Former foes not so bad after all
Richard Sherman was doing his best Monday to let 49ers fans know there was no disrespect intended when he munched on a turkey leg on the Levi’s Stadium 50-yard line at the behest of television producers.
“Honestly, we were just enjoying the moment,” Sherman told reporters by conference call.
There was also the time he exploded in a postgame interview with Fox analyst Erin Andrews about the 49ers having the temerity to throw the ball in his direction to Michael Crabtree when the Seahawks won the NFC championship 2317 in Seattle following the 2012 season.
The fan base will get used to the idea of Sherman in a 49ers uniform the moment he begins intercepting passes and resuming his career as one of the NFL’s top cornerbacks. If they haven’t already. But it’s clear that as far initial shock value, there’s really nothing to match a hated rival with such a huge resume joining an arch-enemy which happens to be a Bay Area franchise.
Here’s a list of other athletes who were despised by partisan local fan bases and then wound up going to the other side: OR EL HERS HIS ER TO THE GIANTS ,1997>> Maybe it was the memory of an end- ofthe-road Juan Marichal pitching his last two games in a Dodgers uniform, but the Giants signed the 39-year- old Hershiser to a one-year, $3.45million contract. Hershiser once lightened
the mood with a Giants booster club by telling them “My name is Orel, and I’m a recovering Dodger.”. Hershiser went 11-10 with a 4.41 earned run average in 1998 and his option was declined for the following season. He finished up with the Mets and Dodgers. KEN NORTON JR. TO THE 49ERS, 1994>> After consecutive Super Bowl wins preceded by NFC championship game victories with hated Dallas Cowboys over the 49ers, Norton won his third straight ring with San Francisco in 1994. He became the first player to win three consecutive Super Bowls and ended finishing his career with the 49ers.
BILL ROMANOWSKI TO THE RAIDERS, 2002 >> It was bad enough when Romanowski was performing well for the 49ers and winning two Super Bowl rings from 198893. But Romanowski joined theDenver Broncos and exRaiders coach Mike Shanahan from 1996-2001 — a team that pretty much owned the Raiders. Yet in 2002, with the Raiders looking for veteran help, added Romanowski as a free agent along with John Parella and Rod Woodson. KEVIN DU RANT TO THE WARRIORS ,2016>> On July 5, Du rant rocked the NBA world by signing with the Warriors to join forces with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and D raymond Green. The Warriors were coming off a 73-win season in which they ultimately lost to Cleveland in seven games. To get to the finals, the Warriors had to overcome a 3-1 deficit to Durant’s Oklahoma City Thunder. Durant would later say he was happy to see the Warriors lose to the Cavaliers, but maintained he was taken out of context. JIMBURT TO THE 49ERS, 1989 >> Burt joined the 49ers less than three years after he knocked out Joe Montana with a concussion in the NFC championship game, won by the New York Giants 49-3. Burt had his retirement announced by Bill Parcells following the 1988 season, but determined he wasn’t finished. He joined the 49ers the following season, won a second Super Bowl ring, and retired after the 1991 season. ANDRE RISON TO THE RAIDERS: 2000>> Rison authored one of themost heartbreaking Coliseum moments since the team returned to Oakland when he caught a 33-yard touchdown pass with three seconds to play to give the Kansas City Chiefs a 28-27 win. Rison also tortured Charles Woodson in his 1998 NFL debut in a big Chiefs win.In 2000 for the Raiders, Rison caught 41 passes for 606 yards and six touchdowns opposite Tim Brown in his last NFL season.
JERRY RICE TO THE RAIDERS, 2001 >> The 49ers were clearly emphasizing Terrell Owens as their No. 1 receiver, so Rice looked across the bay. Rice had two Pro Bowl seasons for the Raiders and added to his NFL legacy.
VIDA BLUE TO THE GIANTS, 1978 >> Attempts by owner Charlie Finley to sell off Blue to the New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds were thwarted by commissioner Bowie Kuhn. So Finley finally dealt Blue for seven players -- Gary Alexander, Gary Thomasson, DaveHeaverlo, AlanWirth, John Henry Johnson, MarioGuerrero and PhilHuffman. Blue was 18-10 with the Giants and an All-Star game starter. BARRY Z IT OT OT HE GIANTS, 2006 >> After seven years and a Cy Young Award as player drafted and developed by the A’s, Zito was up for free agency in 2007 and it was clear the A’s had no intention of joining the bidding war orchestrated by agent Scott Boras. The Giants stepped up with a seven-year, $126 million offer that in some ways altered the perception of both fan bases. After five losing seasons, Zito went 15- 8 in 32 starts in 2012. He came up big in the postseason as well, shutting out the Cardinals for 7 2/3 innings and then beating Justin Verlander and the Tigers in the World Series. RAFFI TORRES TO THE SHARKS, 2013 >> Before he came to San Jose in a trade with the then- Phoenix Coyotes, Torres was best known locally as the player who delivered a dirty hit to the head ofMilanMichalek in the 2006 NHL playoffs. Playing for the Edmonton Oilers, Torres’ shoulder-tohead shot in the open ice seemed to take the steam out of the Sharks, whowon Game 2 but then lost the next four. Torres’ Sharks career was derailed by injuries and a 41-game suspension for another head shot in a preseason game.