Seahawks’ Richard Sherman squawks again

By Michael Grey

“We nearly have reached the point where we don’t have enough hours in the day to publish a post every time Richard Sherman speaks critically about an NFL contemporary.”

That was the opening line from Dan Hanzus at NFL.com in a piece about the latest verbal battle between Richard Sherman and his new adversary, Roddy White of the Atlanta Falcons.

Sherman was quoted as saying that White didn’t deserve to be listed anywhere in the NFL’s “Top 100 Players” list (which is clearly not the case) and, as has become custom, the media powers that be immediately sought out a reaction from White himself.

Richard Sherman has popped off again, this time saying Falcons receiver Roddy White isn’t among the NFL’s top 100 players. (AP)

This is the new reality for the Seahawks and their fans and it’s not likely to change any time soon. Sherman has put a target on his back and will have opportunity after opportunity to make his voice heard throughout the rest of training camp and during the season.

If you’re a fan of swagger (and I am) you have to just laugh and shake your head at the kid’s confidence. If you’re not a fan of swagger (or as it’s more likely to be identified, “arrogance”) then you’re more than likely hoping that Sherman shuts his beak and lets his play do the talking.

Don’t hold your breath.

Just as Pete Carroll and John Schneider have reworked this roster with the right kinds of athletes, they’ve also worked to create a locker room with the right mix of personalities to take this team through to a championship. Not everyone can be as stoic as Russell Wilson, and truth be told, a locker room full of one kind of personality would never work anyway.

Sherman is brash, he’s rude, he’s vulgar and he’s rapidly becoming the face of the Seahawks at the national level. He has set the bar for the coming season, not just for himself but for the entire team. Expectations are sky high for this Seahawks squad and with those expectations comes opportunities to be heard.

In fact, it’s a safe bet that until the ball is snapped in Week 1, the only thing higher than the expectations for the Seahawks will be the volume knob on Sherman’s squawk box.