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He’s an emotional player, but he doesn’t like to be called a thug because of his passion. Nor does he deserve it.

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman‘s after game interview with a FOX reporter was majorly criticized for its loudness and emotion.

Sherman claims to exist within an old school way of public speaking after games — to have a mouth with no filter.

“I studied the old school game more than I studied the new school game, and I play it that way. It rubs a lot of people the wrong way,” Sherman said Wednesday. “Giving a true speech after a game, a true passionate speech is old school football. Playing press corner and sitting up there every play is old school football. I guess maybe I just haven’t adjusted to the times.”

Sherman interview or shout as some people would call it caused controversy, much to his surprise.

“I was surprised by it. Because we’re talking about football here and a lot of people took it a little bit further than football.” Sherman said. “I guess some people showed how far we have really come in this day and age and it was kind of profound what happened and people’s opinions of that nature, because I was on a football field showing passion. Maybe it was misdirected, maybe things may have been immature, maybe things could have been worded better but this is on a football field. I didn’t commit any crimes, I wasn’t doing anything illegal. I was showing passion after a football game.”

But he didn’t take too kindly to being called a thug — racially stereotyped and insulted.

“The only reason it bothers me is it seems like it’s an accepted way of calling someone the N-word nowadays. It’s like everybody else said the N-word and they said thug and they’re like, ‘that’s fine,’” Sherman said. “That’s where it kind of takes me aback. It’s kind of disappointing because they know. What is the definition of a thug, really?”