Two Rivals, Fathers, Show True Sportsmanship During Superbowl XLIX

I woke up this morning to a news feed filled with emotional reactions to last night's Superbowl XLIX. The epic back and forth battle between the two best teams in the NFL certainly lived up to it's hype and ended up becoming the most watched television show in history.

Of the numerous storylines that prefaced the big game, the most intriguing for me was the contentious rivalry between Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman and Patriots quarterback, Tom Brady. Back in 2012, the internet went bananas over this picture that Sherman posted which shows him taunting Brady after their come from behind win:

...and it's been downhill between them ever since.

This time however, things were different. In an eerily familiar reversal of fortune, Brady managed to rally the troops and overcome a hefty point deficit to win the championship.

After the game, Sherman immediately approached Brady and in an completely unexpected move, extended his hand to congratulate him:



This moment of sportsmanship between two athletes is significant because it sends the message that no matter who your favorite team is or which organization you play for, the ability to be gracious and show respect to the man on the other side of the line of scrimmage is what's most important. In other words, competitiveness is a good thing, but don't be a jerk about it.

These are the types of lessons that Brady, a proud father of three and Sherman, a newly expectant dad will likely seek to instill in their children. And it will be experiences like the once that they shared during this Superbowl that will be the example, for their kids-and for us all.