LOL! I read that piece! Also, I read an excerpt from another book... it said Sterling who was famous for being a dick when approached for an autograph would come in every week to bags full of mail and post cards. He would sit at his locker and sign every single request he received. The writer of that book said... "That was the enigma that was Sterling Sharpe."

A media member once saw Sterling Sharpe at the SuperBowl and put someone up to saying HEY, THAT'S STERLING SHARPE just so he could say loudly back where Sterling could hear it... WHO CARES? Not a nice thing to do but it shows the level of hatred Sterling inspired.

Originally Posted by: uffda udfa 

Are you sure you're not confusing him with his brother?

Originally Posted by: musccy 

Being a dick to the media isn't the same thing as being a dick to the fans.

Probably because he wouldn't give them their free sound bites. The media doesn't like to get off their jelly doughnut filled asses and actually work for a real story. Anyone who makes them do that instead of being human microphone stands is vilified.

He could be the greatest guy in the world, but if he doesn't spoon feed the media their stories for them, we wouldn't know. Because the media would be to busy grinding their axes to tell anyone the truth.

Originally Posted by: Dexter_Sinister 

As I recall, Sterling felt that the local media had douchebagged him as a rookie, so he only spoke to national media after that.

Originally Posted by: nerdmann 

That is they way I understood it.

I never heard a fan say he was a jerk. Only the media.

Originally Posted by: Dexter_Sinister 

You know those stories you hear about where kids offer their bike to the Packers players to ride to practice? I was one of those kids. Sterling Sharpe was my favorite Packers player at the time and I caught up to him and asked if he could sign a card I had. I believe it was his '89 SCORE card. I thought it was strange that no one was really around STERLING SHARPE. I thought it was my lucky day. Anyhow, he had his pads, helmet and cleats in his hands and said something like sorry kid hands full. I offered to carry his helmet or pads or anything to no avail. I wouldn't say he was a jerk about it, but I remember at the time I was devastated. All I wanted was some ink on a card that would have taken him 30 seconds at most.

I learned later he didn't like signing things because people were selling them. So I kind of understood, but my gosh, I was like 12 or something. When I played ball and was WR, I was Sterling Sharpe. Then on the flip side, he was probably alone because everyone but ignorant me knew he didn't stop to sign things. And if he stopped to sign for me, then there would have been an even larger flock of people surrounding him.

As for his disdain towards the media. The media is at fault that. They took words of his, twisted them around and took him completely out of context. He vowed not to talk to the media ever again. Then after I think it was the Lions/Packers playoff game where he caught a 60 (or something) yard bomb to win the game he went to the podium. No one could believe Sterling Sharpe was at the podium and no one asked a question.


I think Sterling Sharpe was an amazing WR, but I have to stay with my Javon Walker choice. Watching him jump to grab a ball out of the air so gracefully was just a pure pleasure.

Originally Posted by: Zero2Cool 

Sharpe bowled in a league with some guys I worked with. I asked them if Sterling was like what the media said. They said not at all. If you respected his privacy. But he could be very firm about it if you crossed the line. Not a jerk, just firm like he was with you.

After what the media did to him and they way he cut them off after it, I find it hard to believe any article about him. I have heard stories about him being cold and distant to people. But I haven't heard any one say he was a jerk to them personally.

Originally Posted by: Dexter_Sinister 

There is a huge difference between telling a fan no when you are approached while out to dinner with your family and telling a 12 year old kid no while walking to practice. A kid asking for an autograph in the latter situation is not crossing the line.

Originally Posted by: sschind