I still think it was poor sportsmanship - two wrongs do not make a right, even if I accept that Sherman didn't start it.
And the fact is that Sherman, immediately following what proved to be the game winning play, slapped Crabtree on the ass like "nice try kid" - you just don't put your hands on an opposing player like that. And it was condescending, to say the least.
All this talk of competitive spirit and being fired up and heat of the moment in the media comes off as talking points to extend the air-time of this issue & get ratings. But it's about sportsmanship, an age old tradition that says "we play a barbaric game, but we're not barbarians."
When I was a kid we learned sportsmanship. We learned to not say or do anything after a win that would show up our opponents. Regardless of how emotional a win or loss, we shook hands and moved on.
Sherman slapped Crabtree on the ass, made the "choke" sign to SF's bench, then proceeded to give that ranting interview trashing an individual opponent. This was not only poor sportsmanship for the verbal tirade, but for the fact that in taking it there he made it more about himself than about his team, which had just fought an epic battle and emerged victorious - which is the ultimate in poor sportsmanship.
People talk about "heat of the moment" and how he was fired up. In the 1st round Brady, Manning, and a dozen other players were all interviewed on the field in the heat of the moment - and not one of them trashed an opponent or made their own selfish ranting the story.
To Sherman's credit he has since apologized for that exact thing - making his interview a distraction from the big picture that his team won with a great team effort, advancing to the Super Bowl. So obviously this is more than speculation on my behalf since Sherman seems to agree
So that remains my position. Sherman, in the moment, displayed poor sportsmanship & I hold him accountable for that.
That doesn't mean I think he's a thug or an
A-hole or any other condemnation. He went to Stanford after a 4.2 ERA in HS growing up in gang central Compton. I have a lot if respect for his intensity, passion, drive and achievements. And I sincerely hope that he learns and grows from this. On that day, in front of millions of people, he made an ass of himself and acted like a poor sport. It was disrespectful to his teammates, to his opponent and to himself.
It is what it is. There no need to make
It about anything more than that.
Another theme is the "he's not the 1st player to do something bad, but we never hear about anyone else!"
That's simply not true. When Albert Haynesworth stomped on a player, he was fined and suspended and it dominated ESPN for weeks. When a player spit in another player's face (forget who that was) it was scrutinized. When Belicheck was accused of spygate it dominated the headlines for an entire offseason. When the steelers coach stepped onto the field & interfered with the KR, it was all over the news. Tony Serigisa ride Rich Gannon into the ground like dead weight on a hobby horse causing serious injury long after the pass was out & was the subject of talk for a long time. There are dozens of other examples of poor sportsmanship.
Not all on as big a stage, but certainly in the spotlight as significantly. So it would be nice if people would stop trying to paint Sherman as a victim of selective media coverage because it's simply not true. He just happens to be in the spotlight right now. And he put himself there.
Again - hopefully he'll learn from this. He's a hell of a player. I wish Harbaugh drafted him.
) that happens. Part of the game. Deliberate foul play has never been allowed, but all the side-stuff...it's part of the game. 