There’s an old saying that children should be seen and not heard, but that doesn’t hold much water anymore. To be sure, there are times when NFL players behave like children. But that’s OK; it always gives us something to write or talk about in the media.
And it sure is somewhat fun when athletes open their mouth, and total garbage spews out.
That happened this week with some bizarre comments by Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman and San Francisco 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis. Coincidentally, they play Thursday night against each other, but that doesn’t mean more banalities are on the horizon.
We’ll start with Sherman, who has all of 22 games under his belt in the NFL after playing 16 and starting 10 last season as a rookie.
First, let’s get one thing out of the way: A lot of talking and jabbering goes on during games on the field between players. The reality as in “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” is usually the code in the NFL. What is said in the heat of battle stays there.
Well, Sherman apparently didn’t get that memo, and decided to publicly take on Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
Sherman put everything out there when he told reporters, “I kept saying (to Brady) I’m going to get that next time. Every TV timeout, I went up and said it right to him: ‘Please keep trying me. I’m going to take it from you.’ That was when they were winning. He just gave me that look and said, ‘Oh, I’ll see you after the game.’ Well, I made sure I saw him after the game.”
Sherman then took to social media and sent a photo on Twitter that showed him talking to Brady after the game. Photo-shopped onto the picture were the words “U mad bro.”
It didn’t stay up long and it was eventually deleted from his Titter feed.
But here’s the classic comment from the grizzled veteran, who, of course, was 13 years old when Brady and the Patriots won their first Super Bowl.
Despite the loss to Seattle, the Patriots are currently the No. 1-ranked offense in the NFL, averaging 445.3 yards per game (152.3 rushing, 293.0 passing).
Yet, there was Sherman actually saying of New England, “They are running this gimmick, hurry-up stuff. You don’t do that in the NFL. It’s not effective because there are great defenses out there.”
Really? “You can’t do that in the NFL.” Astounding. There is no truth to the rumor that Sherman was sent for a MRI to be checked for the presence of any brain cells.
Brady, of course, took the high road when told of Sherman’s comments, and said, “He’s a very good player and I have a lot of respect for that defense and certainly that secondary. They play very well together. My dad taught me at a young age to play with class and respect and give my opponents respect, and certainly I have a lot of respect for the Seahawks.
“My dad also told me to worry about the things that I can control and certainly not worry about the things that I can’t. And I really don’t have feelings either way toward what someone may say or think. Really, what’s important is how I feel. We went out and we played a very good team on the road and had an opportunity to win there in the fourth quarter and just didn’t take advantage of it.”
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said, “I think in general, we don’t really represent an attitude that’s going after players of note, or on any level of their play. But Tom talks, too. And other guys, too. And there are a lot of conversations going on. Usually it stays on the field. And this one didn’t, and so it drew some attention.”
Now, there is the case of Willis, who took umbrage with a comment by former NFL player and general manager Matt Millen, now a broadcaster. On a Bay Area radio interview, after the 49ers were taken apart by the Giants Sunday, Millen said he believed Willis and fellow inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman played the worst game he had even seen them play against the Giants.
Willis subsequently went on the same show on the same station, and inserted his foot so far into his mouth that he was probably gasping for air. Not only did Willis defend their play in the game after the 49ers allowed 149 yards rushing when they entered the game allowing just 81.4 yards per game, but he had no idea of Millen’s background.
Millen played 12 seasons in the NFL with 180 games, 166 starts, one Pro Bowl appearance, two All-Pro honors and four Super Bowl rings. Oh, did I mention that his first 11 seasons were with the Raiders and 49ers?
That didn’t faze Willis, who actually said, “Whoever this Matt Millen guy is, I’d like to ask him if he could do what we do every day and do what we do for 16 games a year and see if he can hold up every game. I doubt he would. I doubt he would be able to consistently play at a high level as Bowman and I do. I really don’t care about what this guy has to say.”
There’s nothing like NFL players who have a strong appreciation for the history of the game.