Bird’s Eye View (An Evaluation of The Team's Moves) ...

Hawkscanner

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This is the first post that I’ve had for awhile, as I’ve really wanted to sit back and evaluate the situation from afar … listen to all the analysis … and watch what actually happens. Now that the dominoes have started to really fall, it appears pretty clear from a big picture standpoint what’s happening.

710 ESPN’s Brock and Salk have been right on the money IMO in their evaluations of this team, where they’re at, and what the Seahawks are doing. And that is --

Whether or not you’re the Seahawks or the Patriots – the same exact thing is true. It doesn’t matter if you’re Pete Carroll (with the Pom Pom Pete Approach) … or Bill Belichick (with the My Way or the Highway Approach) – the brutal truth of the matter is regardless of the coaching approach, the message gets stale after awhile. After awhile, success is just not sustainable with the same group of players. Why? Human nature. After a time, people tend to tune out after they’ve heard the same message over and over again. That's why coaches and managers get fired so often.

Complacency sets in eventually as well IMO. When players get paid, when they are fat and happy, there is a human nature tendency to sit back on your laurels a bit. Carroll and others have said it (in one form or another) many times – We want our players young, poor, and hungry.

And as we all know as well, football is a young man’s game. This sport in particular will beat you up. Father Time is undefeated and football in particular will age you real quick. Carroll is always preaching about wanting guys who are young and flying around.

All of that inevitably leads to what we’ve seen and the moves that have been made thus far. But it goes beyond that IMO. What I’m going to say below is probably going to be highly unpopular for many people … but I honestly do believe that this is another BIG REASON why you’ve seen certain veterans cut loose. I’ll focus my comments specifically on that by discussing Richard Sherman (the biggest example and the one that's most forefront right now).

Let me say right up front that cutting Richard Sherman was the Bar None 100% Right Move for this Team Moving Forward …

Now, I love Richard Sherman the player and who he was on the field for this Seahawks team. I love the talent. Richard Sherman in his prime – I love his ability to be a shutdown corner – a guy who absolutely can change a game single-handedly. I will always be grateful for him and what he did for this Seahawks team. I will forever remember “the Tip” with great giddiness and childlike glee. In a lot of ways, he does and will always have a special place in my heart. He was a fantastic player for us – one of the all time Seahawk greats … AND it was definitely time to part ways with him.

Why?

It’s not just about the money. That’s a given that the Seahawks needed to cut him given how much money he was slated to make. It’s also not just because of his age, his physical status, and his Achilles injury (although that’s a huge reason why, given his age, and contract status they needed to cut him loose). No, there was a much bigger and more important reason (beyond the money, beyond the age, and beyond his health status) of why this was the right move IMO.

Coming into work this morning, I was listening Mike Salk on 710 ESPN going off on Richard Sherman, citing several incidences of him being “a liar” (in his words). He played several clips of past interviews – things that Sherman had said that were on record … that Sherman later said of that he was misquoted on or just flat out denied there was any evidence of him ever saying. [That’s known as Gaslighting by the way] He also played an audio clip of him telling Jim Moore that he was going to ruin his career.

All of that just made me laugh because all of that IMO just so shows who Sherman truly is. I’m a therapist by trade, so I'll share with you guys my perspective from the clinician's chair. Though I’ve always loved Richard Sherman the elite player … I’ve also always recognized that there would eventually come a time that the Seahawks needed to cut bait.

Over time it's become fairly clear that Richard Sherman … is a classic Narcissist. Textbook. Some of you out there who grew up with Narcissistic fathers or mothers know full well the pain of growing up with and dealing with these people. You guys will understand what I’m going to say. In a nutshell, these folks are some of the most difficult to treat and deal with bar none. Growing up in a Narcissistic home … can in a word be a nightmare. You see, as the name implies, Narcissists are all about only 1 person – themselves. They are ever only on 1 team … their own.

Narcissists are quite often highly engaging people. They are often very smart, highly articulate, well spoken, charismatic, confident individuals. They make for great interviews. They can be great leaders (as long as people go along with them). That’s what draws people to them.

However, there is a real serious downside to these kind of people. To say that they are self centered is a massive understatement. “It’s all about me” is the narcissistic person’s mantra. Image is everything. It’s about making the outside of my life look pretty … because on the inside, they feel there is a whole lot of “yuck.” When push comes to shove, Narcissists will choose themselves each and every time. It’s not about what’s best for the team or for others … it’s what best for me. If that’s all that personality type entailed, I’m sure many could overlook that. If you’ve ever lived or worked with a narcissist though … you will know full well just how divisive these people can be.

Narcissists are best of the best manipulators out there that there are. Bar none. They are amazing in their ability to cause division and pit people against one another. Once you really grasp what they are doing … it can be quite stunning to behold.

People have been talking about division in the locker room. There are clubhouse cancers (people have been saying). I would agree with you wholeheartedly and I fully believe Richard Sherman was one of those. You see, Full Blown Narcissists (as long as things are going THEIR WAY) … will be your best buddy. It’s when you’re the man in charge … and they start to disagree with you … that things will start to go awry. They are amazing in their ability to cause issues in a group. They are generally highly intelligent and manipulative to a stunning degree. They are really good at pitting people against one another and stirring up trouble.

You can deal with (put up with this kind of a personality) as long as the positives of what they bring to the table … outweigh all of the other nonsense. What happens when that player is no longer elite though? What happens when they’re NOT the best anymore (but they think they are)? What happens when someone who prides themselves on being the best (believes they are the best, the most beautiful, the most perfect) suddenly starts to realize that fragile fake image they’ve spent their entire existence trying so hard to maintain is starting to melt away? Then, it’s Uh-oh time. You don’t want to be anywhere around that. Let me tell you from experience, there are few things in life less pleasant than an aging Narcissist. That’s when they can start to get real nasty and vindictive. That’s when they become that unbearable cancer that you just can’t deal with anymore. Whether you’re talking Richard Sherman … Terrell Owens … or Deion Sanders … there comes a time when it’s just time to say goodbye.

And If threatened or hurt ... Narcissists will look punish those around them. If you disrespect them or harm them in any way, then Narcissists will tend to lash out. They will look to humiliate you, embarrass you, piss you off, etc. – to make themselves feel good. Why is it (of all teams out there) that Sherman decided to go the 49ers? Why them? The Seahawks most hated division rival, no less. Make no mistake about it folks. That move by Sherman I would say is exactly the kind of vengeance move that a Narcissist would make.

All of that is precisely why this team was in desperate need of cutting bait of guys like this. You can put up with prima donnas as long as they can continue to bring the house down … but when their vocals start to go, it’s time to drop the curtain.

Time for the next act folks – bring on the next generation of younger, cheaper, and highly driven players. The Patriots have gone through this same re-boot process time and time again. As painful as it is to watch for us, I would say that we’re just seeing the normal life cycle of the NFL. I have no idea exactly what to expect from this team (Wins and Losses wise this upcoming year) … but I’m convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is what had to happen.
 

Sealake80

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You may be right but to be honest...

Seems pretty unfair to diagnose someone you have only seen performing on TV. Espexially in a public forum.

Maybe you are wounded by a grown mans right to work where he wants. Is there a diagnosis for that?

I mean no offense and wish you all the best fellow fan.
 

godawg

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I have admired Richard Sherman for his work on the field and his ability to self-promote. Sad to say, but I agree that this was a good move. Pete did not want to risk losing the team.

Guess I'll be changing my moniker.
 

original poster

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I'm not sure I agree that Sherm is a narcissist. He shows too much genuine love for his teammates and family.
 

Sox-n-Hawks

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original poster":20zz3l5b said:
I'm not sure I agree that Sherm is a narcissist. He shows too much genuine love for his teammates and family.

I would say he's a calculated marketing genius with a 3.9 GPA in Communications from Stanford. I do think he has a hard time containing his passion and letting things go at the appropriate time.
 

pittpnthrs

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original poster":2a1jdsf9 said:
I'm not sure I agree that Sherm is a narcissist. He shows too much genuine love for his teammates and family.

I dont believe he is either. I do believe he is one to say things that need to be said though whether its popular with the fans and organization or not. I cant fault him for that.
 

HawkRiderFan

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The story that Sherman came back and offered the same Niner deal to the Hawks but the Hawks turned it down was a real eye-opener for me. I had to accept that it wasn't just money and the team really wanted to move on, as much as I hated it.
 

TwistedHusky

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Scanner,

It feels like a pretty big leap to go to a diagnosis based on small snippets of publicly available material when it is common knowledge that players create a public persona/character in order to build their brand.

(And frankly, Wilson comes off more of a narcissist than Sherman. Though to be fair, to paraphrase what someone else said about him: If you had his life, you would believe the stuff he is saying he believes too.)

When you play sports, you change teams. Sometimes often. Nobody puts the team first when they are no longer on the team. Frankly, that would be weird. (Maybe retired players, but that is about it).

Sherman went to college in the Bay. His family is in CA. It shouldn't be weird that he finds himself in a situation where going home makes sense if he could make the numbers work.

What is weird is that fans that supported a guy that built his brand by being brash, boisterous, and overly confident now are shocked that he is being brash, boisterous and overly confident even after we let him go.

Every medical professional I know would have blanched at the suggestion they make a public diagnosis based on snippets of information and no additional contact. But since this is a message board and not an actual diagnosis, and since I have no idea what other contact/insight into the actual Richard Sherman you might have - I suppose there is not much that can said about it.

I have no doubt that if Sherman is even back to 80% he will rub our faces in it every chance he can get. He uses those kinds of slights to motivate himself, even might mentally exaggerate the nature of them to push himself forward. If it works, and it got him to several Pro-Bowls from a lower round draft slot, then who are we to question it?

It just seems weird to reap the benefits of someone's drive and commitment to being the best and then immediately complain about that same behavior the moment you push him out the door. That is how Sherman has conducted himself throughout his entire career - why would you expect different?
 

Uncle Si

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People were sick of much of his attitude the last two years.

You keep acting like its some isolated incident that people are responding to, like a scorned ex. That's ignoring his disruptive behavior the last two years. It's not the brash "come at me" behavior. it's the whining, calling out coaches, players, threatening media, lying about comments he has made. This isnt brash and cocky and fun. This is negative and disruptive.

I find it weird that people are still willing to give him a pass on this on his way out the door, continuing to try and disrupt the team even as he has moved on as some part of his "strength of character"
 

SoulfishHawk

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He has been a distraction for a couple years now. Just because people like him, doesn't change the fact that he was angry, calling out coaches, players, refusing to admit he's ever wrong etc. It just flat out got old.
And it sounds like he got fleeced in that deal with Santa Clara.
 

Uncle Si

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adeltaY":10hs8qhb said:
Local media seems to be turning in Sherm


I wish the guy the best...

Just hope he realizes that playing the victim in this situation as he preps for 9ers camp lacks self awareness and makes him look silly.
 

TwistedHusky

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The coaches deserved to be called out.

We saw it here. Guys sitting at work on a message board.

You think a guy that not only had to review film all week, but knows who is good and who is not, was not going to be aware of this?

So Sherman called the coaches out because they deserved to be. Because the defense constantly had to bail the offense out and the offense was literally not producing so much that eventually we let both Cable and Bevell go.

Sure it was public and you could argue it needed to be private. But private was not working. And Carroll was making decisions that was screwing the chances of this team.

I was fine with Sherman calling out Carroll. It needed to be done, his decisions cost this team for several years. There were plenty of threads on it here. I think it is was less disruption than WTF Carroll, quit squandering all of these great players with your weird loyalty to underperforming coaches.

I am absolutely sure we are going to hear former defensive players open up about their frustration with how the offense and defense were held to different standards. That happened in Baltimore and in Tampa Bay, any location where there was a great defensive team with an offense that did not carry its weight. No surprises when it happens here.

Would that really reflect poorly on Sherman if it did? Or more just help illuminate why this team never achieved as much as the talent of the roster seemed to indicate?
 

Uncle Si

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TwistedHusky":1tdyoufn said:
The coaches deserved to be called out.

We saw it here. Guys sitting at work on a message board.

You think a guy that not only had to review film all week, but knows who is good and who is not, was not going to be aware of this?

So Sherman called the coaches out because they deserved to be. Because the defense constantly had to bail the offense out and the offense was literally not producing so much that eventually we let both Cable and Bevell go.

Sure it was public and you could argue it needed to be private. But private was not working. And Carroll was making decisions that was screwing the chances of this team.

I was fine with Sherman calling out Carroll. It needed to be done, his decisions cost this team for several years. There were plenty of threads on it here. I think it is was less disruption than WTF Carroll, quit squandering all of these great players with your weird loyalty to underperforming coaches.

I am absolutely sure we are going to hear former defensive players open up about their frustration with how the offense and defense were held to different standards. That happened in Baltimore and in Tampa Bay, any location where there was a great defensive team with an offense that did not carry its weight. No surprises when it happens here.

Would that really reflect poorly on Sherman if it did? Or more just help illuminate why this team never achieved as much as the talent of the roster seemed to indicate?

I don't disagree that the conversation needed to take place.

However.. when you do it publicly you are forcing yourself into a position of representing the team. You need to do that accordingly. He did not.
 

pittpnthrs

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Uncle Si":35wkxmwc said:
I don't disagree that the conversation needed to take place.

However.. when you do it publicly you are forcing yourself into a position of representing the team. You need to do that accordingly. He did not.

I think he had to go public because nothing was being done. Look back now, and he was right. The necessary changes of getting rid of Bevell and Cable finally happened albeit years later than it should have.
 
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Hawkscanner

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Smellyman":2b1rrctg said:
This place could use a therapist.

I might need a couch myself were I to do so. ;)

I'll respond in general to folks and those who've commented above. As I said in my initial post, I love Richard Sherman the player (who he was for this team, all he did for us, etc.). There was a lot to like and I'm massively appreciative of all he was for us and for who he was as a Seahawk. In a lot of ways, I like him very much and always will.

That said, I would be remiss if I didn't also admit that there were (and I'd say are) apparent issues. My opinions of him weren't just formed overnight, from watching games, or from a few comments here and there. They were formed by taking a look at the entire picture that has emerged over the course of the last 7 years or so based upon his entire body of work. I've read and listened to numerous interviews with him over the years ... and I'm just telling you guys what I see -- classic textbook Narcissism.

For those who don't want to believe that ... go do your own research on that personality condition. You want an interesting exercise? Just go do a search for something like "Common Tactics of Narcissists." See how many you can readily identify Richard Sherman having done in the past ... and those he is doing now. I've seen many Narcissists over the years in my work as a counselor and let me tell you -- these guys are the best of the best manipulators out there. They are generally highly intelligent, very calculating, very engaging, very entertaining, charismatic, likeable people -- on the surface. Give it time though with these folks ... and you'll start to see through the veil.

Again, I'll throw that challenge out there for those who are interested. Do some research on common tactics of Narcissists (or common manipulation tactics of narcissists). Then, go back over Richard Sherman's history. Look at specific incidences and comments that he's made over the years. See how many tactics you can identify.

I'll admit this is just 1 man's opinion. Those are the lenses I'm seeing him through. That said, my opinion's not based upon nothing folks.
 

Uncle Si

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pittpnthrs":3bs24glg said:
Uncle Si":3bs24glg said:
I don't disagree that the conversation needed to take place.

However.. when you do it publicly you are forcing yourself into a position of representing the team. You need to do that accordingly. He did not.

I think he had to go public because nothing was being done. Look back now, and he was right. The necessary changes of getting rid of Bevell and Cable finally happened albeit years later than it should have.

Sure...

Then do so accordingly. Don't throw people under the bus, isolate teammates and drive drama to the doorstep of the team. He threatened a media member, yelled at coaches during games, made snide comments about his teammates (QB) publicly and on more than one occasion was caught lying about comments.

This is not leadership. I accepted his standing up for the team at that time as I hoped he was trying to be that person. It became clear he was not, or was atleast not doing a good job.

He is doing the same thing now that he's gone. This is about him, not the team. Im over that.

I understand others lauding that as a true sign of Sherman's character. I just dont see it that way (anymore). I'm not bitter, just bored of it
 
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