My Opinion on Richard Sherman (Because I Know You Want to Know)

After the Seahawks defeated the 49ers on Sunday, cornerback Richard Sherman had a microphone thrust in his face a few minutes after making a game-saving play and thus sending his team to the Superbowl. His, um, exuberant response has been the talk of the sports world and beyond ever since with every one giving their opinion and adding racial tilts and personal attacks. So of course I knew it was time for me to weigh in.

I don't have a problem with Richard Sherman acting like a WWE wrestler after a nationally televised game. It made for interesting TV and I know why he was excited. I mean, it is the Superbowl.

But I do have  a few problems with his actions-and a few of his words. First of all, the whole choke signal at the opposing team. No bueno. This isn't just a team he might play every once in a while. It's a team he will play twice a year and will probably face in the playoffs quite a bit. Sherman can never know when one game or one play will shape a season--it could mean the difference between a first and sixth seed in the playoffs. So egging his divisional rivals on with a gesture that will FOR SURE remember it for the next two times (if not every time) he plays them, not a good idea in general. This wildly inappropriate gesturing and snubbing goes for coaches too.

Second, calling out Crabtree. I have rarely seen a rivalry be one-sided. It's why it's called a rivalry. And private smack talk is one thing, but know that words are meant to be eaten. I think just about every person that called themselves the greatest of all time has fallen from grace. Want to know some of the company he's in now that he's done that? LL Cool J and Will Smith. Richard Sherman just put himself in the same category as them. Congrats.

Lastly on the negatives, the gesture cost the team 15 yards. Sure, it meant jack squat here, but sometime it's gonna mean something and then the team won't find it quite as amusing.

On the positives, Richard Sherman is a genius (and if you haven't heard it yet, he went to Stanford so that helps prove it). Cornerback is not exactly the highest of profile positions on the football field and in one short interview, he just became a nationally known entity. That's pretty genius in my book.

All that said: I'm still rooting for Peyton. I just can't quit him. Unless he's playing the Colts. Then he means nothing to me.

Less than Saint-ly

From the Washington Post

Okay, New Orleans. You can now take down that "Super Bowl XLIV Champions" ad that mocks me in the Louis Armstrong Airport every time I fly in. I wanted it down a long time ago because I'm bitter they beat my beloved Colts. Now I want it down because it's not only mocking me, but every NFL fan.

First there was "Bountygate." Coach Sean Payton and GM Mickey Loomis get suspended for the season for supporting a bounty system which aimed for defensive players from the Saints to purposely hurt opposing players (QBs specifically- including Brett Favre, who I don't like but don't think needs to be intentionally hurt. He does that enough to himself.) and get paid extra cash money for it. I can't say it suprised me a lot that this was going on. What surprised me was that they tried to deny it when the league had 50,000 pages of evidence on them. To put it in perspective, that's roughly 50 Bibles of evidence. 

And today it comes out that Loomis had a wiretapping system installed so that he could spy on opposing teams headsets from his corporate suite. WHAT?!?! Not only is this wrong, bad sportsmanship and all that, it's actually illegal. Hence the FEDERAL investigation that's now going on. 

Um, how much is a Superbowl really worth? I mean, I love that the Colts have one, but I would hope they wouldn't stoop so low to get it. And to NOT sign Drew Brees to a long term contract in the mean time. Ridiculous. 

It makes the Peyton Manning and Jim Irsay's back-and-forth, and Irsay's crazy tweets look like fun little diversions now. The Colts off-season wasn't this much of a nightmare. 

How far would you cheat to get ahead at work?

Reasons Why I Don't Want Peyton Manning to End Up At Tennessee

My friend and Nashville resident,
Patty Clements, sent me this
screenshot from the media coverage
of the Pope, I mean, Peyton's visit.

My Nashville friends will probably not like this. Most have been letting me know Peyton's whereabouts in town while he's been there. Frankly, I'm a little surprised he got a direct flight from Indy to Nashville because I never could (Yes, I know he probably has a private plane. I'm kidding). Here are my selfish reasons why I don't want Peyton to end up with the Titans.

1. He'd have to play the Colts twice a year. And while that may only be four games, it would be four very painful games for my psyche.
2. I couldn't imagine cheering for the Titans when they aren't playing the Steelers or Ravens. Those were the only two games I cheered for them on. Unless the Colts needed them to beat the Jags or Texans for a division purposes.
3. I don't live in Nashville anymore. How can he move to town when I've moved out??
4. If he signs with Denver, he will have to play in San Diego at least once and Oakland at least once, which exponentially improves my chances of seeing him play.
5. It would kill me to not work with the Titans any more (who were fabulous) when I would have had the chance to meet Peyton. The highlight of my time working with the Titans was meeting David Thornton, because he was a former Colt.

So, since Peyton reads my blog, as I know he probably checks in daily (why wouldn't he?), here's my plea to him: Please pick the Broncos. Sorry, Nashville friends!

I Wore It More than Peyton Manning Did :(

Listening to one of the
Colts' 14 losses this year

The inevitable is happening: The Colts and Peyton Manning are parting ways officially. The handwriting has been on the wall for several months now, but the plug has been pulled. And I'm a little sad.

Peyton did a lot for the Colts, Indianapolis and even Indiana as a whole. Before Peyton came along, the closest the Colts came to a championship was the year of Captain Comeback (aka Jim Harbaugh) took the team to the 1995 AFC Championship game (and lost to the Steelers). If you were to ask anybody in Indiana which pro team in the state would win a championship, most would've said the Pacers. I think some would've bet the Boilers won an NCAA championship before the Horse brought home a Super Bowl.

Celebrating one of the TWO
wins

But then came Peyton. He changed the attitude and helped the team gain in popularity not just because of how good he was, but because of how good of a fit he was.  I firmly believe that pro teams thrive best when their team members reflect the values of the community the team is in. For example, Meta World Peace (aka Ron Artest) did not reflect the blue collar workings of the Hoosier state and didn't last. He ended up in LA, and that seems to be a good fit (at least while he was good). But Peyton is hardworking, methodical and makes the most of every ounce of talent he has. That's a perfect fit for Indiana.

Back when I first got the jersey and
thought: "Man, I'm never gonna need
another Colts jersey!" Idiot.

And while I firmly believe in planning for the future and will cheer on Andrew Luck, a part of me is sad to see Peyton move on. And also sad that I got the Manning jersey after the 2010 season ended, which means that I actually wore this jersey more than Peyton did this last year :(. We'll miss you, but thank you, Peyton!

Peyton Manning's Neck? Yeah, that was My Fault.

It all started with an innocent request.

"What do you want for your birthday?" Chef asked.

"I don't know," I said. "Maybe some Colts stuff because my t-shirt is getting so bad."

And with those words, I became the jinx of a nation. I put in jeopardy the longest active start streak for my selfish need to own a cute Manning jersey. What does one have to do with the other? Probably nothing, but if you're like other sports fanatics, it might be something.

Logically I know that assigning luck--good or bad-- to any object is purely fiction and only in my head. But I happen to have some items that have been lucky every time I had them on or perhaps wore them unwashed every game during a win streak (yes, sometimes I'm a dude). And I decided that it was time to retire my huge, stained white Colts t-shirt in honor of a cute, female cut Manning jersey. And for that, I'm punished because now it could be that on the first Colts game day, I'll be wearing my jersey, but Manning might not be wearing his.

Things That Keep Me Up At Night

Random thoughts that go through my head as I'm trying desperately to push them out and go to sleep:

• Does Tom Brady think he out kicked his coverage by marrying Gisele Bundchen?
• Where do companies that SPAM come up with the weird ass names they put in the "from" line?
• Why don't I have an undying urge to have children? Or even any urge?
• Why doesn't ProActiv asked Peyton Manning to be their newest spokesperson? He gets some raging Chin strap acne during season.
• How would my 10 year old self respond if I told her what I'm doing as an adult?
• Is there still hope for me and Matt Damon to get together. . .even if it's as some kickin' senior citizens?
• If we died, how long would it take before Genghis and the cats ate us?
• Why does my fantasy football team seem to suck so much more this year than last?
• Is there a way to make Cake Batter ice cream at home?
• How much do stand up comedians make per year? Could I get just as much emjoyment just being friends with a comedian?
• Will midgets (aka Little People) ever be able to ride roller coasters? (Yes, even 10 years later, this one still crosses my mind).
• Why can't I ever find figs at my grocery store when I want some bacon-wrapped figs?
• Will I ever be able to afford Manolo Blahniks? If I am, will I ever be able to overcome the Midwestern sensibility instilled me in to actually pull the trigger and buy them?
• What happened to the characters of "Gilmore Girls" after the series finale? (Sometimes I make up happy endings for them all in little vingiettes in my head. Sometimes the whole town of Stars Hollow goes up in smoke. )
• At what age did I officially become old enough to hear the worries and problems of my elders? Can I go back before that time so I can live in oblivion again?
• Whatever happened to . . . (fill in the blank with an old product like 'Get in Shape Girl' toys or an old acquaintance that resists facebook)?

So, that's a tiny peek into my world of crazy. Hope you enjoyed your time here. Come back again tomorrow night as I lay in bed and try to play out the entire Colts-Jaguars game before it happens.