Sherman's Rant Keeps Seahawks Victory Aftermath Front and Center

I should be writing about game details in the Seattle Seahawks 23-17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

It was dramatic viewing and the Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman made a champion-worthy play to seal the deal.

Instead, the next-day spotlight's glare is focused on what took place after the game, which was Richard Sherman's rant to Fox Sports reporter Erin Andrews. Sherman has choice post-game words in reference to his tipping that fatefull pass before 49ers wide out Michael Crabtree could get to it.

A couple of thoughts emerge. First, is that the best Erin Andrews could do during a spontaneous incident? The trouble with most sports interviewers these days is when a player goes off the script with a response that isn't of the vanilla cliché variety, they're paralyzed sock puppets.

Secondly, a response like Sherman's is definitely an indication that the story goes deeper than on-field trash talk. It would've been damn professional for someone in the media to ask that question. Apparently, the press room spread was more inviting than getting to the heart of the matter. We had to wait until later for a reporter to actually do his/her job.

Until then, all we got was regurgitation on Twitter.

After the key play was made, Sherman made a choke sign and patted Crabtree on the butt. Today, the cornerback who played for Jim Harbaugh at Stanford tried to explain himself to Peter King of Sports Illustrated. 

"It was loud, it was in the moment, and it was just a small part of the person I am. I don’t want to be a villain, because I’m not a villainous person. When I say I’m the best cornerback in football, it’s with a caveat: There isn’t a great defensive backfield in the NFL that doesn’t have a great front seven. Everything begins with pressure up front, and that’s what we get from our pass rushers every Sunday. To those who would call me a thug or worse because I show passion on a football field; don’t judge a person’s character by what they do between the lines. Judge a man by what he does off the field, what he does for his community, what he does for his family."

To a certain extent, Sherman is right, but what he doesn't get and what some fans and media members don't get is that the WWE-style rant made him look ignorant, taking away from his and his team's accomplishment.

This is a guy who graduated from Stanford with honors, but if you didn't know any better, you'd think he'd is a graduate of the U -- the University of Miami, that is -- with all that loud talking he did.

He didn't need the media or crazy fans to stereotype him as a "thug" ... he did that himself.

Sherman probably is the best cornerback in the game, but was all that necessary? I never saw Darrell Green of the Washington Redskins do that, and he's considered the best cornerback of all-time. I never saw him wag a finger or draw attention to himself after he made a play.

Great players such as Green don't need histrionics because his play spoke for itself. If Sherman wants to be seen on the same level, he should take a hint. 

Because frankly, Richard Sherman is better than what he showed.