Dear Avery,
I’m a 49ers fan. Your parents and grandparents (aunts, uncles, and friends from the Bay) are 49ers fans. This year in football, the 49ers were ONE game away from the Superbowl…only to lose to a very physical Seattle Seahawks team. It was an incredible game, down to the very last play. That play sparked controversy…10 minutes after… due to Richard Sherman’s interview. And I want to share some life lessons that came from it.
Our friends were over that night to watch the big game.
I repped my 49ers shirt, had lots of great snacks, and had a few outbursts of jumping and cheering. It was fun, despite the lost. While my friends were saying “Sorry, Megs. Maybe next year…” during the player interviews. We could SEE and HEAR Richard Sherman (the Seahawk who made an interception on the last play) freaking out, in an overly aggressive way. Literally yelling at the reporter and into the camera. Telling the world that he is the best corner in the game, and how the wide receiver he was covering was terrible. Everyone in the room actually stopped talking and had to rewind to see what was going on. He was that ridiculous.
During this entire 15 second interview, the first thing I thought was “Wow, this guy is so full of himself that he chose to talk about himself rather than his team”. I thought he was an idiot. I automatically judged him for acting like a thug. This was the biggest story following this incredible game. A 15 second interview of a guy talking about how great he is. Forget the team, forget the game. So much so that the internet had a field day…
While there was a lot of fun poked at this ( I certainly did!), 
I also saw a life lesson. I’m a passionate person and I appreciate passionate athletes. They wouldn’t make it to the pros without passion and dedication. Perhaps Sherman was being overly passionate in those 15 seconds… I get it. They just won a big game. But that’s the lesson… THEY won the big game. It wasn’t just him. Always remember to give credit where credit is due. He wouldn’t be giving a congratulatory interview without the help of his coaches and teammates. And now people will only remember this “self-centered” interview over the actual game itself.
At the end of the day, Richard Sherman is a great player. who made an incredible play. He is an intelligent guy (Stanford graduate and all), and apparently is a good guy. Unfortunately for him, those 15 seconds of air time will stay with him forever. He didn’t think through the consequences before he spoke. << Perhaps another life lesson?
Whatever you do in life, Avery, know that there will be people around you who will help you get there. Give them credit. Thank them. Appreciate them. Be gracious and give support back. You may be the best at what you do, but is it worth it to tell the whole world that? Is it worth it to be pompous for 15 seconds of glory… for a lifetime of ridicule? The simple answer is no.
With love,
Aunt Megs
With Love, Aunt Megs 