e. The end of the season is the end

[blueberryjerry]

JERSEY CITY, N. .J. -- If people were looking for Richard Sherman to get the weeklong hype for the Super Bowl started with another rant, the Seattle cornerback disappointed them. With about a dozen camera crews and 50 reporters surrounding him at a table, Sherman smiled broadly, winked when a reporter asked him about his rant at Michael Crabtree after the NFC championship game, and played it close to the vest in discussing the Super Bowl next Sunday against Denver at Metlife Stadium. There were no harsh words Sunday night. He talked about his respect for the Broncos offence, his friendship with Denver receiver Demaryius Thomas and the fact that the blowup with Crabtree led to a good discussion about race relations. There were neither guarantees nor boasts. Just honest talk. "I think you are always cognizant of it as football players, especially in todays world, that everyone is looking for a story and they are trying to get their name in the paper," Sherman said when asked if anyone had advised him to tone it down this week." Sherman is clearly more conscious about what he says after falling into disfavour with many people for his postgame rant in which he said Crabtree is a subpar receiver. The comments came moments after Sherman deflected a pass to Crabtree in the end zone late in the fourth quarter and it was intercepted, sealing the Seahawks trip to the Meadowlands. The rant with a sideline reporter seemed to transform Sherman from a player considered one of the NFLs best cornerbacks to someone who some considered a thug. Sherman doesnt see himself that way. "I am just a guy trying to be the best," Sherman said. "I am a guy who wants to help this team win. I am a fiery competitor who puts his life into his work and puts his everything into his work. I came from humble beginnings and came from a place where not everyone gets out of. I am just trying to affect the world in a positive way." Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey said Sherman is clearly a great cornerback, who has gotten noticed because of his comments last week. He admits he likes players with personalities and has nothing bad to say about him. He also understands that people who did not know Sherman are basing their opinion on one glimpse. "When a lot of people dont know you and thats what you show them, and they havent heard you name all day, which is typical for a corner who doesnt get a lot of balls, thats the way it is," Bailey said. "Thats how it is. People make their judgments on what they see and hear and if they dont know you they are going to draw their own conclusion. You have to live with it. If you are going to talk, you have to live with it." In the past week, Sherman said he has reached out to Ronnie Lott and Deion Sanders for advise on how to preparing for a Super Bowl. He also downplayed the Seahawks lack of experience playing in the Super Bowl. Only one player, receiver Ricardo Lockette, has Super Bowl experience, playing with the 49ers last year. "Ive never seen experience play in games," Sherman said, noting the Seahawks had very little experience heading into last weeks conference championship game. . The 12th-ranked Haas served well throughout the match at the Ibirapuera arena, allowing only one break point to the 152nd-ranked Italian. Both players held serve until the first-set tiebreak, when Haas stepped up his game to easily clinch the set. . Rudy Gay made the tying basket in regulation and a 3-pointer in overtime that gave Sacramento the lead for good, and Fredette scored a career-high 24 points to help the Kings beat the Knicks 106-101 on Wednesday night. . "I was so nervous," Hadley said Sunday after winning the Puerto Rico Open for his first PGA Tour victory. "I did not eat well last night.The first place Calgary Stampeders play the fourth place Edmonton Eskimos this week which will be another chance with three games to go for Jon Cornish to move toward winning the CFL rushing title. The second place Saskatchewan Roughriders play the third place BC Lions and that will be an opportunity for Kory Sheets to win the CFL rushing title. Three of those four teams are also playoff bound so when do personal goals enhance team goals of winning? Well the way I look at it is that football is a funny sport. Everyone is dependent on everyone else but to be successful there always has to be individual success that is in the public eye. Now coach Hufnagel in Calgary and coach Chamblin in Saskatchewan will have game plans that include both Cornish and Sheets. But they are part of the plan, not THE plan. Having said that there is nothing wrong with highlighting possible individual accomplishments as it motivates all involved to create success for that player. Whether Sheets or Cornish win the title over the next three weeks, all of those involved with take pride in that moment. Those who block, pass and call the plays are all rushing title holders too and as any running back knows he cant do his job effectively unless other do theirs as well. Presently it is pretty close. Cornish had played 14 games, carried the ball 215 times, gained 1,545 yards and has 11 rushing touchdowns. Sheets has played in 13 games, had 251 carries, and has gained 1,408 yards. He also has 11 rushing touchdowns. Is one back better than the other? Not really when you discuss the top four or five. When you compare them to the 10th or lower than absolutely. If you wantt to depend on mathematics than Cornish has gained 137 more yards, has a 1. . .6 yard per carry average better and has 36 less carries. But then Sheets missed a game due to injury so where would he be if he had played that game? The last three weeks of the season are always a little different. You realize time is finite - not infinite - which is what the season looks like back in May. Youre tired in many ways, not dramatically but almost subconsciously. The East and West All-Star teams are to be announced soon. Trust me when I say this, every player wants to be on an All-Star team. Not just for the incentive-based monetary enhancement, more it is acknowledgment of a job well done that your peers are forced to recognize. The end of the season is the end of a journey and one that may not be repeated by any fault of yours. This is when football gets really interesting because you just dont know how the team will play with the success or failure to be determined in a short period of time. I am confident that if you asked either Sheets or Cornish if the choice is Grey Cup Champion or CFL rushing champion they would take the former before the latter. Still there is nothing wrong with going after the individual record because if you get it, it probably means you are a step closer to the ring, which lasts forever. I hope it comes down to the last game. Calgary at BC for Cornish, Edmonton at Saskatchewan for Sheets. Slight advantage for Sheets as he plays on a Saturday, Cornish on the Friday so Sheets will know how many yards he needs. Cornish will get as many as he can. I will be bringing my calculator to work that day. ' ' '

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