Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman blasted San Francisco 49ers receiver Michael Crabtree in a post-game interview with Erin Andrews. The outspoken corner trashed Crabtree during interviews after Sunday's NFC Championship win and called the wideout "sorry" and "mediocre."
Sherman made a critical pass defense late in the fourth quarter to seal the win for Seattle. In the waning seconds of the game, 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick threw a pass to Crabtree in the corner of the end zone; Sherman leaped into the air and tipped the ball out of the receiver's grasp.
Seahawks linebacker Malcolm Smith came up and intercepted the deflected ball with 22 seconds remaining in regulation.
After the play, Sherman ran over to Crabtree, patted him on the rear and offered a handshake; Crabtree retaliated and shoved Sherman in the face. Sherman eventually received a penalty for excessive celebration.
Seattle went on to win, 23-17, and earn a trip to the Super Bowl.
Making the final, game-winning play wasn't enough for Sherman and he made sure everyone knew how he felt about Crabtree during his post-game interview with Andrews.
Although Sherman was the most vocal, he blamed Crabtree for starting the tiff.
"He said something personal face to face," Sherman said during the post-game news conference, via ESPN. "He knows what he said and he knows I'm going to be tough on him the rest of his career."
Sherman later tweeted:
There was a lot of talk before the game.... Now I'm the bad guy lol.... Well if u judge my character on the field ....So many glass houses
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) January 20, 2014
Other jabs at Crabtree made by Sherman during the post-game news conference included (via ESPN):
-"(Crabtree) wouldn't make the top 20 of NFL receivers. If any team had a chance to pick Crabtree, they wouldn't draft him."
-"I was making sure everyone knew Crabtree was a mediocre receiver. And when you try the best corner in the game with a mediocre receiver, that's what happens. I appreciate that he knows that now. There has been a lot of talk from him running his mouth about me."
-"Everybody in the stadium was surprise (at Kaepernick's pass to Crabtree). You throw that? It's insane. I'm thankful they keep doing it. I should have picked it, but there was some offensive interference (on Crabtree) and I knew it wouldn't be called."
Crabtree response after the game was more subdued:
Film don't lie... @nflnetwork @espn pull up the tape of that game and show me where this guy is the best? #fake #fake #fake — Michael Crabtree (@KingCrab15) January 20, 2014
