Guess who is back in the news?
Yep, Richard Sherman of your Seattle Seahawks.
Time Magazine named the brash Seahawks’ cornerback one of the 100 most influential people.
“Sherman’s rant solidified his reputation as one of the brashest and most candid players in the buttoned-up NFL,” writes Time’s Sean Gregory. “More important, it sparked a national conversation about race, stereotyping and sportsmanship. When critics labeled the dreadlocked defensive star a ‘thug,’ Sherman, a Compton, Calif.–raised Stanford graduate, engaged the debate, asking if the term was today’s way of calling him the N word? In a heartbeat, Sherman altered the discourse and emerged as the smartest voice in the room.”
On Wednesday, Sherman and NFL players Larry Fitzgerald and Arian Foster discussed race during a couple of standing-room only sessions at Harvard. SI.com was there to cover the story.
Three months after Sherman was called a “thug” after his animated on-field interview with Fox’s Erin Andrews following the NFC Championship game, he’s being praised for getting the conversation started with regards to race.
“The lashing we’ve taken isn’t that crazy,” Sherman said in that SI.com story. “You see us still walking, talking, moving, grooving. I think the fear of the backlash and the media perception and the judgment and the criticism is starting to get tempered. How much bad can you talk about a person? How much negativity can you bring a person? … The criticism eventually stops. It eventually turns around and turns positive.”
In related news, Sherman’s expected to become the highest paid cornerback in the NFL before the season starts.
He’s been an All-Pro two of his first three years in the league, the fifth-round draft pick from Stanford will reportedly receive a long-term contract extension from the Seahawks.
“Whatever they feel I am due, I will take it as respect,” Sherman told NFL Media’s Albert Breer on Wednesday. “It’s all about respect in this game, and the only way people respect is the dollars.”
Art Thiel of Sportspress Northwest was right on with this tweet:
“Apparently, it’s #Seahawks Richard Sherman’s world, and we’re just renting”
By the way, Sherman’s world includes 916 thousand followers on his Twitter account: @RSherman_25
