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Trash talking, celebrations, bullin' & straight up talking sh** has always been a factor in the NFL and the sport in a whole. We have seen some of the greatest names and performers use mental warfare to gain a upper hand on the field and the tone of the game with the spectators.
I shall list my favorite 10 since '97 and three legends that created the art of talk for these crafty chirpers- Leggo.
QB Phillip Rivers
Ahhh some of the best type of trash talk; the PG dad sh** talk. Mr. Rivers was the king of it. Hits ya with facts, big words, and stands with an arched back and a hand on the hip. The fact he doesn't swear actually drives people more mad. It's top notch mental warfare, especially when backed up.
Players around the league for years now, especially players who played in the AFC West have said Rivers is actually one of the more active trash talkers. He is fiery on the field & always talked some smack when the the opportunity arise.
video via//NFL
Rivers trash talk has inspired his teammates his whole career. "He loves it," said longtime Chargers center Nick Hardwick. "It's like I imagine he started talking trash when he came out of the womb. It's just in him."
But his talk didn't always respond well with his teammates. When asked how he first felt about Rivers, former Chargers line backer Shawn Merriman felt strong towards the QB.
"I absolutely hated Phillip," he said. "Everything about him". During Merriman's rookie season he embarked on one mission, to get Phillip to swear.
"One day I almost did. I thought he dropped the F-bomb, but he didn't," Merriman said. "I think he said 'mother-fudge' or something."
"I got under his skin, and after practice he started to imitate my walk to get back at me. And he can do my walk exactly down to a T. So I never got him to curse, but that day I almost did, and it became a running joke where if we had a great day on defense, he would start to walk like me after practice to get under my skin."
My guy chirped everyone, even his own teammates. Legendary chirper. He is still doing it in year 17:
video via NFL The Checkdown//twitter
LB Ray Lewis
When it came to intensity, motivational will to be the best & straight up grown man football; outside of Weapon X there was no one as good as Ray Lewis. He was legitimately feared by players. His ferocity and intensity as a competitor and teammate made him a unstoppable force on the field. We all know his intense pregame dances & speeches but his intensity on the sh** talk meter was just as high.
He was consistently talkin' smack on the field. He would lay the damn hammer on someone, shove their head into the ground as he got up and then would look at his prey and tell them to get off the damn field.
Ray was a whole other animal. He would warn his opponents every down that this was a man's game and they don't belong. The dude had a way with words let me tell you. He didn't have the sarcastic, savvy & cocky trash talk. He had that grown man trash talk. The Detroit Bad Boys type of trash talk. He would stick you then roar in your face because he knew you wouldn't do a damn thing about it. Straight up animal! Go watch the clip below to see firsthand how good he was at talkin'. It's a must watch.
video via// NFL on twitter
WR DeSean Jackson
As I have touched on with the other two, there is all types of trash talk. Tiers to it. D-Jac along with a member in the list's top 5 had his own way. He was never quiet, always talkin'. His trash talk style was getting under the opponents skin with his celebrations & animations while running down the sidelines. You see Tyreek Hill's peace sign when running past defensive backs but nobody did it like DeSean. He knew he was fast, he didn't miss one chance to shove it in someone's face.
I refer to him as the Primetime Receiver. Just like Deion, baby. Man could he talk sh**, just by running with the football. He would turn around, run backwards, chirp & start his celly. The D-Jac Free Fall will forever be one of the greatest taunts in history. He was so eager to get his celly on, the dude is known for dropping the damn football before crossing the pylon.
Jac-Pot would wag his finger, chirp players on the sideline while running down field & straight up SONed the slow corners in his dust. He was fiery, gritty, witty & straight disrespectful at times. Nothing will top his punt return toudy as he ran across field holding the ball and making the other team run in circles for the hell of it. Compton's finest, lengendary 10 was.
video via NFL
WR Terrell Owens
T.O. a true persona. You can't talk DeSean Jackson without the man who evolutionized the art of celly and outlandish personality on and off the gridiron, Terrell Owens. T.O. started the whole celebratin' thing. He brought it to a whole new level. From "Getcho Popcorn", to dancin' with cheerleaders and even playing with a damn Sharpie in his sock so he could sign a ball. T.O. was something else man.
The man was a clown. Every time the camera was on him he was either talkin' sh**, gloating about how great he thought he was or just trying to entertain in only his way. Owens has some of the greatest and viral interviews in all of sports. He never is kind on what is on his mind and to be honest, never shuts up. From the Jeff Garcia banter, his love for his QB (Romo) and his "I love me some me", he was always in the spotlight. The only thing he has ever wanted.
Look, I am a Donovan McNabb guy to the bone. All day forever, deal with it. You can assume I have some feelings towards good ole Terrell. I do. But his broken leg performance and the "Star Gazing" will never be erased from things I forever adore. T.O. runnin' on the star not once, but twice is the greatest taunt & perhaps greatest moment in history. Beautiful visuals all around.
LB Terrell Suggs
T-Sizzle from "Ball So Hard University" loved the game, but he loved talking trash just as much. Most players throughout the 2000s list him as a top trash talker. He was always talking. I feel like he and Ray Lewis had a comp' amongst the two of them to see who can create more fear in each game.
Suggs used to go on twitter before games with T-shirts talkin' sh** to whichever team he was playing that week. His classic Ravens shirt with a raven flicking the middle finger at the Steelers can still be purchased. Some of his more brutal chirpin' has been directed at Ben Roethisberger. He didn't hold back on QBs. Suggs even trashed his own quarterbacks. When Matt Schaub was a backup in Baltimore, Suggs chirped "Hey Matt, your guys are the guys in purple," after Schaub missed a open receiver in a practice.
He was stellar in bringing his trash talk from the gridiron to the media. He has a few encounters with Skip Bayless that if you ask me, helped Bayless stay relevant outside of Stephen A. He chirped everyone. Suggs was always mean muggin' and making people mad.
WR Chad Johnson (Ocho Cinco)
"Man they have a better chance at finding Osama than stopping me tonight". This guy loved himself so much he changed his last name to his jersey number so people knew who was always open. There is truly no one like Ocho Cinco. He was the Conor McGregor of the NFL in a sense. He played to entertain, talk sh** & show people how cool he was.
The man had sentences of cockiness flow out like it was his only language. It was brilliant. He talked and celebrated his way to must watch TV playing for one of the smallest markets in football. Chad bribed a referee during a review with a $1 bill. The NFL fined him 20K for it. I'd be stunned if he doesn't have the most fines in NFL history.
Despite his one of a kind personality and his catchy quotes raving his greatness, Ocho Cinco will always be known for his celebrations in which was a big part for all his fines. Chad is probably the cockiest trash talker in history, but he backed it up. 85 was truly, always open. You disagree? Child Please.
video via NFL Films
WR Randy Moss
The Freak was the king of satire. He is so witty with his words, and he sure loves to talk. He knew how bad he was. Talked the talk and backed it up. In a fashion that made it seem like he wasn't even trying. Moss said "84 don't stretch on gameday, I'm ready, I came out the womb ready", and he showed it.
The "Moss Moon" is arguably the most fantastic, disrespectful & charismatic celebrations in history. Moss put the Frozen Tundra in a frenzy and made Joe Buck sound like he just watched the Ray Rice video. Moss put the dagger to their Super Bowl hope's and sent them home with one incredible receipt.
Take a lite or sip and enjoy 13 incredible minutes of Randy Moss. The man indeed.
video via NFL Films
CB Richard Sherman
This is where the list becomes to get real difficult. Before I even dive into arguably a top talker ever- here is what makes him a automatic bid for top 3:
That was a top sports moment ever and that's no cap. Absolutely electric- WWF promo type sh**. I jumped up and shouted "yeeee talk your sh**." Sherman did just that, and has always done just that.
But Sherman's trash talk is in another stratosphere. Rather it's a DB or one of the out-spoken receivers I have already listed. He is a calculated and intelligent trash talker. This man doesn't get the credit he deserves as a Compton great. The man is superbly intelligent, went to Stanford and always did great in his education especially with what he had to suffer with around him.
When he trashes receivers, he does it with statistics, intelligence & a witty tone. Sherman times his trash talk, he is a master at mental warfare. A utter master. He retired Crabtree that night. The yawns, calling out people for their stats & just constant destruction of receiver's ego gave him another weapon to his arsenal along with his All-Pro type of skill as a DB.
Rich called fans out for cappin on twitter, analyst who don't speak facts & receivers who claim they were better then they really are. He is stone cold. Don't try my man, he will make you look dumb. Just ask Skip Bayless, who Sherman destroyed on live TV:
LB Bart Scott
Bart Scott... man. I know ya don't fully know all the things on Scott so I suggest you do some searching. Scott is a national treasure. Bart is perhaps the most vulgar and disrespectful trash talkers in any sport in history. But, Scott was witty and intelligent just like Sherman, but much more personal and much more mean.
Scott talks 365 days a year on everyone and everything. Bart has said he views trash talking as a art or science. Scott studied former athletes on how to trash talk. He literally studied on how to talk sh**. Like what. He once said that when he was younger he watched WWF promos to get better at talkin' smack. Just incredible, absolutely incredible. I am going to guess he watched a lot of Stone Cold, because he is ruthless.
So ruthless, that he said some things (no one has said what, I tried to find it) so bad to the Steelers one game that both Terrell Suggs and Ray Lewis went over to them during a break an apologized for what Bart said. I literally just learned that while researching for this paragraph, and it may be the greatest thing ever. I gotta know what Bart said.
The first time Scott met the Jets owner Woody Johnson he slapped his a** and shouted for a free case of baby powder. "Forget trash talking in football, this is trash talking in the finest, this is what I aspire to." He professionalized in trash talk. "I keep ammo on everybody, even if they never joked on me,” he said. “Because I will never be caught off-guard. No one will outtalk me. ever.”
Scott used a three-step trash-talk template. He starts with research. He searches ESPN, Google and scouting reports, which include pictures. He wants to understand the opponents he will talk to, understand what angers them, what makes them tick. He looks for police incidents, problems with wives or girlfriends, expanding stomachs, funny faces. He is a serial killer in the trash talk game.
As I mentioned Bart would watch wrestling videos, or famous trash talkers like Muhammad Ali. The vids taught him a step 2- mixing fact with fiction. Scott wants his barbs to be believable, but he often uses exaggerations, or lies disguised as truth, for maximum effect.
Which then would lead to step 3- knowing his audience. The more people responding, the more the insults will sting. Scott thrived off when his targets’ teammates laugh. This style works for more than Scott’s amusement. Angered opponents have become distracted, thrown fits, or tried to fight Scott on numerous occasions. He is easily the most ruthless talker along with Lawrence Taylor in NFL history.
Here is another top interview in history- this by the great Bart. Can't wait!!
WR Steve Smith Sr.
The Shakespeare of trash talk. Swagger, charisma, confidence & mean muggin'- Steve Smith. Ice up son, ice up! Man was Steve witty. He would take your lunch and eat in your face. Mighty Mouth is the goat of trash talkin': here is some in a quick 50 seconds
"Honestly I just want they mother to be pissed off when they see they child on SportsCenter and see me doing him dirt". This man didn't care about anyone's feelings! He was the bully in elementary school who thrived off takin' kids lunch money and giving out wedgies. "Cut off heads, ask questions later".
His demeanor carried over to his play. Boy was he fun to watch, but even more fun to listen to let me tell you that. His play as a receiver was Ray Lewis type- strong, mean & hardcore. Steve's trash talk? I don't think anyone compares.
Need a translation? He's referring to the entire Cincinnati starting secondary: "27" (trash) is starting cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, "24" (also trash) is starting corner Adam "Pacman" Jones, "43" (the one who is not trash, but is, in fact, a f*** boy) is starting strong safety George Iloka, and "20" (whatever bad thing he says after that) is starting free safety Reggie Nelson.
Bro was straight relentless. Very few times did anyone actually retaliate towards the king and each time he made them regret it. He is the most savage, hard nose & fluent sh** talkers in histroy. Probably human histroy, anything regarding comp... Smith Smith can't be topped.
He ended things perfectly with his retirement letter: ”This is to notify you that as of today, I, Steve Smith Sr., will no longer be antagonizing defensive backs. I am retiring from the National Football League."
Legendary.
Legends:
TE Shannon Sharpe
CB Deion Sanders
LB Lawrence Taylor
Honorable Mentions:
S Antrel Rolle
CB Cortland Finnegan
DE Brandon Graham
DE Michael Strahan
DE Warren Sapp
CB Aqib Talib
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