Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll has revealed that he has already spoken to cornerback Richard Sherman about his comments immediately after Sunday's NFC championship match against the San Francisco 49ers.
Sherman stopped a Colin Kaepernick pass from reaching Michael Crabtree in the endzone in the closing stages of the match, tipping the ball up for Malcolm Smith to intercept and seal a 23-17 victory for his side.
He then belittled Crabtree in his post-match interview, claiming that the 26-year-old would not get into the top 20 receivers in the NFL and calling him a "mediocre" player.
"We aren't perfect, and we all make mistakes. Things don't always come out exactly as we planned. I look at it like this: What would I tell my son? I'm a dad. I speak from that perspective. Maybe [the players] don't always want to hear it that way, but it's the best way I can communicate. That has already taken place, and we've already talked about it," Carroll told ESPN.
"When you really love somebody and care for them, you do everything you can help them be everything they can be. At times they are going to make mistakes and break your heart, but if you love them, you stay with them. You give [them] the best chance to be all they can be.
"Richard is a wonderful spirit. He's got an amazing heart, and he has great sensitivity. He goes all the way to the end of the spectrum when it comes to expressing himself."
The Seahawks will face the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl, which is scheduled to take place in New York's MetLife Stadium on February 2.
