Tag: Richard Sherman

49ers RB Christian McCaffrey named Madden 25 cover athlete

It has been a busy offseason for McCaffrey’s agent.

Depending on how much stock you put into curses, this is potentially some decent news for fans of the Seattle Seahawks. On Tuesday morning it was announced that San Franciso 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey will be the cover athlete for the latest installment of the Madden video game franchise.

It has been a busy offseason for McCaffrey’s agent. Recently, the All-Pro inked a lucrative extension with the 49ers worth $38 million. Now he will be in almost every home in America with a gaming console as the face of Madden 25. Interestingly, this is the second game in the franchise called Madden 25, as the 2013 installment had this name to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the game.

Of course, being the cover athlete is not always the most glamorous thing. With it, comes the potential of the infamous “Madden Curse” where unfortunate things happen to those who are featured on the game. For years, it used to refer to a player getting injured, such as Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander in 2006 who was the Madden 08 cover, or the entire Legion of Boom being hurt going into Super Bowl XLIX after Richard Sherman was featured for Madden 15. Rob Gronkowski may have earned a Super Bowl ring in the year he was the Madden 17 cover, but he was on injured reserve for the big game.

In recent seasons, the effectiveness of the curse seems to be in question. I’m of the belief it has morphed into simply a bad ending to the season in whatever form, such as the Bills losing in the playoffs last year when Josh Allen was the cover for Madden24, or Calvin Johnson Jr.’s record breaking season for Madden 13 resulting in a 4-12 season for the Lions.

Speaking of Detroit, perhaps the funniest one is when the franchise tried to break the curse by putting

However, there have been those who have seemingly broken the curse. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes won his first Super Bowl as the cover of Madden 20, and Tom Brady was league MVP the year he was on the front.

Of course, Seahawks fans might be secretly hoping the curse still lives on for McCaffrey, in some capacity. Maybe not a devastating injury, but maybe a critical fumble against them or yet another heartbreaking playoff loss. The 49ers star has simply been an unstoppable force on the ground, and it has often come at the expense of Seattle.

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Richard Sherman: JJ Redick wouldn’t tell LeBron James what to do if he’s the Lakers’ head coach

Former NFL star Richard Sherman who is one of many who are skeptical about JJ Redick’s ability to coach LeBron James and the Lakers.

This week, the Los Angeles Lakers have taken the first real steps toward hiring their next head coach. They have reportedly obtained permission to interview at least five men on their list of candidates who are assistants on other teams, including Chris Quinn, Micah Nori and David Adelman.

But the favorite to win the job, at least according to one beat writer, seems to be JJ Redick, the former NBA sharpshooter who is LeBron James’ co-host on the “Mind the Game” podcast.

Redick is very much a peer and friend of James, which has led many to doubt he would actually coach James rather than the superstar’s yes-man. Former NFL star cornerback and Super Bowl champion Richard Sherman said on Fox Sports 1’s “Undisputed” that he doesn’t see Redick telling James what the latter needs to hear.

“He’s too much of a peer of LeBron at this point in time,” said Sherman. “Everything they talked about Darvin Ham and everything they talked about with LeBron James and he needs to get along and it’s really his team and he’s really the coach — it’s gonna be that way with JJ Redick. It may come off sweet initially, but when things get hot, when things get heavy, when they get down the stretch and frustration starts to boil, emotions start to get the better of us, then you’re gonna see people’s true colors.

“I just don’t see a player like JJ Redick being able to go to LeBron James and tell him what he can and cannot do. If you played against LeBron James, everybody would say LeBron James would have more say so in this situation, so I think you need a coach with more pedigree.”

Sherman isn’t the only athlete to say something along the lines of this publicly on a sports talk show. Udonis Haslem, who played with James for four seasons on the Miami Heat, said on ESPN’s “NBA Today” the Lakers would have a “cynical locker room” if they hired Redick to be their head coach.

Redick, who is just 39 years of age, played 15 seasons in the NBA and had a career 3-point accuracy of 41.5%. However, he has no coaching experience, other than helping out his son’s grade school team.

Richard Sherman blasts the Falcons for drafting Michael Penix Jr.

If you’ve ever been the main character on Twitter for a day you probably know how Falcons GM Terry Fontenot is feeling right now.

If you’ve ever been the main character on Twitter for a day you probably know how Falcons GM Terry Fontenot is feeling right now. While there are a few rare exceptions to the rule, the vast majority of analysts are absolutely lambasting Atlanta for the decision to pick Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Even mild-mannered Mina Kimes dragged the Falcons for their decision.

Here’s Richard Sherman getting his licks in on Undisputed.

Consider us in that small minority of people who actually liked the pick. Yes, Kirk Cousins is slated to start for the next few years but we always advocate for drafting your next potential franchise QB before you need to find him. To name just a few, Lamar Jackson, Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers were all drafted when their teams already had established starters at quarterback.

You can make an even stronger case for Atlanta to do so, considering their QB1 will be 36 years old when next season begins and is coming off an ACL tear. Even if Cousins returns to form and the Falcons finally get back to the playoffs (2017 was their last appearance), we’re confident that the aggressive Penix has a higher ceiling than the conservative Cousins. In any case, it wouldn’t surpise us at all if Penix turns out to be the best QB in this class. Let’s revisit this in a few years.

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Seahawks masterfully troll ‘Picturegate’ crowd with draft day videos

Seahawks masterfully troll ‘Picturegate’ crowd with draft day video

One of, if not the silliest “controversies” the Seattle Seahawks have dealt with in recent years has been the Picturegate scandal. New head coach Mike Macdonald reportedly had several pictures of iconic moments in recent Seahawks franchise history taken down. Images such as the BeastQuake or Richard Sherman’s tip in the NFC Championship game (more on that later).

Macdonald’s reasoning is he wants his players to forge their own legacy. General manager John Schneider later commented how they would be transitioning to more digital displays to showcase the highlights.

This innocent and understandable move did not seem to bother current players, but it shockingly ruffled plenty of feathers online. Sherman himself expressed umbrage at the decision on Twitter.

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However, the Seahawks organization is enjoying the last laugh. They responded with a Tweet of their own, in the form of a draft day video. When watching, it appears to me there’s still plenty of pictures in the facility, including a decidedly *specific* one.

The first round of the 2024 NFL draft will begin tonight at 5:00 pm Pacific.

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Why Mike Macdonald removed old Seahawks murals from team facility

Why Mike Macdonald removed old Seahawks murals from team facility

As I have written multiple times in regards to new Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald, it is the dawn of a new era in Seattle. This could not possibly be more evident than it is right now with the recent redecoration reports.

Macdonald has removed iconic murals from the team facility, images of some of the greatest moments in Seahawks history – specifically ones created in the past 14 years. Moments such as:

  • The BeastQuake
  • Richard Sherman’s tip
  • Russell Wilson being emotional after the win over the Packers in the NFC Championship game
  • Kam Chancellor forcing a fumble of Calvin Johnson Jr.
  • Hoisting the Lombardi Trophy

Why are these iconic moments gone? Why are the walls at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center left bare? Why are all remnants of the Pete Carroll era seemingly… erased?

Two words: new legacy. Macdonald is sending a clear message to his new team, he wants them to forge a new way forward. Create new moments and memories, something to define this new era. In the words of Star Wars villain Kylo Ren, “let the past die.”

Such a move is certainly far more than curious. Dave “Softy” Mahler mentioned on Twitter how it is hard to imagine other teams, such as the Green Bay Packers or the loathsome Steelers or 49ers erasing their histories, especially their Golden Years. Yes, make no mistake, the Carroll era was the height (so far?) of the Seahawks franchise.

But perhaps there might be some mad genius to this unusual method. Perhaps Macdonald’s new tactic can help inspire his young team to push themselves to new heights. To feel a sense of freedom of not being trapped by the past.

So far, it has not seemed to ruffle feathers. Macdonald’s new players seem to sing nothing but his praises. Julian Love, Uchenna Nwosu, Leonard Williams, Devon Witherspoon and Charles Cross have all been effusive in their enthusiasm for their new coach.

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Richard Sherman comments on the NFL banning hip-drop tackle

Richard Sherman comments on the NFL banning hip-drop tackle

Every year, the NFL announces several new rule changes for the upcoming season. They did so again this week, and they sure outdid themselves this time. The NFL announced the hip-drop tackle is now illegal, essentially making it exponentially more difficult for anyone playing defense in the league.

Former Seattle Seahawks star Richard Sherman took to Twitter, in response to Robert Griffin III’s tweet on the issue, to give his two-cents.

Sherman is absolutely right. It is unfortunate the tackle above resulted in injury, but Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson tackled him cleanly. Now Wilson’s job – as well as every other linebacker in the NFL – becomes virtually impossible when it comes to stopping tight ends or running backs.

When this rule was announced, everyone’s mind went to the same place: how many games are going to be ruined by a correct – or incorrect – hip-drop tackle call? How many 4th down stops will suddenly turn into a first down because of an official’s interpretation of the rule on a given play? How many game-winning drives will be engineered as a result of this? How many playoff games will be decided on such a call?

The NFL’s long march towards flag football just took another step this week.

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Steve Kerr and Kyle Shanahan recommended Dan Quinn to Commanders

Dan Quinn received some high-profile recommendations before landing the Commanders’ job.

“It’s not what you know; it’s who you know.”

We’ve all heard this numerous times in life. Sometimes it is meant as a negative complaint that some people receive jobs when they actually aren’t qualified, but know someone who helped them obtain the job.

Other times, it is referenced because two or more candidates for a job might seem to be so evenly matched, but when a certain person vouches for one of the candidates, that is a good thing, and you feel confident in choosing them for the job.

John Keim, ESPN Washington Commanders insider, reported Saturday that during the Commanders’ recent coaching search, NBA Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr recommended Dan Quinn for the Commanders’ job.

Keim wrote that Kerr, a four-time NBA champion head coach for the Warriors, had begun a friendship with Quinn. Apparently, their agents work for the same company. As Kerr and Quinn interacted and became better friends over the years, Kerr began to believe in Quinn.

Thus, knowing Bob Myers was on the Commanders advisory committee, Kerr texted Myers: “He’s your guy; you’ve got to hire him.”

Richard Sherman, who played for Quinn in Seattle, texted newly hired Commanders GM Adam Peters and Kyle Shanahan, Quinn’s offensive coordinator in Atlanta, highly praised Quinn to Peters as well.

Keim reported, “Perhaps the biggest endorsement came from Falcons owner Arthur Blank. Blank, who fired Quinn in 2020 after six seasons with the Falcons, reached out to Harris unsolicited on Quinn’s behalf. ‘To have Atlanta endorse Dan was powerful,’ one person involved said.”

Championship coaches like Kerr can recognize certain qualities or beliefs another coach may or may not possess. And working under a coach, as Shanahan did, provided an opportunity to hear how one may have expertise in their field. The recommendations from Sherman and Shanahan might, more importantly, reveal how one exercises their power rightly or wrongly.

Apparently, Kerr, Shanahan, Sherman, and Blank confidently affirmed their belief in Dan Quinn as a leader, coach, and human being.

Former NFL star Richard Sherman arrested on suspicion of DUI

Richard Sheman was arrested early Saturday on suspicion of DUI

Richard Sherman, who starred in the NFL and currently works for FOX Sports and Amazon Prime Video, was arrested early Saturday in King County, Washington, on suspicion of DUI.

Per the Seattle Times:

Records show that Sherman, 35, was booked into the King County Jail at about 4:51 a.m. Saturday.

There were no other details immediately available of the circumstances surrounding his arrest, which occurred at 3:48 a.m.

A spokesman for the King County Prosecutor’s Office said nothing had been sent to their office yet indicating if charges would be filed.

In 2022, Sherman pleaded guilty in Seattle to two misdemeanor charges stemming from drunken driving and domestic disturbance the year before. He also admitted to a criminal infraction of speeding in a road construction zone.

Richard Sherman arrested on suspicion of DUI

This is Sherman’s second arrest for driving under the influence

An unfortunate bit of news dropped this weekend, as it was confirmed by the Washington State Patrol that former Seattle Seahawks cornerback was arrested on suspicion of a DUI. Sherman was arrested and booked into the King County jail around 4:00 am on Saturday morning, and officially rostered shortly before 5:00 am.

Regrettably, this is the second time in the last few years Sherman has been arrested involving driving under the influence. A domestic incident from July of 2021 saw Sherman facing similar charges, as well as other misdemeanor. Sherman was able to plead down the charges in March of 2022.

We will update the story as more information comes out.

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Dissecting 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan’s flawed overtime decision

Dissecting 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan’s flawed OT decision

The Seattle Seahawks’ primary rival, the San Francisco 49ers, made quite the shocking move when they fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. In Super Bowl LVIII, Wilks’ unit held the Kansas City Chiefs to only 19 points and one touchdown in regulation, looking far superior when compared to San Francisco’s offense. The decision to fire Wilks has only brought further critique to embattled 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, who is still under fire for his near-inexplicable decision in overtime of Super Bowl LVIII.

With both teams tied at 19-19, and San Francisco as the designated “away” team, the 49ers won the toss and chose to receive the ball first. Under the old rules, San Francisco could have won the game with a touchdown. However, the new overtime rules for the playoffs ensures both teams get a chance at possessing the ball, regardless if the first team scores a touchdown on their opening drive. Shanahan defended his position by saying they wanted the ball third, assuming the 49ers and Chiefs would both score, thus creating a “sudden death” scenario for San Francisco to win the game on said possession.

Here’s the thing, though: let’s say San Francisco scored a touchdown on their opening drive, forcing Kansas City to need a touchdown to extend the game. The Chiefs could have scored a touchdown… and attempt a two-point conversion to win the game! Sure, it’s a 50/50 proposition, one play to determine the fate of both team but does anyone seriously doubt Patrick Mahomes and Co. would have been successful? Especially since all Mahomes does is overcome seemingly insurmountable deficits in the playoffs.

If they were successful in this hypothetical scenario, then the whole “we want the ball third” philosophy goes right out the window into the trash heap of history. Essentially, these new postseason overtime rules are a full-field version of college football’s overtime where you’d want to have the ball second to have all the knowledge of what your team needs to accomplish to continue or win the game.

Additionally, Shanahan deserves further flak on account of his team seemingly not knowing the updated postseason overtime rules. Former Seahawks and 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman put the blame on San Francisco’s veteran players, but ultimately, the responsibility for making sure players are coached up accordingly should lie with… *checks notes*… the head coach!

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