01-09-2020, 03:11 AM
RENTON, Wash. -- Richard Sherman does not believe in video game curses. The Seattle Seahawks All-Pro cornerback will have his image plastered on the front of the next version of EA Sports popular "Madden" football game. Its an honour thats allegedly been fraught with peril for some past recipients who have either had subpar seasons or suffered injuries the year they were on the cover. "I dont think about anything like that. Its just something thats been fabricated, I think," Sherman said Monday. The video game cover, the result of winning an online vote, is just another byproduct of whats become an off-season of accolades for Sherman. Whether it was new endorsements or a contract extension that made him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL, there have been plenty of opportunities for Sherman to become distracted from his job. Yet, whenever the Seahawks were holding a session as part of their off-season program, Sherman was there. Seattle coach Pete Carroll noted Monday that Sherman has missed "maybe a day" of the voluntary off-season program. "Its voluntary but Im a ball player. What else am I going to be doing? When youre a ballplayer at the heart and this is what you sleep, breathe and eat, this is where you want to be," Sherman said. "I couldnt imagine myself being anywhere else because you just feel the itch to be back on the field, to be back with your teammates, to be back out there getting better." Thats not to say Sherman hasnt enjoyed being a Super Bowl champion. The perks have been plentiful, from endorsement deals to a contract that will keep him in Seattle through the 2018 season and pay him $40 million in guaranteed money. But thats meant little on the practice field during OTAs, other than providing fodder for teammates to joke with their star cornerback. "I think its more about love for the game that allows us not to get complacent," Sherman said. "Thats why youve got All-Pros and Pro Bowlers are out here every day of OTAs playing like theyre still fifth (round) and undrafted players trying to fight for a job. Thats how its always going to be." Carroll said he believes Sherman has handled the off-season hoopla as well as possible while maintaining his commitment to the team. Part of that commitment means educating the younger players Seattle has drafted or signed in the hopes of finding another gem in the draft like Seattle did getting Sherman in the fifth round. "Thats the kind of program we run here. You can show them better than you can tell them, with your actions. You fly to the ball, you play hard, you play disciplined, sound football and when they have questions youre there to answer their questions and you push them and make sure they know their assignments," Sherman said. "Its not like a lot of other programs where you are closed off and cant talk to anybody. We make sure were open books." NOTES: Carroll said LB Bruce Irvins hip surgery last week was successful and the team believes hell be back by the start of the season. Carroll said it was an issue that had been bothering Irvin for some time. ... Rookie second-round draft pick WR Paul Richardson sat out practice as a precaution after landing on his shoulder last week. ... RB Robert Turbin had his knee "cleaned up" during the off-season and Carroll said that has helped Turbin stand out during OTAs. Turbin and Christine Michael have gotten the majority of the work with Marshawn Lynch absent. Raymond Clayborn Jersey . You can, too, Clay Buchholz, if we ignore the sixth inning of Game 2. Doug Fister and Jake Peavy, youre up next in Game 4 and theres a lot to live up to. Garrison Hearst Jersey . - Maynor Figueroa headed in a late goal to give Honduras a 1-1 draw with the United States in an international friendly Tuesday. http://www.custompatriotsjersey.com/cust...1751f.html . For the Blue Jays the time was Wednesday and the ace was R.A. Dickey. He stepped up. "I feel some responsibility as a stopper from time to time," said Dickey. Hugh McElhenny Jersey . The Brazilian-born strikers brace drew him level with Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo as the leagues leading scorers with 17 goals apiece through 16 rounds. "The important thing is to help the team win, not the goals," Diego Costa said. After a first half dominated by defence, Atletico pressed Valencia into its area and Diego Costa did the rest. Aaron Hernandez Jersey . Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Buddy Robinson scored 43 seconds apart in the second period to lead the Binghamton Senators to a 4-1 victory over the Bulldogs in American Hockey League action Friday night at the Bell Centre.Major League Baseball may one day return to Montreal, but that day will not be coming any time soon, according to Bud Selig. Speaking with TSNs Michael Farber, the commissioner said that while franchise relocation and expansion is not currently being considered, the sour ending of baseball in Montreal would not keep the city from being awarded a franchise in the future. "With the 30 teams, you know we just went from 15 to 15 in scheduling, that was a very complicated process so there are really no expansion plans at all," he explained. "Fortunately, we dont really have any club that wants to move right now and havent for a long time. Its my last year and I cant, in the foreseeable future, see any expansion." Selig didnt rule out the possibility of Montreal landing a franchise again in the future, but added that one of the key steps would be getting a new stadium. "The first thing you need, and this has been true everywhere, even in existing places, is to build a stadium that can produce the kind of revenue you need today to compete," he said. "This is a sport now that is at an all-time high in popularity and revenue and everything else, but teams do generate a lot of revenue to compete and without a new ballpark, its not possible. So the first condition everywhere is to have a new ballpark." Selig also noted that having a local owner is crucial in establishing a franchise in a city. "You really need a group with local roots, who understands their market, but is also committed to keeping it in that market," he added. "Local ownership is vital." Speaking on the Expos and the series of events that led to their relocation in 2004, Selig said that he did not necessarily believe the sale of the franchise in 1991 was the "death knell" for the Expos, but called it "a sad day for baseball and a sad day for Montreal." He added that as the team was failing in the early 2000s, he tried to find another owner in Montreaal to keep the team in the city, but couldnt find support.dddddddddddd "(I) spent quite a bit of time, worked a lot with (team president) Claude Brochu, who was very good," said Selig. "Claude did everything in the world he could, and he was a wonderful citizen when it came to baseball. I know how he felt about Montreal, it just didnt work, but it wasnt for lack of effort. I came up there and we tried and we just didnt get anywhere." The commissioner also disagreed with the sentiment of some fans that Major League Baseball quit on the city of Montreal long before moving the Expos. "Thats regrettable," he said. "I dont believe that, in understanding of the historical facts and what happened, justifies that. I dont think MLB ever quit on Montreal. I think what happened, if you asked before and after Charles Bronfman sold the team, you bet I worked a lot with people to try to get permanent ownership and stable ownership but they obviously had a stadium problem. The Montreal people themselves talked about it a lot. So, I really dont think it was a matter of us quitting on Montreal. Montreal was a great part of baseball for all the years Charles Bronfman owned them, we had no reason to go against that in any way. I think we (MLB), every place we have been, we have made a very sincere attempt to really change the situation, and build stability into it, and weve succeeded everywhere else. And we tried in Montreal." With a decade gone by and the Expos firmly entrenched in Washington, D.C. as the Nationals, Selig added that the sour ending of baseball in Montreal would not keep the city from being awarded a franchise in the future. "The Montreal situation was one that we didnt want to happen, but with no ownership group and the very things that we have discussed here today, we had no choice," he said. "But as far as Im concerned, if and when that time comes, and there is a team, why wouldnt Montreal be considered?" ' ' '