Tuesday, January 21, 2014

A word from a killjoy

Purple Wisconsin blogger Jim Rowen is unhappy with "killjoys" who were put off by Richard Sherman's rant at the end of Sunday's NFL title game. Sherman, according to Jim, was just "whooping it up." What's the problem?

Well, allow me to retort.

I'll give Sherman a bit of leeway for three reasons. First, the game was just over and football does require a certain amount of spleen. Second, the 49ers - a team every bit as chippy as Sherman's Seahawks - do bring this type of thing on themselves. Finally, I imagine that Sherman is no fool. He's creating a brand.

But only a little leeway. Maybe Jim has forgotten a world where people were expected to conduct themselves with a bit of decorum and class, but I haven't. One of things that you were supposed to do is be gracious in victory and show your opponent a modicum of respect. This wasn't just antiquated etiquette. It was a way of keeping sports in perspective and reminding ourselves that our games are not war. If you don't respect your opponent; you can't respect the game. We call it sportsmanship.

Now maybe this is out of fashion in a world where "keeping it real" - without regard to whether all that authenticity is worth a fig - is supposedly a higher value.

But it shouldn't be. If that's the real Richard Sherman, he's a bore.

Cross posted at Purple Wisconsin.

No comments: