There was a big American football game this weekend between the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks.  There was a post-game interview with player Richard Sherman that went a bit out of control afterwards and has generated a ton of interest and discussion.

Basically he yelled into the camera and was angry and attacking another player and being self-righteous. There have been opinion pieces written to support him as well as those against him and those that explain how far he has come.  

I don’t see what they see. I don’t see color or race or a hero or a victim.  I see a person who probably should have been a bit more humble in the heat of the moment, and celebrated his team’s sweet victory in a more positive way than he chose to express.

I also see 10 things we can learn from this interaction that are good lessons for all of us.

1.  Be nice. Always.

2.  When you have strong feelings, take a breathe and count to three before speaking or acting. Give yourself a moment to think.

3. What you say is a reflection of your self and your team or family. Choose wisely.

4. If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say it out loud.

5. Be respectful. Respect yourself. Respect others.

6. Be humble. Have confidence in yourself, yet be humble. Your actions speak louder than your words. 

7. Forgive your enemy. Let go of negative feelings and hate. It’s ugly.

8. Threatening others is ugly too. Be gracious with your own success and don’t attack others. Good sportsmanship is always in fashion.

9. When you make a mistake, acknowledge it by saying you’re sorry and meaning it, without making excuses for your part in the conflict. This makes it easier for everyone to move on and continue to be great.

10. Thou shall not judge. He made a mistake and he does not deserve to be attacked by America.  Let’s move on and forgive and get ready for the next event. Move forward in peace.