PERCY HARVIN: By not being able to play and finally getting over all my hip things and I'm feeling good, playing in the game with no restrictions and then to go down with a head injury, man, I couldn't, I was just saying to myself, why me? How did this happen? So it was definitely a crazy feeling for me, as we caught that pick, man, my heart dropped.
ANDREW ROSARIO: So now you're at the big game do you change anything preparing for the game physically, mentally, or is it all gangbusters?
PERCY HARVIN: Nothing at all; that's been our big goal for the last two weeks from the first message coach gave us, keep everything the exact same. Prepare the way we prepare so we definitely put in a lot of our game plan. When I was home we got busy we got a lot done so our game plan is in just tweaking a little bit of things we're ready to go.
ANDREW ROSARIO: There's not one guy on your team that has Super Bowl experience. Is that something you talk about at all? Have you called anybody that has played in this game to get an idea what you're up against?
PERCY HARVIN: We actually haven't. I think that's what's giving us that edge right now. Nobody else won the Super Bowl on this team, and we're all very, very hungry right now. We got to have it; it has to come back to Seattle. We all have that mindset right now. The look in those guys' eyes, we got to have it.
ANDREW ROSARIO: Does the Legion of Boom work from the offensive standpoint, as well, or is that strictly defense?
PERCY HARVIN: That's strictly a defensive thing, that's their world.
ANDREW ROSARIO: How would you describe your offense then?
PERCY HARVIN: We will be explosive. We definitely will be explosive. It would be good to join the guys Doug, Kearse, Big Beast Mode and led by the man in charge No. 3, so we're definitely going to be explosive and we are looking to make new plays in this game.
RICHARD SHERMAN: MACKLEMORE is as cool as a frozen fan, man. He's a great guy. He's a really cool guy. He's a great part of Seattle. Oh man, I say congratulations man that's big for him. I think all his accomplishments and everything, he deserves. He worked hard. He came from the bottom, he worked hard. He didn't take the easy way. He took the hardest route you could take and he deserves everything he's gotten.
RICHARD SHERMAN: I think I would describe myself as a tenacious defender, somebody who doesn't take plays off and plays the game really well. I would say my length is my biggest asset. I have long arms, long legs and I'm able to get into a lot of places that people don't think you can get too. I think that being a great defender means you don't take days off; you work hard; you're part of the team. You understand the integrity of the defense. You understand what your job is in terms of whole defense, what everybody job is, and you never want to let anybody down.
What's The 411Sports correspondent Andrew Rosario caught up with Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman at Super Bowl Media Day 2014. Of course, Sherman had a lot to talk about. In this video, Sherman gives us his picks for great NFL receivers.
ANDREW ROSARIO: Does it help you at all to have not a dislike, but to have something that you don't like about your opponent to help your game?
RICHARD SHERMAN: I think it does help to have a certain attitude and a certain mindset about your opponent especially to play defender to play corner and to be out there on the island. Kam Chancellor calls it the dark place and he has a really dark place that he goes. I really don't want to go there. Listen there's some fantastic receivers out there Calvin Johnson, Josh Gordon, Demaryius (Thomas), Andre Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd, Dez Bryant. There's a lot of great receivers playing great football out there, 2 great receivers playing in Chicago and Brandon Marshall and those guys do a great job in Green Bay they got receivers. I respect the tremendous amount of receivers because they play the game well and they play the game like they suppose to.
After posting this interview, on YouTube, of Richard Sherman talking about great NFL wide receivers, you can imagine it sparked serious debate.
Do you agree with Richard Sherman? Did Sherman leave off your pick for great wide receivers? Sound off in the comment section under the video on YouTube.
It’s Media Day for NFL Super Bowl XLVIII and everyone is amped up, the media, the players, the coaches, staff, fans, and hanger-ons.
What’s The 411Sports correspondent Andrew Rosario caught up with Earl Thomas, Seattle Seahawks free safety about his current state of mind, the Seahawks’ lack of NFL Super Bowl experience, and the determining factor for victory. Here’s an abbreviated exchange and you can watch the video for the entire conversation.
“…It really hasn’t hit me yet,” explained Earl Thomas of the Seattle Seahawks. “Everything seems like a blur and I’m enjoying it; maybe after the game, whatever happens, it may hit me.”
“Your team has no players that have Super Bowl experience, have you reached out to players that have played in the game?,” asked Andrew Rosario.
“No, not really,” Thomas responded. “I’m just doing my normal routine that I have been doing all year. And, I’ll never let a game get bigger than what it is…It’s just football at the end of the day for me.”
“What’s going to be the determining factor for you guys to come out on top,” Rosario asked?
“Just us,” said Thomas. “Paying attention to the details, understanding the type of situations we are in…”
During media day at NFL Super Bowl XLVIII, Kam Chancellor, strong safety for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League, explained the genesis of the Legion of Boom to What’s The 411Sports correspondent Andrew Rosario.
It became a moniker to describe the brotherhood of the defensive team to stick together, play for each other, and level the boom on their opponents.
“At what point did you realize that you had something special and you knew you could make it to the Super Bowl,” asked Rosario.
“The first time we actually got together as a group and went through training camp OTAs,” Chancellor responded. “That’s the first time I really looked at the unit and looked at every player and was like man, everybody in this group is good. Everybody in this group could be a starter. Everybody prepares like a starter, and it shows when a guy goes down, the next guy steps up and does an amazing job.”
“And when you see Russell Wilson walk on to the field, with his 5’7”, 5’8” frame, are you saying to yourself, is that our quarterback?" Rosario asked.
“No, when I first seen (sic) him, he definitely gave me a different impression,” laughed Chancellor. “I seen (sic) a leader, it was something about him, you see like a leader in him, his poise, he’s always poised, he never looks like he’s pressured or in trouble or duress. You know that’s the one thing I admired about him and he just remains the same way all the time.”
In this 96th episode of What's The 411Sports, hosts Keisha Wilson and Mike McDonald, are talking about how Sloane Stephens and Rafael Nadal slayed at the 2017 US OPEN, the Cavaliers, and Celtics trade of Kyrie Irving and Isaiah Thomas, Danny Ainge getting thrown under the bus, Roger Goodell and the NFL on Ezekiel Elliott and Josh Brown, Seattle Seahawks' Michael Bennett's arrest by the Las Vegas police, the proposed sale of the Brooklyn Nets, the NY Yankees, Carmelo Anthony's outlook with the NY Knicks and his wife La La Anthony. Our Photo of the Week is Jeremy Lin and Caris Levert in Taiwan.
Congratulations are due to professional tennis players Sloane Stephens and Rafael Nadal on their grand slam wins at the 2017 US OPEN. Stephens beat Madison Keys 6-3, 6-0, to win the Women’s Final. And, on the men’s side, Spaniard, Rafael Nadal, beat South Africa’s Kevin Anderson 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 to win the men’s US OPEN FINAL.
Kyrie Irving has left the building. Irving is now with the Boston Celtics in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, center Ante Zizic, the Brooklyn Nets’ 2018 pick by way of the Boston Celtics, and a 2020 pick from Boston.
The Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliot can play for the Cowboys this season despite Roger Goodell handing down a six-game suspension to Elliot for domestic violence. The NFL Players Association took the NFL to court to get a Temporary Restraining Order over the process by which Goodell came to Elliot’s punishment, and won.
The NFL, after suspending former New York Giants kicker Josh Brown 1 Game for beating his wife, quietly suspended him for 6 games. The league reopened the investigation based on new info and has yet to release its findings. The NFL concluded there was a violation of its personal conduct policy and imposed a 6-game suspension which Brown accepted without appeal.
Michael Bennett had a run-in with Las Vegas police when he was leaving a night club. Bennett says that the officer told him he would "blow my f*cking head off"
Here’s a big contrast between the NBA and the NFL. Recently, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and NBA Players Association executive director Michelle Roberts are encouraging players to speak out on social issues, stating to NBA players:
“None of us operates in a vacuum. Critical issues that affect our society also impact you directly. Fortunately, you are not only the world’s greatest basketball players — you have real power to make a difference in the world, and we want you know that the Players Association and the League are always available to help you figure out the most meaningful way to make that difference.”
Our Photo of the Week is a photo of Brooklyn Nets’ players Jeremy Lin and Caris LeVert in Taiwan.
Brooklyn Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov is ready to do a slow dance to sell the team. Initially, Prokhorov wanted to sell a minority stake in the team, but because of the pace, he is willing to sell up to 49 percent and the remaining 51 percent shortly thereafter. Sources say Prokhorov is encouraged by the sale of the Houston Rockets for $2.2 Billion.
Carmelo Anthony is still a member of the New York Knicks even though both the Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers have expressed interest in him. Additionally, the Knicks point guard situation isn’t knocking anyone’s socks off and the team is considering bringing in point guards Trey Burke and Jarrett Jack for training camp.
Right now, there is enough space between the Yankees and the Orioles for the Yanks to get a wildcard spot in the playoffs.
Now, let’s go off topic. New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony showed up unexpectedly at the launch of his estranged wife, La La Anthony’s, new denim line at Lord & Taylor in New York City. Carmelo proudly posted a photo of La La on Instagram.
During an interview with CBS This Morning, Gisele Bundchen, wife of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, stated that her husband has suffered concussions over the years as recently as 2016. Eyebrows were raised after this declaration because Tom Brady was never listed on any of the injury reports as having any type of head trauma. The NFL confirmed this and planned to contact the Players Association to collect more information. Did the Patriots cover up injuries to Tom Brady, their star quarterback? Could we find more cases like this in the NFL?
Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll publicly stated that Colin Kaepernick is being considered as an option for a backup quarterback to Russell Wilson. While no final decision has been made, Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Michael Bennett said that Seattle would be the perfect place for Kaepernick. Would Seattle be an ideal place for Kaepernick? Still, without a football home and in lieu of the recent signings of other quarterbacks, does this further the notion that Kaepernick is being blackballed?
A Spurs fan is suing the Golden State Warriors' center Zaza Pachulia and the Warriors organization alleging that Pachulia's play against San Antonio Spur star Kawhi Leonard which caused an ankle injury that left the Spurs without their star for the remainder of the game. Some believe the injury allowed the Warriors to mount a comeback which propelled them to victory. The suit states that Pachulia's play “devastated the quality of the Spurs' chances of being competitive" and diminished "the value of the tickets purchased by plaintiff subsequent to their purchase." Does this fan have a point and do you think this case would move forward?
Certain members of the media have responsibility for selecting the All-NBA teams and the NBA MVP selection. Indiana Pacers guard Paul George was left off all of the All-NBA team designation and LeBron James is number four on the MVP list. Who are these media people and what are they thinking? Should decisions related to players’ compensation be in the hands of the media?
Will the Los Angeles Lakers and Magic Johnson have the magic to get the second pick in the 2017 NBA Draft? Is it a given that the Lakers will select Lonzo Ball with the second overall pick?
LaVar Ball vs Kristine Leahy- Never one to shy away from controversy, LaVar Ball, father of NBA prospect Lonzo Ball, once again finds himself in the middle of a media firestorm after an appearance on The Herd with Colin Cowherd. During the interview, Ball refused to speak to Cowherd's cohost Kristine Leahy except to tell her to stay in her lane and to reiterate that he would only address Colin Cowherd. Leahy has since gone on record to state that she has received death threats as a result of the on-air altercation. Do you believe Cowherd’s reason for not addressing Lavar Ball’s sexist behavior?
We are another step closer to a Mayweather/McGregor fight. UFC President Dana White declared that UFC fighter Conor McGregor's side of the deal is done and White is currently working with Mayweather's team on the remaining terms. Is this fight going to happen?
Congratulations to Rondae Hollis-Jefferson; his alma mater The Chester Community Charter School, named its gym The Rondae Hollis-Jefferson Gymnasium in his honor. Speaking of the Nets, what can the team do to upgrade its roster for next season? Meanwhile, what are some names or positions that Phil Jackson should be thinking about as the Knicks prepare for the draft?
Nearly every week, we put someone on the bench, and this week, Mike McDonald puts Blue Jays outfielder Kevin Pillar on the bench for using a homophobic slur against Atlanta Braves pitcher Jason Motte. Pillar apologized profusely, but the Blue Jays still suspended Pillar for two games. Pillar will forfeit approximately $6,066 of his $555,000 salary, with the money donated to charity.
Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll publicly stated that Colin Kaepernick is being considered as an option for a backup quarterback to Russell Wilson.
While no final decision has been made, Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Michael Bennett said that Seattle would be the perfect place for Kaepernick.
Still, without a football home and in view of the recent signings of other quarterbacks, does this further the notion that Kaepernick is being blackballed?
In this episode of What's The 411Sports recorded on April 19, 2016, What's The 411Sports hosts Keisha Wilson and Mike McDonald are talking about the:
NBA Playoffs 2016;
Stephen Curry's ankle injury;
NBA Board of Governors decision to place brand logos on players' jerseys;
The NBA Draft chase by high school graduate, Thon Maker;
Los Angeles Rams - Tennessee Titans trade;
Seattle Seahawks' social media cupcake schedule promo;
Josh Gordon and Johnny Manziel's latest falls from grace;
Kenny Atkinson is the Brooklyn Nets new head coach
New York Knicks and its coaching dilemma
New York Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom’s stressful week
Upcoming sports events are:
• The NBA playoffs continue.......
• Yanks host the Rays for a weekend series 4/22-4/24
• The Mets visit the struggling Atlanta Braves 4/22-4/24