Seattle Seahawk’s CB Richard Sherman is trying to make the cornerback that dude again. His recent twitter tango with Jets All-Pro corner Darelle Revis about who’s iller, seems to be Sherman’s first shot at returning the prima donna persona to the defensive side of the ball.
We just spent the last decade and a half watching T.O. fight teammates, proclaim greatness, lash out at authority, prove to be an emotional wreck and display some of the most self-serving, obnoxious TD celebrations ever. How about pulling the “Sharpie” and the pom-pom waving fiasco in ’02 on Monday Night Football? Chad Ocho Cinco is another prima donna from the Keyshawn Johnson , “Just Give Me The Damn Ball” era of talented, temperamental pass-grabbers. The name-switching ex-receiver found cheapened fame and marital failure on a reality circuit. Who can forget when he was draped in the Hall of Fame coat, like Dr. Detroit, at “The Pimp of the Year Awards.”
Let’s not give them too much props. These cats were just re-inventing the wheel, but in a more narcissist-friendly social media landscape. Before they made wide receiver football’s high-maintenance position, Neon Deion Sanders was the cockiest, coolest, slickest talking, self-promoting player in history.
What made Deion’s obnoxious popularity even more remarkable is that he played cornerback, a position that traditionally gets very little facetime in the promotion of NFL superstars. He was so engaging, over-the-top and dope on the field, that he commanded “QB” coverage from the media.
It seems Sherman, with the help of reluctant participant Revis, is trying to turn cornerback into a glamour gig. The way it was before these brash wide receivers, with no rings, big mouths and addictions to the limelight, took over.
Sherman talks more trash than Ali. He balls like Spartacus slaying Romans, and he’s using the opinion-molding method of twitter-toasting, to convince the world of what their eyes might not see ; that he’s better than Revis, long considered the greatest shutdown corner since Sanders.
Sherman, a fifth-round draft pick playing in a smaller market, has a chip on his shoulder. If he doesn’t get his props on the straight-up, then he’s going to pick and scream his way to notoriety. He’s hipper than Revis. He’s younger and he has 2 Chainz’ haircut. On the field, he spits it all game-long, giving dudes bars of overblown bravado. I’m sure Sherman would even agree to a pay-per-view wrestling competition with Revis, though the NFL would shut it down.
Sherman’s going for the jugular. The Jets are down, Revis’ career is littered with contract riffs, trade rumors and nagging injuries. Deion made fame-flaunting videos and pushed the limits of his celebrity to enhance his stock. Sherman is using die-hard twitter followers, a lethal tongue and an elitist flair to publicly try and take a Hall-of-Famer’s spot. Some might call it a bitch-crying move. Sherman sees it as a get rich or die trying move.
