"It was loud, it was in the moment, and it was just a small part of the person I am."
That's how Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman explained the postgame tirade he unleashed on national TV just seconds after his tipped ball sealed Seattle's NFC title game win over the San Francisco 49ers.
In a column for TheMMQB.com, Sherman wrote Monday that he was attacked on Twitter for his words with "racial slurs and bullying language far worse than what you'll see from me."
"I can handle it," he wrote, but Sherman did not smile upon learning that a handful of Seahawks fans chose to dump popcorn on NaVorro Bowman as the 49ers linebacker left the field with a potentially torn ACL.
"One thing I can't accept is what I read after the game about Seahawks fans throwing food at (Bowman) as he was being carted off the field with his knee injury," Sherman wrote. "If it's true, it's beyond terrible. That's as low as it gets. I'm sure whoever did this is in a small minority of fans, because I don't think that kind of action is an accurate representation of the character of the 12th man.
"Navorro Bowman is a great player who plays the game the right way," Sherman went on. "When he went down, I dropped to a knee and prayed for him. He deserves better than having food thrown at him as he's carted off a field. All players deserve better than that."
This time around, Sherman has spoken wisely.
The "Around The League Podcast" recapped all the Conference Championship week action.
