Sherman's Talk Discredits Impressive Play

Richard Sherman is a really good football player. He might just be the best cornerback in the NFL. However, you don't need me to tell you that because Sherman already let you know. He's the self-proclaimed "best corner in the league" and he wants to make sure you know it.

Did you see Sherman's act at the end of the NFC Championship game Sunday? That was Richard Sherman in a nutshell. Sure, he made a great play that won the game for the Seattle Seahawks, but he followed that up by antagonizing Michael Crabtree and then made an absolute fool of himself in a postgame interview. He didn't stop there. His mouth kept running in the postgame press conference.

Richard Sherman is not a thug though.

Sherman is a Stanford graduate who hails from Compton, California. That's the Compton that has become notorious for gang activity and crime, but Sherman escaped all of that. He chose Stanford as his collegiate stop and now in his third season in the NFL he has already earned all-Pro honors twice. That's impressive.

But while Sherman may have made class a priority in life and became a great success story, he knows nothing about having class. He is an idiot with a mouth that won't stop running and he ruins his on-field performance every time he steps in front of a live microphone.

Let's not make excuses for this guy. Let's not say, "Well, he backs up his talk with his play so it's okay." There are no passes for this guy. This is a no-class individual who doesn't know how to handle the limelight. He's the classic rags-to-riches story and he's the kind of guy one would think they could cheer for.

Yet it's impossible to put your hands together for Sherman.

There have been mediocre players who have done so much talking that their play got more attention than they deserved. Sherman's play is incredible, but he does so much talking that his antics overshadow his play. Rather than being known for leading the league in interceptions this season or for being an all-Pro two years in a row, Sherman is best known for his act after the NFC Championship and for his antagonizing of Tom Brady a few years back.

I'll say this about Richard Sherman: bravo to him for making something of himself and choosing a better life than the streets of Compton offer. But shut up Richard Sherman. Shut up. Just play football.  Show a little class, act like you have been there before and stop being a classical idiot for the entire world to see.

He may think he's "keeping it real" but the reality is that he is the realest idiot in sport today. Sherman has a platform, but he uses that platform to talk about himself and to disrespect others. Is that really somebody you want to cheer for?

Not me. That's not somebody I want to cheer for. For two weeks we will have to listen to Sherman talk and then on February 2 he will face the best offense in the NFL. He will go head-to-head with Peyton Manning and he will have a chance to win a ring.

The Seahawks might win the game and Sherman might make a big play. But no matter what happens, Sherman's mouth will be going faster than ever and it will discredit anything he does on the field. So go ahead Richard, yap all you want, but if you lose hopefully you handle yourself in defeat better than you did in victory.

Because in victory you embarrassed yourself.

Greg Jennings Just Keeps on Yapping

Apparently Minnesota Vikings' wide receiver Greg Jennings can't hear. However, his mouth works just fine. The newly acquired receiver from Green Bay must not have heard his head coach's request to stop making comments about his former team because he was at it again today. Today Jennings claimed that the Packers "brainwashed" him into thinking that the Green Bay franchise is "tiers better than anyone else in the division."

The most bitter man in the world must be Jennings because why else would he embark on this relentless attack on his old team? It started with Jennings comments that Aaron Rodgers had created the spotlight for himself and wasn't about the team anymore and then, as apologies go in the sports world, Jennings only made it worse. He later said he was just joking and everyone should have known that. Whatever Greg.

Here's the point: Greg Jennings is going to miss Aaron Rodgers regardless of anything he says. He can say whatever he wants, but the fact of the matter is that he has Christian Ponder throwing him the ball this season rather than arguably the NFL's best quarterback. So keep it up Greg because reality is going to hit one of these fall Sundays.

Today's comments are bizarre from multiple angles. For one, aren't teams supposed to have confidence and hold themselves up -- especially a team with as rich of a history as Green Bay? Also, what's the problem with that mindset if it's true? The numbers don't lie and the numbers say that the Packers have owned the NFC North since Jennings entered the league in 2006.

Since that point the Pack has won three division titles while Minnesota and Chicago have two. In 2010, a year the Packers were the Wild Card, they won the Super Bowl which is the only time a NFC North team has won since '06. Green Bay also leads in wins (74) and playoff appearances (5) in that time span as well, so yes, they are better than everyone else in the division and that's just the facts.

What we have here is a player who is bitter that he is no longer a member of the team. Jennings spent seven seasons in Green Bay and won a title with them. Now, he's no longer a member of that team and instead is trying to play it off that the grass is greener across the state line. No doubt, the Vikings will be good this season and they may even win the division, but Jennings can't change the past and, rather than enjoying the time he spent there, he is sullying his relationship with his former employer.

But when all is said and done, his comments truly mean nothing. What does mean something is October 27th. That's the night Greg Jennings will come face-to-face with Green Bay on Sunday Night Football and then, we will see if all the talk is backed up. Something tells me he will be a marked man.

A Fan's Frustration With Philly's "Dream Team"

By: Luke Habeeb

Let us rewind eleven weeks to September 11, the start of the NFL season for the Philadelphia Eagles. The attention this team had received prior to the first kickoff was unprecedented in Philly, and everyone, from ESPN analysts to Vegas bookies, were choosing them to win the Super Bowl. This offseason, the Eagles played “New York Yankees” in the NFL and brought in Nnamdi Asomugha (All-Pro), Ronnie Brown (Pro-Bowler), Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (Pro-Bowler), Cullen Jenkins (Super Bowl winner), and Jason Babin (Pro-Bowler), to add to their already star-studded lineup. After Week 1, everything was going according to plan. The Eagles beat the St. Louis Rams handily, and were soaring high in Philly. But what happened?

Since Week 1, the team has gone 2-6, losing games against mediocre teams like the Bills and Cardinals. What irks me is the way the team lost. In all six losses the biggest one came against the New York Giants, a good team, and only by 13 points. The average margin of defeat in every game is a mere 5.8 points, less than one touchdown. Add that to the fact that the Eagles have lost five games in which they were leading in the fourth quarter, and I am not a happy camper. They have been in every game, virtually every snap, but boneheaded fourth quarter mistakes cause the team to wane. Turnovers in the red zone (after Sunday the team has 7, the most in the league), along with the inability to prevent teams from long, time consuming drives cause the team to lose focus and, in turn, give the game away.

Sunday’s game against the Cardinals was a prime example: Up 14-7 in the fourth quarter, the Cardinals drove down the field and tied it up on a good catch by Larry Fitzgerald. The offense proceeded to fail to score on its next drive, not a big deal with the time remaining. When Asomugha intercepted John Skelton on their own 26 yard line, the offense could not even register a first down and settled for a mere 3 points. Skelton then led Arizona on a game winning, 87 yard touchdown, making the star studded Philly defense look like the Indianapolis Colts scout team. After the game, LeSean McCoy said, “Late in the game, we are not going for the jugular and finishing the game the right way. It's the attitude.” McCoy has the right attitude, but he couldn’t do much with the mere two carries he received in the final quarter. Asante Samuel, one of the best players on the lackluster secondary, also had some words about the way the team has been finishing lately, "It's something we've got to figure out with seven games left. We're a good team, I don't know how far we are off of things, but it's real tough. We keep giving up the game in the last minute. It's frustrating.”

Asante, you have no idea. Try being a fan during this mess. I pour my heart and soul into this organization, buy jerseys, I even buy my girlfriend gear to wear, and how am I rewarded? With a 3-6 season, tied with the Redskins at the bottom of the division. Wait, aren’t the Redskins starting Rex Grossman? I don’t even know who their starting running back is! I can’t name more than ten players on their roster and I’m an avid football fan. How the heck are the Eagles in the same place as them? It has been a dreadful season, and I can’t imagine it getting much better. What will make me happier is if the Philly CHANGES THE DEFENSE TO MAN COVERAGE (This is a whole other topic, don’t get me started). I mean seriously, with Samuel, Rodgers-Cromartie, and Asomugha, opposing teams’ receivers shouldn’t be getting any looks, but for some reason, the package defense is zonal? Please tell me how that makes sense. This all roots back to Jim Johnson’s death (RIP, we miss you dearly), and Andy Reid’s decision to make Juan Castillo, the OFFENSIVE LINE COACH, the new defensive coordinator for this loaded defense. Wait, so an o-line coach (a fairly good one at that) has been managing the defense all year, while the offensive line allows Vick to get absolutely nailed game after game, snap after snap?! Yes, this makes complete sense, Andy. This team has the talent to go undefeated the rest of the year, but it’s highly unlikely. The only other scenario in which I will be satisfied with the season is if they somehow screw the Cowboys or Giants from a wildcard playoff spot.

Luke Habeeb is a contributor to the World of Wadley site. He is currently a freshman in college studying Political Science at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois.

Losing in Cleveland Since 1964

There is no such thing as The World of Wadley jinx and, before I go any further in this post, I want to say that I'm not trying to start one right now. But really, let's give some love to the Cleveland Indians. Check that, I meant the first place Cleveland Indians, but let's not jinx it. You read it right, the Indians sit atop the AL Central Division standings with an 11-4 record, comfortably ahead of the White Sox, Tigers and Twins. Still, saying the words "first place" and "Cleveland" in the same sentence are almost laughable in the sports world and rightfully so. The city, which has three professional sports teams in the Indians, the Browns of the NFL and the Cavaliers of the NBA, has not won a major pro sports championship since 1964 when the Browns won the NFL title and that was before the Super Bowl era. The Cavaliers have failed to win an NBA championship since they joined the league in 1970-71 and the Indians haven't won the World Series since 1948, when Bob Feller was just 29 years old. Cleveland is the most tortured sports town in America, but the thing is, they have come so close on numerous occasions.



Jordan hits the shot over Ehlo in '89



1964 was a long time ago if you couldn't figure that one out. That's 47 years since the last major pro sports championship in the city of Cleveland. Think about all that has changed and happened since then. Lyndon Johnson took office in 1963 and Barack Obama is the eighth President of the United States since then. Nikita Khrushchev was in his last year of power in the Soviet Union and man had not yet walked on the moon. Michael Jordan wasn't even two years old yet and Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain dominated the NBA. The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the New York Yankees in seven games for the World Series and we hadn't even been introduced to greats like Mike Schmidt or Reggie Jackson. While Cleveland has suffered for those 47 years, there are other cities that have been living the good life. New York hasn't really had a problem, winning 20 pro sports championships since '64 and Boston has 18 to their credit. Los Angeles has won 12 with 11 of those courtesy of the Lakers and Chicago, despite the Cubs woes, have won nine championships since Cleveland's last. Shoot, even Green Bay, who only has the NFL's Packers, has four Super Bowls in the past 47 years. 

Chicago Cubs fans like to complain that there team hasn't won since 1908 and, yes, that has to be awful but at least they have the pleasure of other city teams bringing home the trophy. The White Sox, Bulls, Bears and Blackhawks have combined for 21 championships since 1908 so, while Cubs fans may cry about their baseball team, they have had plenty to cheer about in all the other sports. Cleveland fans can't say the same. How crazy is it that none of the three pro sports teams have been able to get it done? It doesn't matter what season it is there has been heartbreak and sorrow for Cleveland fans. That has to be tough to deal with because the questions "how?" and "why?" just can't be answered.

Edgar Renteria celebrates his series winning hit
in the 1997 World Series (NY Times)

The Indians won two AL pennants in the 90's yet failed to win the World Series in either of them. In 1995 they fell to the Braves in six games. In 1996 they repeated as divisional champs, but lost in the Division Series. 1997 brought another AL pennant but, again, the Indians lost, this time to the Florida Marlins. They won their third AL Central title in a row and upset the Yankees in the Division Series. All signs pointed to this being the year the drought ended, but it was not meant to be. With the series tied in game seven, the Indians led 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth. However, Jose Mesa blew the save as the Marlins tied the game with two outs. Edgar Renteria would then hit his famous game winning hit in the 11th to give the Marlins the World Series title. The Indians were one out away from the title and blew it, a heartbreak for the city. In 2007 the Indians again won the AL Central crown and featured superstar pitchers Cliff Lee and C.C. Sabathia, but they lost in Game 7 of the ALCS to the Red Sox. Since then they have struggled to win games, never finishing better than .500.

Fans can still see Michael Jordan take the ball the free throw line, rise up and sink the game winning jumper over Craig Ehlo. They can see Jordan jump up in the air, fist-pumping in celebration while Ehlo crumples to the floor in defeat. It was Jordan's game and series winner in 1989 that sealed the Bulls first round upset of the Cavaliers. Five years later Jordan would hit another game/series winner in the second round of the playoffs against Cleveland and the Cavs are considered one of the greatest victims of Michael Jordan. In 2003 the team drafted LeBron James with the first pick in the draft and he was supposed to lead the Cavs to the big one. The King, as they called him, was a hometown kid and lit up the NBA right away. He led Cleveland to the Finals in 2007 but they were swept by the San Antonio Spurs. Perhaps the biggest blow came this past summer when LeBron went on national television to announce that he was signing with the Miami Heat amid free agency. Cleveland fans felt betrayed by their hometown son and proceeded to burn his jerseys in the streets.

Mike Davis' interception on Red Right 88

The city of Cleveland and the Browns have been through a lot together and the Browns have not produced many winning seasons since their return to the NFL in 1999. Art Modell pulled the team out of Cleveland and moved the Browns to Baltimore in 1996, but the NFL replaced them in '99. It got off to a rocky start when the Browns used their first draft pick on quarterback Tim Couch and they have only had one winning season since their ressurection. Of course there are the infamous football plays in Cleveland history such as Red Right 88, The Drive and The Fumble that have haunted Browns fans for forever. The outlook never looks good for the Browns and 2011-12, if there is a season, is no different.

Despite all this, Cleveland fans remain true to their teams. The Cavaliers boasted the highest attendence in the NBA this season and the Indians hold the record for consecutive sellouts. The Dawg Pound is a fixture at Browns games no matter what the team's record is. With the Indians in first place, at what point do the Cleveland fans start believing? Surely they can't hold this lead on the division too much longer with other heavyweights in the AL Central but, no matter where you live, you have to sympathize with the Cleveland fans. They have been through more than any other city and have suffered more than any other American sports city but they don't call it "Believeland" for nothing.

The Super Bowl is Super for a Reason

Football has taken over as "America's Game" which is sad to me, and other baseball fans, but it is true. The hype around the NFL is enormous and nothing is bigger and better than the Super Bowl. After the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers treated us to a great game at the biggest venue down in Big D, it is obvious football has never been more popular. The NFL is the most lucrative league in the world yet there may not be a season next year. What would a Sunday be like without football and only NBA games to watch at noon? Kind of like Los Angeles without the Lakers-you still have something to watch but it's just not as good because it's the Clippers. As the league now shifts their full attention to the collective bargaining agreement let's look at why the Super Bowl is the greatest sports championship we have today.

March Madness is definitely the best playoff system in sports but the Super Bowl is the best championship game. 103,219 turned out to watch this year's big game and it could have been more had 1,000+ seats not been ruled unsafe because of weather damages. According to the Nielsen ratings 111 million people tuned in to FOX to watch the game and that includes men, women and children of all ages. People who don't watch football at least watch a little bit or attend a party where the game is on. Super Bowl parties are tradition in America and that's why non-NFL fans will tune in for this game. The chance to eat big, hang out with friends and watch football just seems American.

The Super Bowl also has an electric halftime show that brings in more viewers because people may not be huge football fans but they could be a devoted fan of the Black Eyed Peas or Tom Petty or even...Justin Timberlake. This year the Black Eyed Peas put on an outstanding performance that wowed the crowd with light shows, dancing and surprise appearances. Sure, the singing may not have been the best but the point is, people got excited for it and it entertained them. It almost looked like the NFL wouldn't put on a halftime show after the "wardrobe malfunction" of Janet Jackson but, instead of cancelling it, they went a new direction and signed acts that were respectable. This year the fans got a nice surprise when Slash, guitarist from Guns N' Roses, came out to play "Sweet Child O' Mine" and Usher dropped down to help will.i.am with the song "OMG." How's that for a side show to the game?

Earlier I mentioned that the Super Bowl is the best championship game and here's why: consider that of the six major sports fans watch only two have a playoff that results in a one game, winner-take-all matchup. College football has the flawed BCS system which never allows the fans to see who truly is the champion and the NBA, MLB and NHL all have lengthy playoff series that last over a month. By the time those three leagues reach the actual championship the general fans are almost burned out. They know that there could still be seven games left before a champion is crowned. This also discourages throwing parties for the game and non-fans to tune in because in a series who knows what game will be the deciding game. Ticket buyers may have a seat at Game 5 but the champion may not be crowned that night. With the Super Bowl we know that when the Steelers and Packers run out of the tunnel one of them will leave a champion. There is something to be said for a winner-take-all game. There are no mess ups or do-overs the next night and a team can't say, "well we're only down one game." With the Super Bowl it's one chance, bring your best effort and you will get the trophy at the end. 

That's why the Super Bowl is super.

Quitter or Not, Get Rid of Cutler

Sports is a place where heroes are born and legends are made and where men lay it all on the line just to win a game. Football in particular is a sport that requires maximum toughness both mental and physical. Sunday afternoon the Green Bay Packers defeated the Chicago Bears 21-14 to earn a trip to Dallas where they will meet the Pittsburgh Steelers for Super Bowl XLV. The Bears were so close yet, to me, seemed like they were so far away from winning the NFC Championship. Maybe I felt like that because the Packers are a great team with the top quarterback in the league right now. Maybe I felt like that because the Bears were always playing from behind. Or maybe I felt like that because quarterback Jay Cutler was sitting on the sidelines for the second half while Todd Collins looked like the Bad News Bears behind center and Caleb Hanie nearly became the hero that Cutler never will become. Yeah, the third reason is definitely why.

In one of the final series of the first half Cutler injured his knee and there talks within the Bears organization that he would not even take the field for the second half. However, he tried it and after one unsuccessful series retreated to the bench, which is where he would stay for the rest of the game. Todd Collins entered and left in the blink of an eye and then it was third-stringer, Caleb Hanie's turn. You know Hanie woke up that morning just excited to have a great seat for the game and wasn't expecting to even step on the field. Yet, there he was leading the comeback for the Bears and, had it not been for Sam Shields second interception of the day, perhaps could have tied the game up with under a minute to play. We can't fault Hanie's effort because he is a third string quarterback who was thrown into the biggest game of the Bears-Packers rivalry and told to lead the comeback, a Super Bowl birth on the line.

When it comes to Cutler though, questions are raised about his effort. He hurt his knee, and his teammates and coaches have defended him 100% so far, but how bad was it? Was it bad enough that he had to sit out of the biggest game of his career? Because it wasn't bad enough that he couldn't stand on it or even ride the bike. He wasn't receiving any treatment and there was no brace or anything on it. He was just standing there with that look he always wears, one of disinterest and unhappiness. I'm not going to sit here and say that Jay Cutler quit because I don't really know how bad that sprained MCL was. The training staff wouldn't let him go but in my mind it didn't seem to affect him much.

Ronnie Lott had his finger cut off so that he could keep playing and Willis Reed took the floor with a broken leg. Phillip Rivers has played with a torn ACL and many players have knee injuries but they still play. I just think that if Cutler really wanted to play he would have done everything he could to get on that field. Good players compete in Playing Time but the great ones show up in Winning Time. The second half of that game was Winning Time and Caleb Hanie was under center. Keep in mind this wasn't just any game, this was the NFC Championship against the Bears biggest rival and this was only the second time the two teams had met in the playoffs. Cutler was coming off his first playoff game since high school, a win against the Seahawks and a win in this game would have elevated his status as a great quarterback in Chicago and in the league.

Sad thing is, he never gave himself a chance and that's why people will question him for the rest of his life. What if the Bears never get back to that point with him? In my opinion he won't be in Chicago too much longer and that means fans lasting memory will not be Cutler throwing the ball on the field; it will be Jay Cutler standing on the sideline, jacket and stocking cap on, watching as his team lose a chance to go to Dallas. Some franchise quarterback...