Jan 19, 2014; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman (25) gets shoved in the face by San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree (15) while trying to shake hands after an interception by Seahawks outside linebacker Malcolm Smith (not pictured) during the second half of the 2013 NFC Championship football game at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
I have absolutely no problem with Richard Sherman acting a little immature or a little irrational seconds after the biggest play of his entire career. Richard Sherman always has a lot to say. The general public whom had not been previously exposed to Sherman’s antics was just finally able to see how hilariously fun he can be. The media cycle has been milking his post-game interview for all it’s worth since the second the words came out of his mouth.
But finally, NFL Network is giving us something entertaining instead of mindless arguments back and forth about how a professional athlete and competitor should act when a camera is stuck in his face after a game. NFL Network’sJeff Darlington tweeted today that Richard Sherman and Michael Crabtree were mic’d up for the entire game on Sunday. That’s 30X the amount of audio that created a tsunami of controversy. NFL Network will air the audio on Total Access tonight at 11:00 PM EST and 8:00 PM PST. Here is his tweet:
Richard Sherman & Michael Crabtree were mic'd up for NFC Championship game. Hear the audio tonight on @nflnetwork's Total Access (11pm ET).
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) January 22, 2014
I, for one, cannot wait to hear more of this Crabtree vs. Sherman action. According to Sherman during an interview with Rachel Nichols of CNN, their disdain for eachother started this past summer at a charity event when Crabtree was rude to Sherman. Sherman declined to divulge further details in an attempt to “keep it clean.” He did appologize for “attacking” Michael Crabtree after the game, describing his actions as immature. Check out the interview with Rachel Nichols here.
Sherman has dealt with a lot of blowback for his comments after the game, and has since had to respond with much more poise and eloquence. But, for the NFL fan that actually wants to see how many football players truly act between the lines to be a successful, check out NFL Network at 11:00 PM EST. I am 99% certain that the words spoken during the game by either player will not be very eloquent or well thought out. They will be gritty, raw, and truly representative of what it is like to play in an NFL game.
UPDATE: Watch the game mic’d up HERE on NFL.com