By: Sam Balas
Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman attempted to block a field goal during Monday’s game against the Buffalo Bills. Sherman jumped the snap and was offsides.
Rather than stopping, Sherman continued unabated in his attempt to block the field goal attempt. He ran into Bills kicker Dan Carpenter.
Sherman’s pseudo-tackle appeared to inflict a significant amount of pain on Dan. It was unclear if Dan exaggerated the hit to gain a more favorable call from officials.
Sherman’s behavior definitely warranted a penalty. Many pundits considered the act a dirty play.
Sherman Smith, of ESPN’s “First Take,” felt Sherman was doing what every football player is taught to do — play until the whistle.
Most everyone agrees the officiating crew failed to ensure player safety. As soon as Sherman jumped offsides, a whistle should have been blown and the play called dead.
That did not happen.
It’s fairly easy to make a case for Sherman’s actions just being misconstrued. What is much more difficult is defending the reactions generated by the controversial play.
The worst came from Dan’s wife, Kaela Carpenter. She posted a picture of a bander on Twitter with the caption,“I know what we do on the farm when a male can’t control his own rage.”
A bander is a tool used to castrate farm animals.
Clearly, this was an unwise tweet. Kaela is insinuating an African American player is an animal who must be castrated. It’s alarming.
I’m guessing Kaela wouldn’t have the same reaction if Sherman was white, or if her husband was black and tackled by a white player.
The comments are shocking, but not very surprising.
President-elect Donald Trump started his real estate career by preventing black tenants from renting out apartments he owned. It’s not surprising one of the most successful black athletes in America receives racially-motivated mistreatment. Richard Sherman has fought the thug stereotype his whole career.
He is a Stanford graduate and far more intelligent than countless so-called football experts.
Sherman occasionally participates in excessive showboating, but by all accounts, he is a good teammate and a solid human being. Comparing him to a thug is ludicrous.
The only connection I can see between Richard Sherman and people who engage is criminal activity is skin color. The problem is — people of all skin colors can be criminals.When Kaela compares Sherman to a common farm animal, she is demonizing him. For a football player, tackling another player is the most fundamental and important component of the sport.
I understand she is concerned for her husband’s safety, but I would hope she recognizes the racism in her statement.
The world is in a state of change and constant incivility. After this election cycle, human decency has been largely eliminated from much of American life. If any component of culture can remain a safe-haven of understanding in a sea of prejudice, let it be an America tradition — football.
Sam Balas can be reached at [email protected]