Packers coach Mike Sherman is about as even-tempered as NFL head coaches get.
He doesn’t cry like Kansas City’s Dick Vermeil, scream like Dallas’ Bill Parcells, growl like Pittsburgh’s Bill Cowher or scowl like Washington’s Steve Spurrier.
So when Sherman walks over to an opposing player after a game and yells at him, it gets everyone’s attention.
“I was a little shocked, there’s no doubt about it,” Tampa Bay defensive tackle Warren Sapp said.
Sapp was the target of Sherman’s tirade after the Bucs beat the Packers 21-7 last Nov. 24 at Raymond James Stadium. Earlier in that game, Sapp blindsided Packers offensive tackle Chad Clifton on an interception return, separating Clifton’s pelvis and sending him to the hospital.
After the game, Sherman described the hit as “chicken (expletive).”
Almost a year later, Sapp says he isn’t sorry because he did nothing wrong.
“What do you mean regret? What did I do? What did I do?” Sapp said. “I made a legal, clean block, right? Or is that not how you saw it?”
That’s how the referees and the NFL saw it. Sapp wasn’t flagged and wasn’t fined or reprimanded by the league. Based on his tirade after the game, Sherman didn’t think it was a clean hit.
“Well, Mike Sherman is wrong,” Sapp said.
While most of the attention has been focused on the Clifton-Sapp incident, the altercation between Sherman and Sapp might be the biggest reason why this story won’t go away.
In the NFL, players get hurt all the time. But how often does a coach get into a postgame shouting match with another team’s star player?
On Wednesday, Sherman did his best to distance himself from last season’s confrontation. He deflected, or tried to deflect, any and all questions about the incident with Sapp. When asked if he regretted the altercation with Sapp, Sherman wouldn’t answer.
“I’ve already talked about that last year,” Sherman said. “I’m not going to go back there because I have so much that I’m concerned about this year.”
Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden similarly downplayed it as old news.
“I’m not going to say anything about this other than it’s behind us,” Gruden said. “The league ruled that the play was legal. We’re very re*****ful that Chad got hurt, and we’re all happy that he’s returned and is going to be a healthy football player. But let it end. We’re going to let the emotions that took place after that game take care of themselves. Hopefully, we can just concentrate on playing a good, solid football game.”
Tampa Bay guard Cosey Coleman was a teammate of Clifton at the University of Tennessee and said while he was concerned for Clifton’s well-being, he doesn’t believe there was any malice on Sapp’s part.
“I don’t think it was an evil shot,” Coleman told the Orlando Sentinel. “I don’t think it was intentional, as far as trying to put somebody in the hospital and jeopardizing their career.”
The play didn’t end Clifton’s career, but it ended his season. He spent four days in a Tampa hospital before he could return to Green Bay. He then faced surgery and a long offseason of rehabilitation.
Clifton said the hit has made him a little more cautious on similar plays.
“On interceptions, I will definitely be paying better attention,” Clifton said. “I’ll be watching over my shoulder.”
Even Clifton said there was nothing wrong with the hit.
“It was a legal shot,” Clifton said. “We all know these hits happen. It was a clean shot, but, unfortunately, I got hurt.”
Sapp made it pretty clear that injuring Clifton was never his intent.
“If you’re asking me if I had concern about him getting better, that’s a whole different question,” Sapp said. “Regretting something means (I’ve) done something wrong or out of line. I made a legal, clean block. As far as the man getting hurt, I wish he’d gotten up, gone to the sideline and continued to play the game.”
If there were any residual effects from Clifton’s injury, it hasn’t been apparent this season. He has started every game and has said on numerous occasions that he may be a better player as a result of having to spend so much time on his rehabilitation.
“We’re 10 games into the season, and I’ve started every one,” Clifton said. “I’m fine. As soon as I got through the first few days of training camp, I knew I would be fine.”
Sherman and Gruden expressed hope that no Packers player would try to get a bit of revenge by taking a shot at Sapp.
“Maybe I’m naive, but I think every week it’s personal because we’re trying to win a football game,” Sherman said. “I don’t envision us going overboard on that.”
Gruden said he thinks the referees are aware of what happened last year that he expects both teams to get a pregame warning.
“I’m sure both teams are going to be talked to about that,” Gruden said.
Sapp, for one, isn’t worried.
“I’m not concerned about anything that happens on the football field,” Sapp said. “I can handle myself.”
http://www.packersnews.com/archives/news/pack_13176824.shtml
He doesn’t cry like Kansas City’s Dick Vermeil, scream like Dallas’ Bill Parcells, growl like Pittsburgh’s Bill Cowher or scowl like Washington’s Steve Spurrier.
So when Sherman walks over to an opposing player after a game and yells at him, it gets everyone’s attention.
“I was a little shocked, there’s no doubt about it,” Tampa Bay defensive tackle Warren Sapp said.
Sapp was the target of Sherman’s tirade after the Bucs beat the Packers 21-7 last Nov. 24 at Raymond James Stadium. Earlier in that game, Sapp blindsided Packers offensive tackle Chad Clifton on an interception return, separating Clifton’s pelvis and sending him to the hospital.
After the game, Sherman described the hit as “chicken (expletive).”
Almost a year later, Sapp says he isn’t sorry because he did nothing wrong.
“What do you mean regret? What did I do? What did I do?” Sapp said. “I made a legal, clean block, right? Or is that not how you saw it?”
That’s how the referees and the NFL saw it. Sapp wasn’t flagged and wasn’t fined or reprimanded by the league. Based on his tirade after the game, Sherman didn’t think it was a clean hit.
“Well, Mike Sherman is wrong,” Sapp said.
While most of the attention has been focused on the Clifton-Sapp incident, the altercation between Sherman and Sapp might be the biggest reason why this story won’t go away.
In the NFL, players get hurt all the time. But how often does a coach get into a postgame shouting match with another team’s star player?
On Wednesday, Sherman did his best to distance himself from last season’s confrontation. He deflected, or tried to deflect, any and all questions about the incident with Sapp. When asked if he regretted the altercation with Sapp, Sherman wouldn’t answer.
“I’ve already talked about that last year,” Sherman said. “I’m not going to go back there because I have so much that I’m concerned about this year.”
Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden similarly downplayed it as old news.
“I’m not going to say anything about this other than it’s behind us,” Gruden said. “The league ruled that the play was legal. We’re very re*****ful that Chad got hurt, and we’re all happy that he’s returned and is going to be a healthy football player. But let it end. We’re going to let the emotions that took place after that game take care of themselves. Hopefully, we can just concentrate on playing a good, solid football game.”
Tampa Bay guard Cosey Coleman was a teammate of Clifton at the University of Tennessee and said while he was concerned for Clifton’s well-being, he doesn’t believe there was any malice on Sapp’s part.
“I don’t think it was an evil shot,” Coleman told the Orlando Sentinel. “I don’t think it was intentional, as far as trying to put somebody in the hospital and jeopardizing their career.”
The play didn’t end Clifton’s career, but it ended his season. He spent four days in a Tampa hospital before he could return to Green Bay. He then faced surgery and a long offseason of rehabilitation.
Clifton said the hit has made him a little more cautious on similar plays.
“On interceptions, I will definitely be paying better attention,” Clifton said. “I’ll be watching over my shoulder.”
Even Clifton said there was nothing wrong with the hit.
“It was a legal shot,” Clifton said. “We all know these hits happen. It was a clean shot, but, unfortunately, I got hurt.”
Sapp made it pretty clear that injuring Clifton was never his intent.
“If you’re asking me if I had concern about him getting better, that’s a whole different question,” Sapp said. “Regretting something means (I’ve) done something wrong or out of line. I made a legal, clean block. As far as the man getting hurt, I wish he’d gotten up, gone to the sideline and continued to play the game.”
If there were any residual effects from Clifton’s injury, it hasn’t been apparent this season. He has started every game and has said on numerous occasions that he may be a better player as a result of having to spend so much time on his rehabilitation.
“We’re 10 games into the season, and I’ve started every one,” Clifton said. “I’m fine. As soon as I got through the first few days of training camp, I knew I would be fine.”
Sherman and Gruden expressed hope that no Packers player would try to get a bit of revenge by taking a shot at Sapp.
“Maybe I’m naive, but I think every week it’s personal because we’re trying to win a football game,” Sherman said. “I don’t envision us going overboard on that.”
Gruden said he thinks the referees are aware of what happened last year that he expects both teams to get a pregame warning.
“I’m sure both teams are going to be talked to about that,” Gruden said.
Sapp, for one, isn’t worried.
“I’m not concerned about anything that happens on the football field,” Sapp said. “I can handle myself.”
http://www.packersnews.com/archives/news/pack_13176824.shtml
