KIRO 7's John Knicely sat down with Seattle sports psychologist Dr. Craig Stone, who works with professional athletes. They talked about the pressing mental issues facing the Seahawks as they prepare for the Super Bowl. Here’s the conversation about Richard Sherman.
Knicely: What was your initial take on his postgame rant?
Stone: Emotional overload and rightfully so. Biggest game of his life, huge play. There are times the adrenaline gets going and (Sherman) mentioned "in the moment." You take three contributing factors. No. 1, it's a huge play he just made. No. 2, he's going to the Super Bowl and No. 3, he felt disrespected. So you put those together it's normal to get emotional overload, if not a lot. I don't think the content of what he said was offensive. It might have run the risk of being braggadocio but not offensive.
Knicely: What was your reaction to the immediate inflammatory reactions by people on social media?
Stone: The first thing that came to my mind was how ironic. Everyone is jumping on him for having a meltdown or losing his cool. They're losing their cool for him losing his cool.
Knicely: Do you think the ongoing attention to the rant and the aftermath will be a distraction heading into the Super Bowl?
Stone: I think collectively as a team, not a distraction. Richard Sherman is going to have to address the media. It's like expecting to jump in the water and not get wet. It will come up during Super Bowl week on media day on Tuesday and probably Wednesday and Thursday afterward. But I think he's well prepared for them.
In the coming days before the Super Bowl, KIRO 7 will share more thoughts from Stone. He will discuss how the players need to mentally prepare for the biggest game of their lives. And Stone shares how you can apply those same concepts to big moments in your life, like a job interview or big presentation.
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