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The Bit Of Sportsmanship That Led To Richard Sherman's Rant

Richard Sherman on the football field.
Elaine Thompson
/
AP
Richard Sherman on the football field.

You've almost certainly heard about Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman's post-game rant from over the weekend.

As Mark reported, it sparked a great deal of controversy because he got loud and instead of answering questions from a reporter, he screamed at the microphone and looked straight into the camera to deliver a message to San Francisco 49ers receiver Michael Crabtree.

Now, thanks to NFL.com, we have video and audio of the moment that sparked the post-game interview heard around the world.

What's surprising is that Sherman — known as one of the NFL's best trash talkers — showed sportsmanship after he tipped his opponent's pass into the hands of one of his teammates.

Instead of gloating, he's heard telling Crabtree, "Hell of a game," and reaching for a handshake. Crabtree doesn't shake his hand; instead he pushes Sherman's helmet.

As Bleacher Report puts it, Sherman's behavior certainly doesn't fit that of the "thug" some have accused him of being after the interview.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Eyder Peralta is NPR's East Africa correspondent based in Nairobi, Kenya.