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Should Seahawks Fans Boo Richard Sherman?

Tony Avelar
/
AP Photo
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, left, cornerback Richard Sherman, center, and general manager John Lynch, right, pose for a photo on March 20, 2018. Sherman agreed to a three-year deal with the 49ers.

The Seahawks’ roster continues to undergo a serious makeover. Fans are being forced to deal with the fact that some of their favorite players are gone.

In the case of cornerback Richard Sherman, he’s now a member of a division rival. It’s the topic of this week’s chat between KNKX sports commentator Art Thiel and Morning Edition host Kirsten Kendrick.

Hard To Take; Not Hard To Understand

Former Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman spoke to the media for the first time this week as a San Francisco 49er. For many 12s, it was a tough visual - Sherman dressed in red instead of Seahawk blue or green.

But Thiel said Sherman had no choice but to sign with the Seahawks' NFC West division rival. And he doesn't think fans should boo him when he returns to CenturyLink Field.

"Richard was fired. He was injured. His contract had no guaranteed money for 2018 in its final year."

"He was out of a job and feeling very vulnerable so he took the first offer. Got criticized a lot for it. But I think fans need to keep in mind that this decision was the Seahawks's choice - not that they didn't have their good reasons for it - but Richard did not abandon Seattle as some might criticize him for."

"The fact that he still expressed affection for his teammates, his fans, the city...he may be in the way of the Seahawks (by playing for a division rival) but I don't think he's deserving of the contempt that A-Rod (Alex Rodriguez) got or, really, that any player gets when he moves on to a better deal to protect himself."

Never miss an episode again. Subscribe to Sports With Art Thiel with iTunes orGoogle Play now. You can find Art Thiel's work at Sportspress Northwest and Crosscut.com.

Kirsten Kendrick hosts Morning Edition on KNKX and the sports interview series "Going Deep," talking with folks tied to sports in our region about what drives them — as professionals and people.
Art Thiel is a co-founder and writer for the rising sports website Sportspress Northwest. In 2003 Thiel wrote the definitive book about the Seattle Mariners, “Out of Left Field,” which became a regional bestseller. In 2009, along with Steve Rudman and KJR 950 afternoon host Mike Gastineau, Thiel authored “The Great Book of Seattle Sports Lists,” a cross between historylink.org and Mad Magazine that has become mandatory reading for any sports fan who has an indoor bathroom.