroyed by Denver. 
 
I don't think he's dumb, though. He's just a jackass. Fuck all of the Seahawks, I can't stand any of them. 

I second this emotion! I didn't dig back through the thread (lazy me) but has anyone posted the video of Sherman getting punched by the skins lineman last year?

 

[DJnVa]

Sherman says he was mic'ed up for the game and that it will show that he went up and said nothing more than "Good game" to Crabtree and then Crabtree smacked him.
 
I guess we shall find out soon enough...

 

[CantKeepmedown]

Sherman says he was mic'ed up for the game and that it will show that he went up and said nothing more than "Good game" to Crabtree and then Crabtree smacked him.
 
I guess we shall find out soon enough...

I don't doubt at all that he did just that.  But for him to act like it was genuine is bullshit. It seems to be well known that these two don't like each other.  People want to give Sherman the benefit of the doubt for how he acted, citing emotion and just finishing a brutal game.  Sherman should give Crabtree the same. Go and celebrate with your teammates. Don't immediately try and rub it in your opponents face. 

 

[Dehere]

The 4th and 7 TD was set up by a free play given up by the 9ers D. No way does Wilson make that throw otherwise. Then they gave up a huge return that set a FG, then another FG set up by the INT.

 
If you have a chance to watch that play again watch Aldon Smith. As soon as the flags came out he stopped playing and he was standing straight up as Wilson made the throw.
 
It was a shame because I thought he played a great, great game to that point but on possibly the biggest play of the game he just quit on the play.

 

[trekfan55]

 
If you have a chance to watch that play again watch Aldon Smith. As soon as the flags came out he stopped playing and he was standing straight up as Wilson made the throw.
 
It was a shame because I thought he played a great, great game to that point but on possibly the biggest play of the game he just quit on the play.

 
Well that makes it even worse.  In short, the Niners have been killed by certain plays in the last 3 years (including having the perfect formation for the winning TD in the Super Bowl but not getting the play off in time and that horrible fumble by Williams 2 years ago).  Coupled with the stupid penalty called on Brooks vs New Orleans...  BTW that penalty vhanged the entire playoffs.

 

[Myt1]

Sherman is the best person in the world at what he does and just made one if the best defensive plays you will ever see against a team with one wide receiver who talks trash after almost every play in his direction and a coach who called Michael Crabtree the best catcher ever and whines after every play.

And one of the knee jerk reactions to what he shouted after is wondering if he's a Blood. I think he might be my new favorite player.

 

[Devizier]

God, I wish this game could be played again for the Superbowl. Maybe a best of three.

 

[Dogman]

Sherman is the best person in the world at what he does and just made one if the best defensive plays you will ever see against a team with one wide receiver who talks trash after almost every play in his direction and a coach who called Michael Crabtree the best catcher ever and whines after every play.

And one of the knee jerk reactions to what he shouted after is wondering if he's a Blood. I think he might be my new favorite player.

 
He is my favorite non-Patriots player.

 

[SpacemanzGerbil]

For the true Sherman converts, this video might be funnier than the Andrews interview.
 
The hug at the end just kills me.

 

[wibi]

http://deadspin.com/sherman-crabtree-watch-and-listen-to-their-micd-up-hi-1507040069?utm_campaign=socialflow_deadspin_facebook&utm_source=deadspin_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

 

[ThePrideofShiner]

That was epic. And as Deadspin asks, why was Andrews so surprised after witnessing that?

 

[johnmd20]

http://deadspin.com/sherman-crabtree-watch-and-listen-to-their-micd-up-hi-1507040069?utm_campaign=socialflow_deadspin_facebook&utm_source=deadspin_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

 
The genius of Richard Sherman is that he makes that "hell of a game" comment to Crabtree sound sincere. Very well done by him.

 

[DanoooME]

And a typical Harbaugh reaction to anything.
 

 

[DJnVa]

 
The genius of Richard Sherman is that he makes that "hell of a game" comment to Crabtree sound sincere. Very well done by him.

 
Yeah. Based on nothing at all except my gut, it sounded sincere.

 

[johnmd20]

 
Yeah. Based on nothing at all except my gut, it sounded sincere.

 
But it wasn't. It was the most passive aggressive way to do some smack talking. That's the beauty of Sherman.

 

[DJnVa]

 
But it wasn't. It was the most passive aggressive way to do some smack talking. That's the beauty of Sherman.

 
I agree. He was looking for a response.

 

[DaughtersofDougMirabelli]

But it wasn't. It was the most passive aggressive way to do some smack talking. That's the beauty of Sherman.

 
Yeah I completely disagreed with Snodgrass that whatever Sherman said didn't matter. It was about the timing, but I didn't expect it to sound so sincere. The strange thing is his sincerity, out of context, does make Crabtree look like the poor sport there. 
 
You still don't run over to a guy, who you've been jarring with all game, and ask for a hand shake seconds after ending his season.

 

[Tony C]

I'm not sure what is more absurd:
 
1-the "omg, that was the most classless outburst in the entire history of sports!"
2-the "omg, I love Richard Sherman more than a teen girl loves the Beebs because, like, racist people called him a thug and I"m sooo not a racist!"
3-spending pages parsing the intonation of "hell of a game"
 
Sherman's a fuck of a CB who is an entertaining loudmouth who, like it or not, ended the game with a huge buzz of adrenalin that played out in his interviews. It's really not more complicated than that, is it?
 
I'm more intrigued as to why SF lined up Crabtree against Sherman on that play and/or why Seattle was not automatically matching Sherman up against Crabtree (if reports are correct on that). I'm also curious as to how you judge a guy like Kaepernick. On the one hand, he was the entire 49ers offense, mostly with his legs but also with at least one unbelievable throw. On the other hand, can you win with a guy who can't go through his progressions? My take is that in the long run spectacular plays don't outweigh inconsistency. He's still inexperienced, so it may be that he matures  his game to match his physical skills. But, all the same, if the 49ers sign him to a $20 million per year-ish extension, I suspect that may end up being an albatross.
 
 
 
 
 

 

[DanoooME]

I'm not sure what is more absurd:
 
1-the "omg, that was the most classless outburst in the entire history of sports!"
2-the "omg, I love Richard Sherman more than a teen girl loves the Beebs because, like, racist people called him a thug and I"m sooo not a racist!"
3-spending pages parsing the intonation of "hell of a game"
 
Sherman's a fuck of a CB who is an entertaining loudmouth who, like it or not, ended the game with a huge buzz of adrenalin that played out in his interviews. It's really not more complicated than that, is it?
 
I'm more intrigued as to why SF lined up Crabtree against Sherman on that play and/or why Seattle was not automatically matching Sherman up against Crabtree (if reports are correct on that). I'm also curious as to how you judge a guy like Kaepernick. On the one hand, he was the entire 49ers offense, mostly with his legs but also with at least one unbelievable throw. On the other hand, can you win with a guy who can't go through his progressions? My take is that in the long run spectacular plays don't outweigh inconsistency. He's still inexperienced, so it may be that he matures  his game to match his physical skills. But, all the same, if the 49ers sign him to a $20 million per year-ish extension, I suspect that may end up being an albatross.
 
 

 
Cross posting my answer from the Super Bowl thread:
 

They rarely do so though.  Sherman usually plays LCB, no matter who the receiver is.  At times they will match him up, but it isn't often and when it does happen, it's usually against someone like Gronk, Graham or Tony Gonzalez.
 

 

[Tony C]

Right. But it strikes me as odd, just as it struck me as odd when BB would do the same. Was very glad when that stopped in NE and BB began matching up a guy like Talib on either the best receiver or the receiver whose skill set was best negated by Talib's skills. Does it make sense to you to let a marginal 3rd receiver like Patton allow Seattle's best CB to be, essentially, of minimal importance? He should have been on Crabtree all game long just like he should be on DT all game long during the Super Bowl, both because DT is the Broncos best receiver but also because a guy like Welker might actually be tougher for Sherman to handle.
 
And then there's the question of why SF went down the field successfully in part by matching Patton against Sherman -- leaving Boldin, Davis, and Crabtree to be covered by (slightly) lesser DBs, but then went away from that on the last play. That's just inexplicable to me.

 

[coremiller]

It's because Seattle's base scheme is a Cover-3 zone, with the wrinkle of initial press coverage, which they can execute only because their corners are so good.  If they move Sherman around, they have to change the whole scheme.  They do that occasionally when the situation warrants it -- they kept Sherman on Boldin in the first SF game in September, when SF's other receivers were Kyle Williams and Marlon Moore (both cut later in the season) -- but generally they like to stick with their base scheme.

 

[DaughtersofDougMirabelli]

Also, not all guys can just switch back and forth and be the same player. Some guys you could put at LCB, RCB, Slot, or FS and give you the same level of output while others flip the field and it's like a whole new sport.
 
Maybe Sherman can't transition as easy as some other guys (though he's changed from WR to CB pretty easily so doubtful). So maybe Maxwell is the guy that always needs to be on the right. Could be a little of both.

 

[trekfan55]

I'm more intrigued as to why SF lined up Crabtree against Sherman on that play and/or why Seattle was not automatically matching Sherman up against Crabtree (if reports are correct on that). I'm also curious as to how you judge a guy like Kaepernick. On the one hand, he was the entire 49ers offense, mostly with his legs but also with at least one unbelievable throw. On the other hand, can you win with a guy who can't go through his progressions? My take is that in the long run spectacular plays don't outweigh inconsistency. He's still inexperienced, so it may be that he matures  his game to match his physical skills. But, all the same, if the 49ers sign him to a $20 million per year-ish extension, I suspect that may end up being an albatross.
 
 

 
This is the main problem.  Kaepernick, with his legs and that incredible pass to Boldin, had them in the game.  But with that dumb INT and then trying to force the ball on a double covered receiver with the best CB in the league as one of the 2 guys covering him, took them right out of the game.  It was infuriating.
 
Again, they have 1st and 10 on the 18, 2 timeouts, about a minute on the clock.  That means they have time to run at least 3 plays, he could have thrown it to Patton or Davis to get a closer shot at the end zone, or thrown it away.  At the end of the day though, it took an amazing play by Sherman and a lucky "bounce" as the ball was deflected right into the other guy's hands, one inch here or there and maybe Crabtree catches it or it falls to the gorund and we see another play.  Cannot complain that much.  But yes, he has to show he can read the coverage and go through his progressions or he'll be figured out pretty quickly by the league and the 9ers will be in trouble.

 

[DaughtersofDougMirabelli]

This is the main problem.  Kaepernick, with his legs and that incredible pass to Boldin, had them in the game.  But with that dumb INT and then trying to force the ball on a double covered receiver with the best CB in the league as one of the 2 guys covering him, took them right out of the game.  It was infuriating.
 
Again, they have 1st and 10 on the 18, 2 timeouts, about a minute on the clock.  That means they have time to run at least 3 plays, he could have thrown it to Patton or Davis to get a closer shot at the end zone, or thrown it away.  At the end of the day though, it took an amazing play by Sherman and a lucky "bounce" as the ball was deflected right into the other guy's hands, one inch here or there and maybe Crabtree catches it or it falls to the gorund and we see another play.  Cannot complain that much.  But yes, he has to show he can read the coverage and go through his progressions or he'll be figured out pretty quickly by the league and the 9ers will be in trouble.

 
These aren't lucky bounces. Seattle, and Sherman in particular practice these plays all the time.
 
Go to 2:15 of this video, which happened one month before this game, for pretty much the identical play.
 
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/0ap2000000298692/Week-15-Seahawks-vs-Giants-highlights
 
Also, at 6:50 of this video he talks about these types of plays on how they practice them.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOGbwtuK_YI

 

[coremiller]

 
This is the main problem.  Kaepernick, with his legs and that incredible pass to Boldin, had them in the game.  But with that dumb INT and then trying to force the ball on a double covered receiver with the best CB in the league as one of the 2 guys covering him, took them right out of the game.  It was infuriating.
 
Again, they have 1st and 10 on the 18, 2 timeouts, about a minute on the clock.  That means they have time to run at least 3 plays, he could have thrown it to Patton or Davis to get a closer shot at the end zone, or thrown it away.  At the end of the day though, it took an amazing play by Sherman and a lucky "bounce" as the ball was deflected right into the other guy's hands, one inch here or there and maybe Crabtree catches it or it falls to the gorund and we see another play.  Cannot complain that much.  But yes, he has to show he can read the coverage and go through his progressions or he'll be figured out pretty quickly by the league and the 9ers will be in trouble.

 
The problem was the playcall, not Kaepernick's read.  Crabtree was the first option if they got single coverage on the outside.  Check the presnap defensive alignment: Sherman is the only Seattle defender on that side of the field.  The play was designed to get that one-on-one matchup and Kaepernick made the proper read within the playcall.  
 
I don't like the playcall at all, and Kaepernick left the pass about a yard short, but there was nothing wrong with his decision.