Watch The Richard Sherman, Erin Andrews Interview Prequel [Video]

A few seconds before the famous Richard Sherman post-game rant with Erin Andrews, a Fox Deportes reporter interviewed the star cornerback.

That interview seemed to be prequel, or a warmup, for Sherman’s full-throated outburst with Erin Andrews.

Emotions were running high as Sherman made the game-saving end-zone play against wide receiver Michael Crabtree which allowed the Seattle Seahawks to defeat the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 23-17 at CenturyLink Field last Sunday night in the NFC Championship Game.

Both the news media and social media have been obsessed with Sherman’s intense rant, and since then the cornerback has apologized for and tried to clarify his controversial remarks about 49ers opponent Crabtree, and Sherman has gotten a lot of face time in the process.

Immediately before Sherman hooked up with Andrews, however, Fox Deportes reporter Troy Santiago was on the move and got there first. When his microphone caught up to the Seattle star (see embed below), Sherman articulated some now-familiar themes:

Hey, You don’t try to mess with me in the clutch, especially with a mediocre receiver like Crabtree. He’s weak. I’m the best in the game at this right now!”

Upon being congratulated for the gave-saving play that is sending the Seahawks to next Sunday’s NFLSuper Bowl at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, Sherman added, “Hey, I’m the best to be doing this right now. I feel good; we worked for this. We deserved it ….. LOB.”

Sherman then motioned for Santiago’s Fox colleague Erin Andrews to come over, and he gave her an awkward hug. Immediately after that, the famous Sherman rant took place.

LOB is short for Legion of Boom, the nickname for the Seahawks’ defensive secondary.

Of his brief pre-Erin Andrews interview with Richard Sherman, reporter (and former college football player) Santiago said that “His adrenaline level was off the charts. I didn’t think his comments were aggressive in nature; this [feud with Crabtree] was obviously a sensitive issue for him. I know what that’s like, to have those emotions running through you like that. He’s reacting to something that helped his team get to the Super Bowl; this is what every player dreams of, after all. It was just such a raw, authentic, emotional moment. I’m proud of the fact that we were there to capture it and deliver it to such a wide audience.”

According to CBS News, the specific origin of the Richard Sherman feud with Michael Crabtree is unknown. “The dispute between Sherman and Crabtree dates back to a charity camp last summer hosted by Cardinals wide-receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Sherman wrote that Crabtree said something to him, but has not said exactly what.”

Do you think all the hoopla over the Richard Sherman-Erin Andrews interview is by now overdone?

[image credit: Mark Samia]