God abhors pride and conceit but God loves Richard Sherman and promotes 'trash talking'...at least my definition of it.I'm a little late with my two cents but I say,
"Let Richard Sherman be" and I was rooting for the 49ers! (View an awesome interview of the Richard Sherman Rant CNN right here). However, I agree that there were some actions
that he needed to, and did, apologize for.
So Let's Define 'Trash Talking' from T~Rev's Dictionary
Trash Talking - 1. A
bold, courageous, CONFIDENT, and borderline-cocky verbalized declaration directed
towards an opponent or obstacle and used as a strategy to build one's faith and gain
a mental edge over the opponent. 2. A verbalized statement of faith directed
toward obstacles and negative circumstances in life that seek to kill, steal,
or destroy you mentally, physically, financially, or spiritually.
- . It builds up faith in
the user because the more you say a thing the more you really
start to believe it. (read Mark 11:23in the Bible)
- . It puts pressure on the user to
live up to his proclamation so he, in turn, raises his game
- . It can intimidate, frustrate, and mentally
disarm the opponent bringing him or her out of their normal character and
focus.
If you have no confidence in self, you
are twice defeated in the race of life. With confidence, you have won even
before you have started." -- Marcus Tullius Cicero
A “Trash Talker” Promoted in The Bible
*I’ll write scriptures in red, write my parallels and commentary in white, and underline any “trash-talk”.
1 Samuel 17: 22
David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and
asked his brothers how they were. 23 As he was talking with them, Goliath, the
Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual
defiance, and David heard it.
ü I liken this to when
Richard Sherman said he was insulted by Michael Crabtree long before the game
that sparked the rant.
25 Now the Israelites had been saying, “…The king will give
great wealth to the man who kills him (Goliath). He will also give him his
daughter in marriage and will exempt his family from taxes in Israel.”
ü As long as Richard
talks big AND slays the proverbial giants of his sport he too will make more
money, have more spoils, and brand himself more than most his peers.
26 David asked the men
standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and
(Let the Trash Talk Begin) removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this
uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
ü Richard probably asked, his agent, brands, and history what will be done for beating the best and being outspoken as well. NOW, check
out the biblical trash-talk - David calls his opponent a ‘disgrace’ then goes
all out and makes reference to his opponents “bits” (as the English refer to
them). Let’s not get all “holier than thou” religious folk! We’re mature
adults and we all know what part of the body his ‘uncircumcised’ dig refers
to…Hello! Now he wasn't being a hood-rat and explicit because being circumcised
was simply but importantly a mark that you were devoted and set aside to God.
But conversely, having the foreskin meant you were unclean and profane, so you
get my point. Try going to work tomorrow and saying, “You foreskin-havin’, unclean, profane, disgrace-of-a-person” to your annoying co-worker and see how that goes
over with HR.
28 When Eliab, David’s
oldest brother (The equivalent to
Sherman’s critics), heard him speaking with the
men, he burned with anger at him and asked, “Why have you come down here?…I
know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is.”
ü Can anyone say HATER? Wow! People who aren't brave enough to do what you do but secretly desire to, always criticize
the most.
31 What David said was
overheard and reported to Saul (equivalent to the media), and Saul sent for him. 32 David said to Saul (equivalent
of Sherman’s coach and teammates), “Let no one
lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”
(Hmmm…more trash talk peeps)
45 David said to the
Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come
against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel,
whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands,
and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the
carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals…
50 So David (Sherman) triumphed
over the Philistine (Crabtree) with a sling
and a stone; without a sword in his hand (I liken this to being a corner
back because of the disadvantaged position) he
struck down the Philistine and killed him. 51 David ran and stood over him…After
he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword.
ü Richard Sherman
sealed the victory over the 49ers with an impacting defensive play on Crabtree
making good on a profession he declared to Crabtree that he would pay him back
on the field for disrespect delivered at an earlier encounter between the two.
54 David took the Philistine’s head and brought it to
Jerusalem; (More
Outspoken trash talk after the victory)
Many former and current superstars, from Michael Jordan to even Tom Brady, have dabbled in trash-talk.
Is it easy to slip into conceit and pride (which comes before a fall)? Sure, but when guarded and
packaged correctly trash-talk can be most
entertaining and aid in victory.
God has told us to boldly say - "NO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST ME SHALL PROSPER!" ....Run with it peeps!
T~Rev T~Rev