12-25-2019, 01:06 AM
PHOENIX - Relishing no longer being in the villain role, Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman is painting his teams Super Bowl opponent as occupying that position. USWNT Gear .He also doubts that the Patriots will be punished by the NFL if they are found guilty of doctoring footballs in the AFC championship game.I think the perception is the reality, Sherman said Sunday after the defending champions arrived in Phoenix. It is what it is. Their resume speaks for itself. The past is what the past is. Their present is what their present is. And, will they be punished? Probably not.The All-Pro cited NFL Commissioner Roger Goodells close relationship with New England owner Robert Kraft as his main reason for being skeptical.Not as long as Robert Kraft and Roger Goodell are still taking pictures at their respective homes. He was just at Krafts house last week for the AFC championship, Sherman added. You talk about conflict of interest.But as long as that happens, it wont affect them at all. Nothing will.Patriots coach Bill Belichick said Saturday the team followed every rule to the letter in preparing footballs on game day. New England arrives in Phoenix on Monday as the leagues investigation into under-inflated balls continues.This is the second Super Bowl in which accusations of cheating have followed the Patriots. During their unbeaten 2007 regular season, they were fined $250,000 and Belichick was docked $500,000 for spying on New York Jets coaches signals. New England lost to the New York Giants in that Super Bowl.For many of the Seahawks, the focus on football deflation is a non-topic. Quarterback Russell Wilson brushed aside questions about the subject the way he escapes onrushing defenders. All-Pro safety Earl Thomas admitted he knew nothing at all about it: Ive been in my own little world. I dont watch TV too much.Sherman, as always, was not reticent about discussing it.I think more people might be inclined to root for us, to see history made, Sherman said, noting the Seahawks are seeking to become the first repeat champions in a decade — when the Patriots did it. I guess the controversy gives us a little edge in that respect.When it was revealed that some of the Patriots footballs were under-inflated in the AFC championship, Sherman said I didnt think it was a big deal at the time.Its a big deal, Sherman added, laughing.The edge that Sherman plays with has helped him become one of the premier players in pro football. It also catapulted him into that villain role last year after his rant against 49ers receiver Michael Crabtree following the NFC title game.He didnt understand the reaction.To be painted villains I guess you need to do something heinous, he said, and I didnt. You learn a lot about people around you and about society.While he was at it, Sherman also criticized the NFL for not coming through on the booty he is entitled to for being selected to the Pro Bowl. Players who make the Super Bowl are replaced for the Pro Bowl.Only thing Im disappointed about is that we didnt get our gifts from the Pro Bowl, he said. Which is kind of dumb; the NFL is the only league that punishes the players who actually make the all-stars by not giving them their gifts.He believed the gifts included watches and stuff.___AP NFL website: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Stitched USWNT Jerseys . Today, their baseball playing sons were reportedly traded for each other. According to the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Cubs dealt minor league outfield Trevor Gretzky to the Angels for catcher Matt Scioscia. USWNT Jerseys China . Manager Alex Ferguson says the injury was sustained while the player tried to hit a volley toward the end of training on Tuesday. https://www.cheapuswnt.com/ . The pair ended pointless droughts when they each scored two goals in a 6-4 victory over the Winnipeg Jets that halted a two-game losing skid for the Stars (15-11-5).OAKLAND, Calif. -- Coco Crisp makes the Oakland Athletics go from the top of the order, and figures to be doing so again in 2014. The As exercised their $7.5 million club option for the centre fielder Friday, though general manager Billy Beane announced it as soon as the season ended with a five-game division series loss to the Detroit Tigers for the second straight year. A switch-hitter and speedy leadoff man, Crisp hit a career-high 22 home runs in the leadoff spot for his most homers since he hit 16 with Cleveland in 2005. Even Crisp himself was surprised by the power surge. "Luck of the draw for me. I have, I guess, enough power to do since Ive done it," Crisp said late in the year. "But thats not my game. Its part of it, a little bit but 20 home runs, 20-plus home runs has kind of caught me off guard. I think it caught a lot of people off guard, especially having more home runs than stolen bases. "Ill take it. Next year it might go back to normal where I hit 10 to 15 and steal more bases. I hope thats what it is. Its just one of those years Im grateful for." Oakland also exercised its $8 million option on left-hander Brett Anderson as planned and declined an $8.5 million option on catcher Kurt Suzuki and an $11 million option outfielder Chris Young. Young gets a $1.5 million buyout and Suzuki $650,000. Beane envisions Anderson back in the rotation in 2014 after a late-season stint as a reliever following an injury-shortened season. AAnderson has a $12 million option for 2015. Wholesale USWNT Jerseys. . The As still must decide whether to re-sign 18-game winner Bartolo Colon, though the club seemed hopeful last month. Colon and closer Grant Balfour became free agents Thursday. Crisp, who turned 34 Friday, just concluded his fourth season with the As and a $14 million, two-year contract and helped Oakland win back-to-back AL West titles. He hasnt played more than 136 games in a season since arriving in the Bay Area, limited to 75 in 2010 and 120 last year. He batted .261 with the 22 homers, 66 RBIs and 21 stolen bases in 131 games this year. Former Tigers manager Jim Leyland considered containing Crisp the biggest key for Detroit to beat the As in the division series for the second straight season. Crisp is a career .278 hitter in 30 post-season games for Boston and Oakland. "I think everybody feeds off of Coco here, not necessarily just experience, just how good he is," manager Bob Melvin said before the playoffs. "Ive said often when were playing well, hes playing well. He sets the tone for us, and youve seen hes taken his game to a whole new level this year as far as the power dynamic goes, but still has the ability to steal bases. Hes got quite the awareness in game when he needs to run and when he doesnt, and since weve been swinging the bat better, hes been a little less apt to run because he doesnt want to run into an out. He knows that weve been better offensively." ' ' '