While seemingly the entire universe was busy debating whether Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman’s postgame interview was the best or worst thing to ever happen on earth, a black eye on the world of sports went unnoticed.
Sherman’s trash talk isn’t how most athletes respond to the standard “How’s it feel to help your team advance to the Super Bowl” question, but it was business as usual for Sherman.
He’s an emotional player who proclaims himself the best cornerback in the league, and backs up his claim every time he takes the field. People who love his style or hate it are both correct, it’s simply a matter of personal taste.
But like most discussion of opinions today, it hit Twitter and was blown way out of proportion. It morphed from a discussion about Sherman as a player to a referendum on Sherman as a person.
Inevitably the argument reached one of two extreme conclusions. One half reached the conclusion that Sherman, a Stanford graduate, is a great person and an even better football player, while the other half declared him the poster child for ignorance and “thug culture” in sports.
Different accounts of Sherman could be used to support each caricature, and without knowing the man, it’s shortsighted to make assumptions about what type of person he is away from the football field.
Frankly, I have no idea what kind of person Sherman is. But Merriam-Webster defines a “thug” as a violent criminal or a brutal ruffian or assassin, and Sherman verbally blasting a rival after making the biggest play of his career does not make him one.
However, there was a grand display of “thuggery” in sports this weekend, and nobody noticed.
Probably because it didn’t take place in Seattle or Denver on Sunday but rather during a hockey game in Vancouver on Saturday night.
At the beginning of Saturday’s Calgary-Vancouver game, Calgary Flames coach Bob Hartley sent his fourth line, which is typically comprised of more tough guys than hockey players, to start the game. Vancouver Canucks coach John Tortorella responded in kind, sending out five heavy hitters of his own to match up.
The rink was effectively a powder keg with a lit fuse, and it didn’t take long to ignite. The instant the puck was dropped, the gloves followed, and the game devolved into an all-out, five-on-five line brawl.
When officials regained control of the game, the penalty boxes were standing room only and looked more like transparent clown cars.
Fighting is a normal and even celebrated part of hockey culture, but it’s not supposed to be this planned or widespread. And more importantly, hockey fights should never leave the ice.
After the first period, Tortorella attempted to rush into the opposing locker room and had to be restrained by players and assistant coaches. The ugly scene was caught on video as Tortorella was seen flailing and screaming among a sea of players outside the locker room.
The NHL suspended Tortorella for 15 days without pay for his actions, but beyond that, the fallout has been minimal. There was no public outcry, no calls for his job and no Twitter referendum on the problem of thugs in sports.
Obviously hockey isn’t as popular as football, especially in Louisiana. My dad told me years ago that the only ice people care about here is in their drinks.
But the fact that the words of one excited athlete can cause so much controversy while the actions of a coach, a man who is supposed to conduct himself with dignity and remain above the emotional fray, is ignored is laughable.
It’s just another example of America being a society of sheep, with social media increasingly playing the role of shepherd.
Just take a second and imagine what the headlines would look like if such an incident happened in any of the other three major sports.
James Moran is a 21-year-old mass communication senior from Beacon, N.Y.