Long-Term Sherman

During a recent sushi dinner my friend L, a long-distance runner, mentioned a bizarrely competitive woman at her workplace who heard through the grapevine that L runs marathons. This woman found L and began to tell her about all of her own athletic accomplishments.

I offered the opinion that being an athlete is like being tough, rich, or classy. If you have to tell everyone you are, you probably aren't. There were thoughtful nods.

"Unless you're Richard Sherman," I added. "Then you can say whatever you want."

The table rippled with happy agreement; smiles, nods, laughter. This is an easy quip to make in Seattle but it made me think. Could this enjoyment be more than fans liking to hear their mischievous favorite "run his mouth?"

I think so.

Sherman can turn a phrase. He has a proven ability to connect with a wide variety of people. People remember his outburst after the Playoffs victory but that is an exception. Sherman has many settings between "off" and "high" and is good at gauging which one will be most useful to him at the time. 
 

Like Conan O'Brien, Sherman can draw out introverts. However, he does not shy away from controversy and knows how to subvert expectations (also like Conan). People who don't like him watch him anyway because they are never bored. Even haters want to see what he'll say next. Sherman isn't just a mouth, though. He is fun to talk to, always has something relevant to say, can direct a conversation and will only strike sparks if that will make it more interesting.

He graduated from Stanford with a master's degree in Communications. He earned the PWFA Good Guy Award because he helped the media cover the NFL.

Sherm is having a blast now, but he is smart enough to plan for years down the road when he gets too old to play the game but his mind is even sharper and more experienced than it is now. I really do think he is planning to become an announcer and he is building the qualifications. He has the education, the personality, and the natural talent to be great at it.