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Saturday, January 25, 2014

SOME BEHAVIOR IS ASSHOLE BEHAVIOR


SOME BEHAVIOR IS ASSHOLE BEHAVIOR

A Cranky Opinion for

CRANKY OPINION SATURDAY

The following is the opinion of a cranky old with very little expertise on the topic opined.  Opposing opinions are welcome, they are wrong,  but they are welcome and please…no name calling.  That goes for you, you big stupid head!

 

Richard Sherman is a defensive back for the Seattle Seahawks.  Last week he made a game saving play which put his team into the Super Bowl next week.  Richard Sherman is a very good football player, one of the best defensive backs in the game. 

Richard Sherman is a very intelligent man.  He graduated at the top of his class in High School, a school that only graduates 60% of its students, so just graduating is an accomplishment.  Richard Sherman graduated from Sanford University, one of the top schools in the nation and is working towards a master’s degree.

Richard Sherman has not had it easy.  He comes from Compton, California, a very tough neighborhood.  He is blessed with intelligence and extraordinary athletic ability and he has developed those blessings through hard work and made it to the top of his profession.

At the end of last week’s game, Richard Sherman gave the choke sign to the 49ers quarterback.  He patted the 49ers receiver, whom he so successfully defended, derisively on the butt and trash talked him.  He then went on national TV and ranted like a lunatic about how great he is, how bad the 49ers were, and a lot of trash-talk bravado.
 
After his rant, the social media erupted about his poor sportsmanship and his lack of class.  His defenders claim it was just natural exuberance and passion and his rant was no big deal.  

Richard Sherman is an African American.  Many of his defenders have gone on to intimate that the hubbub over his rant is all racist.

I think that Richard Sherman is an extraordinary person.  He has overcome a difficult environment, he has overcome racism, and he is at the top of his profession.  Richard Sherman is not a thug.  He has never been arrested or been in any trouble at school or with the law. 

Richard Sherman’s behavior after last week’s game was the behavior of an obnoxious, classless ass.  It should not define Richard Sherman.  It is probably not who he is.  His behavior was probably just an extension of his passion for the game and a continuation of the trash talking behavior many athletes assume to push themselves and to get in the head of the opposition.

These athletes work themselves into a frenzy before every game; just watch the pregame team huddle rituals made famous by Ray Lewis of the Ravens.  It takes a while to come off that frenzy and that is part of what was behind Richard Sherman’s classless, bad sport, obnoxious behavior.

Richard Sherman behaved like an ass after last week’s game.  It does not define him as a man, but he did behave like an ass.  No racism, no animosity, just an honest appraisal of his behavior.  It was no big deal,

But:

He did act like an ass. 

He is better than that.

The preceding was the opinion of a cranky old man, and not necessarily that of management…Mrs. Cranky.   

19 comments:

  1. Not knowing who Richard Sherman is and not following the sport, I can't comment on his being an ass, but I can comment as someone who has behaved like an ass many times. I applaud your ability to see past his misbehaviour and accept him for what he is, human...and an ass, in this instance.

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  2. Sure sounds like he did.
    I guess it's understandable these guys get carried away with it all and I often think I would not be as composed and impressive as most sports people are under pressure, but when they behave badly then like anyone else they have to be called out on it.

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  3. See, I missed all of this because of no TV. How sad. And I think it does define him to some extent. If he is so smart, intelligent and has worked so hard, then he should have enough brains to control those "passions". There have been other great players who came up the hard way, were very smart and also passionate but still maintained class. Art Monk comes to mind immediately. He also is black. So being an ass does define who you are. Even with adrenalin pumping.

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  4. sir joeh. you kept repeating that word it kept me smiling till the end...

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  5. i appreciate your viewpoint, although i don't follow sports or athletes.

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  6. Yeah, it was a a classless act, but he is not the first nor will he be the last.

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  7. I saw it and was totally shocked at his out of control behavior. Later I heard about the man and he is as you described. Someone special in all aspects. I have seen his later interviews and he is a different man, one to be admired.
    Pretty sure we all have moments we would love to erase and luckily for us, our moments weren't broadcast to millions.

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  8. Rather like celebrating The Great Wall Street Titty Riot OF 1968, don't you think.
    Oh, well.

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  9. I see he was fined $7,875.00. I guess he can aford it.

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  10. So many of these star athletes have been fawned over since high school that by the time they get to the pros, and are handed that $$$$$ signing bonus, they think their s__t doesn't stink. It isn't about their intellegence. It's about them taking their own PR WAY too seriously.

    S

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  11. I saw a snippet of his rant on the evening news. So many football players ARE thugs, I assumed he was just one more and thought no more about it. Thanks for providing some context!

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  12. For one have you seen the video of what happened before his rant? No? oh go watch it here http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000316756/article/sherman-crabtree-micd-during-nfc-championship

    Sherman had a right to be an ass!! Crabtree was the beginning ass.

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  13. I was really put off by his antics at the end of the game and quite willing to dismiss him for his outrageous behavior, but as usual you've made me rethink my position so perhaps I'll give him a second chance. I'm sure my opinion means the world to him.

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  14. I'm a football fan. I totally watched the game (Broncos fan since '86) I did not see the rant that I've heard about over and over and I don't need to.
    I totally agree - whatever it was was dumb. It happened, it's over... move on. Everyone messes up. It's not who he is, it's one thing he did. If everyone was judged by the worst thing they've ever done - this world would be a sad sorry place.

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  15. I would tend to agree. He is an obnoxious, classless ass, but he is not alone in the NFL or other professional sports. Unless he claims otherwise, it had nothing at all to do with race, and I also do not believe it defines him as a man.

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  16. As much as I would like to choose a side and jump in, I did not hear the braying of this particular ass. In lieu of my learned opinion, I shall pose a question.

    Can we do away with that idiotic tradition of dumping a cooler of Gatorade on the winning coach? Somebody is going to catch his death one of these days. Or at least come down with a painful inner-ear infection.

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  17. It takes a class act to see beyond a classless act and recognize and remind others that there is still a very accomplished human being behind a moment of bad behaviour. We've all had our moments and luckily most of us have had far fewer witnesses at the time.

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  18. adrenaline can do wonders for one's paycheck when celebrity is concerned. no doubt he'll be raking it in once the smoke clears, even moreso ifn they win it all.

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