Richard Sherman has made it very clear over the past several years that he is not a fan of Tom Brady. At the same time, Sherman is one of the more intelligent players in the NFL. And when one of the more intelligent players in the league defends an opponent that he genuinely seems to dislike, that says quite a bit.
Like many others, Sherman feels that the four-game suspension Brady has been handed as a result of his alleged role in Deflategate is unfair.
“You’re fining players more than you’re fining organizations?” Sherman told Jarrett Bell of USA TODAY Sports earlier this week. “That should bring up some red flags. But nobody’s talking about that.”
Sherman was referring to the $1 million and future draft picks that the New England Patriots were penalized — sanctions that owner Robert Kraft agreed to accept and later admitted he thought he was cutting a deal for Brady.
As an example of how teams and owners are receiving preferential treatment over players, Sherman brought up the well-documented legal troubles of Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay.
“Last year, Jim Irsay got fined what, 500 grand?” he said, referring to Irsay’s DUI arrest. “Owners can only be fined so much. There’s a cap. And Brady gets fined (roughly $2 million). Whether the crimes are the same or not, a suspension is a suspension, a fine is a fine. Game checks.
“People are just so focused on, ‘Oh, that’s a huge fine for the organization.’ It’s not. A million dollars is peanuts to the Patriots, who will make (hundreds of) million dollars this year. Brady … you take away four game checks, and you’re doing this to the organization.”
The first time Brady and Sherman faced one another, Sherman got in Brady’s face after the Seahawks won and later sparked one of the most famous internet memes of all time. Before the Super Bowl last season, Sherman was once again critical of Brady with these comments.
Whether you like Brady or loathe him, the NFL is looking worse by the day in federal court. Sherman and many other players across the league can see that very clearly.
