Seattle Seahawks' Richard Sherman: 'League isn't fun anymore'

RENTON, Wash. -- Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman once again took aim at the NFL on Thursday, levying criticism toward the league, officials and commissioner Roger Goodell.

When asked why he thought television ratings were down this season, Sherman blamed the league for neutering the entertainment aspect of the game.

"Because the league isn't fun anymore," Sherman said. "Every other league, you see the players have a good time. It's a game. This isn't politics. This isn't justice. This is entertainment. And they're no longer allowing the players to entertain.

"They're no longer allowing the players to show any kind of personality, any kind of uniqueness, any individuality. Because they want to control the product. They want to control the messaging, etc., etc.

"They say we're trying to influence kids, and that's their biggest thing. That's their biggest ploy is you don't want to be a bad influence to kids. You don't want to be a bad role model. And I can agree with that. But in the same breath, you can't say Budweiser is the official sponsor of the NFL, and we're trying to influence kids. So there's a ton of hypocrisy, but it doesn't matter because we don't control it."

Among other criticisms, Sherman said he believes the NFL rulebook is too large, that "illegal contact" is impossible to officiate and Goodell has been a poor commissioner.

"He hasn't done a great job and it's obvious," Sherman said. "For us to say he hasn't done a great job is just beating a dead horse, honestly."

Sherman said the league told Seattle that three separate plays had officiating errors that went against the Seahawks last week in a 25-20 loss to New Orleans.

"We probably lead the league in NFL apologies the next day," Sherman said.

Saints receiver Willie Snead should have been called for a pair of offensive pass interference penalties. Flags were never thrown, and the result was two pass completions from Drew Brees to Brandin Cooks -- one for a touchdown and one for a 20-yard gain on third down that allowed the Saints to bleed the clock late in the fourth quarter.

Additionally, a defensive holding call against DeShawn Shead was also incorrect, per Sherman. That play gave New Orleans a first down and extended a drive that eventually ended in a Saints field goal.

--Running back C.J. Prosise mostly has been an enigma through his first few months in Seattle.

The third-round pick out of Notre Dame has been sidelined for most of his tenure with the Seahawks due to injuries. A hip flexor issue in the spring forced him to miss offseason workouts. A hamstring injury in training camp sidelined him again. Prosise then broke a bone in his wrist in Seattle's regular-season opener and missed four games before returning to the lineup two weeks ago.

After a limited showing in his first game back against the Arizona Cardinals, Prosise made several big plays for Seattle against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. The Seahawks will look to get him more chances moving forward.

"We're really excited about his involvement and want to continue to keep him in the mix," coach Pete Carroll said.

Prosise caught four passes for 80 yards and rushed for 23 yards on four carries against the Saints last week. Prosise played receiver in college, so Seattle is excited at the prospect of what he can bring to the passing attack. However, the Seahawks think he can be an asset to their running game as well.

"He's a very instinctive runner," Carroll said. "He's been very creative when he runs. We just haven't had a lot of chances to see that yet. Everything should just get better as he just gets more turns."

With Seattle's rushing offense struggling to find success, Prosise could see more opportunities come his way. The Seahawks are currently on pace for their lowest rushing total in franchise history. Thomas Rawls missed the past five games with a hairline fracture in his fibula. Interim starter Christine Michael has rushed for 466 yards and five touchdowns, but Seattle has lacked a true complementary piece in Rawls' absence.

With Rawls still set to miss at least one more game, Monday night against Buffalo, Prosise could give a much needed boost to Seattle's running game.

"I think I walk away very excited," offensive line coach Tom Cable said. "There were a couple runs, we checked a run, he stuck his foot down and got it. He bounced a read that was exactly the way you want it, put a strain behind his pads on the sideline, gave the shot instead of take it. That's what you look for in a runner. So yeah, you have to be really excited about that."