NFL Playoffs (Page 8)

* Grew up in Washington State and I've been a Seahawks fan since their expansion season.

1. Yes, there were some incorrect/missed calls in the game that went Seattle's way. There were some that went SF's way. I wish all the calls were made correctly. I also wish the two forced fumbles that went right back in a 49er's hands would have bounced the other way and been recovered by a Seahawk. The refs were doing their best and weren't trying to make the Seahawks win anymore than the ball was trying to bounce in favor of the 49ers. 

2. Forgive me if as a Seahawks fan I don't have much sympathy for anyone complaining about missed/incorrect calls benefiting the 'Hawks. Vinnie Testaverde still hasn't crossed the goal line, Joey Porter is never going to get flagged for the horse collar on Shawn Alexander. Seattle's karmic account for blown calls still has a long way to go before they start feeling guilty about a call going their way. 

3. To points 1 and 2 - A team is going to get calls that go against them from time to time. Play well enough that winning the game doesn't hang in the balance of whether contact is made on your punter's plant foot or kicking foot on a 4th and 9. How about not throwing picks or putting the ball on the carpet? Those hurt far worse and are in the team's control.

4. The Seahawks' fan base has a poor reputation across the country? Really? After college, I've lived in Dallas, Detroit, Chicago and Kansas City. The only comment I can ever remember hearing about Seattle's fans is that they are very loud and well disciplined about when to be quiet to help their team. I've heard bad things about the fan base of lots of other teams - Philly being most frequent, followed closely by Oakland. Doing a google search on NFL's worst fans, I didn't see anything jump out about the Seahawks, but I did see this on the first page of results - 49er Fans Do Wave While Injured Player is Loaded on Cart

5. Which brings me to - the idiot(s) in the stands who threw things at Bowman were indeed classless. I think Richard Sherman's response to that would be echoed by true fans and the Seahawks' organization. I also noticed that while players were still scrumming in the pile on top of Bowman, at least two Seattle players were motioning to the 49ers training staff that they needed to come out.

Sherman's Response

Well written post...  ^^^^^

My only argument with the line of thinking of item three:  Basically, "just play better", "don't fumble".  Why didn't NFL teams think of that?

I'm just saying that many times teams ARE playing the best they can AND have a chance to win and have it taken away by a bad call(s).  I don't mind saying that a bad call is just a part of the game as coming out flat, fumbling a ball after a hard kit, having a batted ball end up an interception.  But the whole concept of "just play better" so the call does not matter doesn't make sense to me.  What if it's an underdog basketball team that plays out of their head to tie a superior team just to have it taken from them with a bad foul call in the last seconds?  Just play better doesn't work if they are already playing better than they normally can.  What about a home run that would win the game gets called back.  He should have hit it further?  Or a little more inside the foul pole so no one can make the mistake of fair or foul?  I guess they could all hit it 500 feet in center field if they just thought of it.

Thinking of the 1972 Olympic Basketball team comes to mind.  It was a war and they had the lead and Russia had 3 chances to score and eventually did.  Just play better was probably not an option.

My company reserves part of a club/restaurant on the strip for the Superbowl.  Open bar, excellent buffet style food...  I have been talking about how this year it's going to be even MORE fun with my team in it...  Then they mentioned that they want me to mingle with clients....  I'm thinking pre/post game and half time.  Maybe some commercial breaks.  If that's not good enough?  I'm staying home.  I'm not missing a play to small talk with clients.

I too take exception to the groundless comments about Seattle fans.  I grew up with the Hawks.  My family had season tickets from day one in the Kingdome.  I've always seen Seattle fans as pretty descent.  At the game Sunday, one idiot started taunting a 49'ers fan and Hawk fans around him (including my brother) shut him up and made him apologize to the 49'er fan.

The only place we ever had a problem was in Oakland where we got spit on and beer throw at us.  I don't know much about the East coast crowds.

Eh....the Oakland fans were probably trying to spit on their mothers and you just got in the way.

I've spent a lot of time in Oakland since my wife is from there........I'm sticking with they were spitting at their mothers. 

Oh man... thanks for the chuckle. 

I'm not surprised......folks need to learn a bit about Sherman.  He's a pretty cool story and a good guy.

Plus, like I have said, he shut Andrews up.....that alone would be good enough for me.

Did you not play any sports?  It's the winner who sticks his hand out and say's "good game"......geez....let it go.

blah,blah,blah......he's a cornerback covering the greatest athletes on the planet.....give him some time after a game to calm down.  But even with that, really, who cares?  

" Are you not entertained?"   

I forgive you. 

So talent and all, and a bit of smack talk and gamesmanship aside... is he incapable of being a di( from time to time? I mean come on... it's OK to just admit he can be a di( from time to time without taking away from his many other talents and accomplishments. 

Now he's finally back pedaling and apologizing. He said coming from Compton he has always had to fight the reputation he is a "thug" and he is much more than that.... but people have this weird habit of judging actions instead of intentions... if he actually wants people to stop seeing him as a hood rat... then perhaps not acting like one would go a long way towards that end. 

This discussion will never be solved.... this has been going on for a long time... and there are many many talented players in Hall of Fame than never did the antics that the young players of today do... all the "me me me" stuff. Now it's subjective... entertainment to some, disrespect to others. Getting in your opponents head by talking smack is indeed gamesmanship and one way to win. Regardless, at some point... these things happen, and many point out it's crossing the line. No wrong or right here... some like, some don't.... but many many people have concluded he crossed the line. Those are the risks you take when you put yourself out there like that in front of the team. If you are going to do that, then you get all that comes with it. If you don't like it, don't do it.