The backstory to Richard Sherman’s rant is revealed

The rivalry between Sherman and Crabtree runs deeper than people think

By Josiah Williams

The NFC Championship game was decided by a remarkable pass deflection by Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman. He also had a few words for his adversary.

Sherman averted a pass from 49ers Colin Kaepernick intended for Michael Crabtree. The tip resulted in an interception by linebacker Michael Smith with 22 seconds remaining to seal the Seahawks’ 23-17 win against the San Francisco 49ers.

“I’m the best corner in the game,” Sherman said on the field when reporters immediately tracked him down. “When you try me with a sorry receiver like Crabtree, that’s the result you are going to get.”

From the outside looking in, it appears that an NFL player went off on a random tangent and talked trash the entire game. However, there seems to be a backstory to the rant.

According to columnist Steve Wyche, their disagreements started in the summer of 2013 when they attended a black tie event run by Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Crabtree came up to Sherman and said, “I’m going to put it on you this season.”

Crabtree kept agitating him through the night. From then on, Sherman decided that it would be his sole purpose to make his life “absolutely miserable.” He also continued to say that “fuel was added to the fire when Crabtree refused to give him his just due as being called the best cornerback in the NFL.”

Sherman got in the face of Crabtree after he tipped the ball and tried to shake his hand. That’s when Crabtree pushed his head away.

All of those events lead up to an emotional rant. One that he wishes he could take back. “Obviously I could have worded things better and could obviously have had a better reaction and done things differently,” Sherman said.