New Orleans Saints: Vikings Shiancoe Uses Sharper As Target Practice, But Sharper Fires Back
By Keith Null
Perhaps one of the greatest modern day rivalries in the NFL is officially forming between the New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings after an epic showdown in the NFC Championship game last season.
That game was of course one that will go down in infamy as the Saints aggressively beat and battered on Brett Favre while forcing an abundance of turnovers which ultimately cost Minnesota the game.
Now of course the Vikings and their fans think they should have won the game and accuse the Saints of purposefully going after Favre with the intention to hurt him citing several late hits on the 40-year old quarterback.
New Orleans counters by stating they were only playing an aggressive style of defense and that rushing the passer (Favre) is a normal thing for NFL defenses to do.
Let the rivalry begin.
After the game Favre’s ankle was so badly hurt that it would require surgery this off-season which he opted to have just a few weeks ago, a photo of his ankle can be viewed here and of his thigh here.
Once news broke that Favre had the surgery, which all but guarantees he returns for the 2010-2011 season, Saints free safety Darren Sharper decided to post a tweet about the upcoming game between the Saints and Vikings September 9th instigating a tweet of words between he and Shiancoe.
Darren Sharper @sharper42: “Well, y’all seen Brett had surgery on that ankle we got after in the championship game,””Come Thursday night 1st game. X marks the spot.”
Visanthe Shiancoe @vshiancoe: “That’s all good, but Sharper had surgery, too and it was the knee,” “If X makes the spot on Brett, I wonder what marks the spot on Sharper.”
Darren Sharper @sharper42: “So visanthe stankoe X marks the spot on me, how bout X marks the spot for how many catches and TDs you’ll have come Thursday night. X = zero.”
Darren Sharper @sharper42: “If you feeling yourself put your game check on it. No TDs and less than 3 catches you give me your game check. Now whose talking.”
Visanthe Shiancoe @vshiancoe: “Ask your bold D-coordinator to have u check me all game.. we’ll see where that “sharper shake” takes you.”
Things were pretty much silent from that point until today when Shiancoe, who was visiting with the Minnesota National Guard, posted a pic on his twitter account that many found offensive.
Visanthe Shiancoe @vshiancoe: “TRUE STORY! Before target practice a soldier suggested a custom target for me. Guess he wanted to start my engine early for the SAINTS game!”
Now what could have been construed as a friendly game of “back and forth” between former team mates may have just taken a serious turn as Sharper doesn’t think the image is funny in the least.
Darren Sharper @sharper42: “ok homeboy you done went too far, making me out to be something that has brought this country allot of heartache. Imma bust you right under your chinstrap from the first play on. I don’t care about the fine. F the money Imma do it for the red,white&blue. And you’ll see me cuz I’ll be dressed in black & gold. Protect your neck that’s all the warning you get.
No reply has been given from Shiancoe yet but you can bet the NFL’s opening game of the 2010-2011 season will be one to remember judging by the actions of these two.
Neither the NFL or head coach Sean Payton (Saints) and Brad Childress (Vikings) have said anything to this point condoning either players statements to betting game checks and throwing dirty tackles but stay tuned to see where it goes from here.