A week’s worth of sports squabbles: Super Bowl Edition

BronBron hugs DurantNot every athlete is as lovey-dovey as LeBron James and Kevin Durant.  Man hugs all around.  The mutual respect these two have for each other borders on nauseating.  “Oh, he’s the greatest.”  “Oh, I’m jealous of him.”  Clearly the Durant-James rivalry is the best in today’s kinder-gentler NBA.  These two, however, are the only two athletes who seem to be getting along.  Everyone else these days has a much less peaceful disposition.

Here’s a look back at some of the more interesting quarrels that made up the week in sports.

Erin Andrews Richard Sherman courtesy of new school magRichard Sherman versus Michael Crabtree:  If there was one thing you heard more than Omaha last week, it was Richard Sherman.  Sherman became a household name the minute he shocked Erin Andrews with his abrupt and unexpected live response seconds after his game-winning play on “a sorry receiver like Crabtree.”  Sherman was all we could talk about for fourteen days.  We found out where he’s from, where he went to school.  Heck, we even knew his high school GPA (4.2).  Sherman later (much later) apologized not for singling out Crabtree but rather for taking attention away from his teammates.  My guess is Crabtree wasn’t rooting for the Seahawks in the Super Bowl.

Dejected PeytonPeyton Manning versus The Critics: Take a drink this week for every time you hear the word “Legacy.”  Just be sure you have a designated driver.  It’s already all anyone can talk about when it comes to Peyton Manning.  What did this loss mean for his legacy?  Never mind that Tom Brady, Brett Favre and John Elway have all lost Super Bowls.  Heck, Jim Kelly lost four of them and he was pretty good.  Peyton’s poor performance in Super Bowl XLVIII was very un-Peyton-like until you consider the fact that he boasts a post-season record of 11-12.  In Peyton’s defense, that Bowl Beatdown can’t be put squarely on his shoulders.  The Seattle Seahawks went to East Rutherford and were not going to be denied their moment in the snow.  Meanwhile, it’s back to the drawing board for Mr. Manning.  The pundits who like to debate where Peyton ranks among the all-time greats will have a field day at his expense. They may even be justified in doing so.  That doesn’t mean we have to listen to them.

Marshawn LynchMarshawn Lynch versus The Media: Here’s what I found most ironic about Super Bowl week and the media’s coverage of it.  For weeks, we blasted Richard Sherman for his post-game response in the NFC Championship Game.  Sherman was painted as the bad guy, the mouth that wouldn’t stop roaring.  Yet when his teammate, running back Marshawn Lynch, refused to talk, the media blasted him for that as well.  Lynch has never been one to demand face time, however, his “Ain’t never seen no talkin’ winnin’ nothin’” and “I’m all about that action, boss” might be two of the best lines ever.  What else do reporters want from the guy?  Had they been paying attention, they’d have realized he already gave them two of the greatest sound bites in NFL history.

Sapp and StrahanWarren Sapp versus Michael Strahan: So much for the Hall of Fame welcoming committee.  This week, the NFL announced its latest Hall of Fame nominees.  Strahan’s name was on that list.  Sapp, a Hall of Famer whose yellow jacket still has that new blazer smell, questioned whether Strahan would get in on this ballot, suggesting his accomplishments might not stack up.  As usual, the media ran with this story and made it appear as if there was a legitimate beef between the two.  Sapp later explained he only meant that he wasn’t sure whether Strahan’s resume was good enough among the current class of inductees.  Well, it was.  Strahan, like Sapp, became a first ballot Hall of Famer.  Both were dominant defensive football players and now both have been acknowledged as two of the greatest to ever play the game.  Can we please stop talking about it now?

Nadal blistered handsRafael Nadal versus the fans at the Australian Open: It’s been years since tennis fans have seen anyone not named Nadal, Federer, Murray or Djovokic win a Major tournament.  In fact, prior to this Australian Open, only one man other than those four has won a Major since 2005.  This year, Nadal made it to the Finals but lost to Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka who had never beaten him before.  Nadal was playing that tournament with blisters so bad he could barely hold his racquet.  His left hand looked like as if it was duct taped together.  Apparently that wasn’t good enough for the Aussies who booed the Spaniard after he requested an injury time out.  A closer look at this picture is a pretty solid indication Nadal wasn’t faking.  Let’s keep it classy, Melbourne.

Vince Young brokeVince Young versus his financial advisor: Vince Young won a national championship at Texas.  He toppled almighty USC in the BCS title game on his way to becoming the third overall pick in the NFL Draft.  He made over $25 million dollars with the Tennessee Titans alone.  One would think that would be enough to get by but no, not for Vincey.  Young declared bankruptcy last week.  He’s allegedly suing his financial advisor as if he’s the one that told him to spend $5,000 a week at the Cheesecake Factory and no, I’m not making that up.  Apparently someone doesn’t have a problem with lactose intolerance.  Young is now asking a judge to rescind his bankruptcy petition.  To Chapter 11 or not to Chapter 11: that is the question.  I guess that’s as difficult as trying to decide which flavor cheesecake to order.

Bieber mugshotJustin Bieber versus Common Sense: I would only hope that if I were a teenage gazillionaire heartthrob, I wouldn’t do anything stupid that would end me up in the slammer.  No guarantees.  Justin Bieber obviously can’t make that promise either.  Let’s just say the Biebs has had better weeks.  He was first arrested for drag racing his Lamborghini in South Beach (I mean, who WOULDN’T race their Lamborghini in South Beach?).  He was arrested days later for beating up his limo driver.  One more arrest and we’ll give him the Titus Young Award for Bravery.  Hey, at least the Biebs had enough sense to rent a limo.  But seriously, Bieber can’t weigh more than a buck-forty soaking wet which begs the question, how meek was this guy’s limo driver?  Like any celebrity, Bieber received another slap on the wrist and attended the Super Bowl.  Here’s hoping he had an uneventful ride home.

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15 Replies to “A week’s worth of sports squabbles: Super Bowl Edition”

  1. Pingback: A week’s worth of sports squabbles: Super Bowl Edition - BallHyped Blog Network, NFL | BallHyped Sports Blogs

  2. Chris

    There’s a petition on Obama’s desk seeking Bieber’s deportation back to Canada ? Can Giants’ owner John Mara’s name be added to that list after his dumb statement about the game (Superbowl) being a wonderful event ?

    Young’s girth got bigger and so did his game . over the course of his NFL career . Unfortunately , the direction his game went wasn’t in the best interests of the teams he played for !

    Warren Sapp remains as dumb as he looks . He bet rapper Rick Ross $100k that the Broncos would win and lost the bet . Sapp still owes ex-wife child support and alimony even in light of his declaring bankruptcy . This guy (Sapp) remains an @ss !

    Nadal’s loss to Stanislas Warwinka in the Aussie Open was no surprise at all . The Swiss player has been on fire over the last six months showing some great player over that time-frame.

    Rafael Nadal has nothing to worry about at all . Career earnings of over $25 million has a way making you feel good even if a fan boos you .

    Lynch , if anything played into Deion Sanders’ idiocy by still participating in that lame @ss interview when he could simply have repeatedly said ” no comment or how you doin’ ” ? Instead showing his immaturity, he let loose with several expletives live on air . Deion Sanders seeking to blame other for his own stupidity and lack of experience as an on air analyst and interviewer is a joke ! It also indicates how how frigging dumb the upper echelons of the NFL Network just happen to be in hiring this moron .

    ” Omaha ” is in the house , unfortunately on Sunday Peyton Manning’s wasn’t as evidenced in his performance and the end result for the Broncos .

    Over and under in George Zimmerman going more than three rounds in a proposed celebrity boxing match between he and rapper , Kanye West ? Rappers DMX and The Game have themselves up as potential opponents for the now acquitted defendant . I don’t believe wants any part of either DMX or Game . Kanye West on the other hand is about as tough Clay Aiken and that is not saying a great deal at all concerning the rapper and his alleged “bravado ” in cold cocking someone when they’re not looking .

    tophatal …………

  3. Chris

    What rivalry , if any , is there now in the NBA ? It is no longer about classic team match-ups , but more about individual driven accomplishments . All of this under the idiocy, of Stern , who sought to sell the NBA brand , as being about the players , rather than it being about the teams .

  4. Sherman > Crabtree, Manning’s new legacy is saying he finds embarrassing insulting, Lynch can just hoodie up and talk to his Skittles and both he and the media will survive, Sapp is a sap, Nadal doesn’t owe anyone a thing, Vince Young was never the sharpest knife in the drawer…and the Biebs will be wearing orange daily real soon.

  5. Apparently Sapp apologized to Strahan and the 2 hugged it out. I wonder if ‘Red Neck’ Favre was on hand to present the ex-Giant? After all, he was instrumental in giving him the sack record with that phony lay down. Most disgusting sports play since when I witnessed Billy Martin instructing his batters to intentionally strike out to get a rain-threatened game in.

  6. Hmmm…. Let’s c how well tht went? Funny half of ur responders didn’t even hate him as much as u do. If u hate him so much, y r u even talkin bout him. Justin’s a beautiful person. Inside and out. Yes I’m a belieber! but I’m a Belieber in something worth believing in. Sure he smokes pot, doesn’t mean he’s a bad person. Sure, u think he look like a girl, doesn’t mean he is one. Sure, u think he sings like a girl, no one asked ur opinion. So y don’t u just back off.

  7. Al…

    Maybe Rick Ross will be kind enough to pay off Sapp’s debts for him since he can’t seem to manage that on his own.

    Is Zimmerman really going to step into the ring against someone? What is he thinking? Can he hold his own between the ropes? More importantly, is this what boxing has become? A side show?

    And I don’t know that any team’s spring training schedule tells us anything. It’s just a matter of making final cuts, putting a team together and letting Florida residents see teams they won’t be able to see all season.

    Here, I have a preseason prediction for you. The Rays will score eight runs in one game, then none in the next two. Isn’t that how they roll?

  8. And Al…

    Whatever Stern did for the most part worked. I understand that he marketed the individual over the team but the league grew exponentially over his tenure and is more popular now than it’s ever been.

    Look at the bigger picture.

  9. Burnsy…

    I get that Manning was miffed. I would be too if my team had just shit the bed after a relatively successful season.

    What I found most entertaining about the whole thing is that, in a separate interview, Champ Bailey called the whole thing embarrassing.

    Whoops!

    Guess those two have a difference of opinion, he he.

  10. Bets…

    As I live in Tampa, I heard a local interview with Sapp right after this whole thing went down.

    Now, his take was that Strahan’s resume didn’t stack up against the other talent on that ballot, which included his former coach Tony Dungy and his former teammate John Lynch.

    According to Sapp, and he may have been backtracking but I doubt it, he said the guy was clearly a Hall of Famer, just didn’t know whether he’d be able to edge out the other nominees.

    And that was that.

  11. Kia…

    I appreciate your defense of the Biebs, pretty sure we all do actually, but I don’t ever recall saying he sings like a girl.

    Thanks for chiming in regardless. See you at the next concert.

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