This is how the meme was born.
It was October 2012, and the Seahawks just defeated the Patriots in an incredible one-point game. Afterwards, Richard Sherman started jarring at Brady, and then shared the image on Twitter. In the tweet, Sherman says he was delivering a little post-game message to TB12.
“U mad bro?”
On this week’s episode of “Man in the Arena,” which covers the Patriots’ wild 2014 championship season, Brady and Sherman reveal the true story behind the legendary image — or at least their respective sides of it. That story is relevant to 2014, of course, because the Patriots outlasted the Seahawks in one of the greatest Super Bowls ever.
Sherman approached Brady at the end of that game, too. Instead of taunting, Sherman shook Brady’s hand.
But first, back to the acrimony.
“That game, they were winning by like 14 — two touchdowns or something. And it was a TV timeout. And Tom is halfway walking towards the sideline, and he stops halfway between the huddle and sideline, and Tom was like, ‘Who are you guys? You could’ve gotten the interception. You didn’t get it. You see the scoreboard. Come see me after the game,’” Sherman said. “He didn’t say, ‘Come get my autograph,’ but he said ‘come see me after the game, you guys seem like fans.’ Kind of like we were kids. And it pissed us all off.”
The Legion of Boom responded. Earl Thomas and Sherman each picked off Brady in Seattle’s come-from-behind win. Brady, with a sly smile, said he doesn’t recall demeaning Sherman.
“I don’t know exactly what I said back. I think he thinks he remembers everything,” Brady said. “It doesn’t sound exactly what I think I would say back, so we might have a difference of opinion of what exactly was said.”
At the time, Brady told WEEI he didn't remember the message.
Despite their different recollections about the exchange, there’s no disputing their respect for one another. Sherman said the episode made him realize Brady was a cocky SOB, too.
That’s a good thing, by the way.
“It was cool to see, because it was similar to how I am,” Sherman said. “You’re gonna talk your stuff. Tom was like, ‘You come for the king, you better kill the king.’ I can respect that.”
With that spirit in mind, Sherman says felt compelled to offer his hand to Brady at the end of Super Bowl XLIX. Greatness recognizes greatness.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for the man, the player,” Sherman said. “I just go out there and try to do my best to make his life as miserable as I can and help my team win, and line it up and play again. It wasn’t like we got cheated, it wasn’t like something crazy did happen. But they won it fair and square, so you should shake the man’s hand, and walk away. That’s what I did.”
As fate would have it, Sherman signed with the Buccaneers this season after a recruiting call from … you can probably guess the rest.