Two days after the Super Bowl, Seahawks receiver Doug Baldwin said he had no regrets about the touchdown celebration that cost his team 15 yards and him $11,025 in the form of a fine for making an obscene gesture.
Given a couple of weeks to reflect, however, Baldwin decided to apologize, saying on 710 ESPN Seattle Monday night, “In that moment, it was just a reaction. Obviously if I could go back, I would take it back… In that moment, it was a spontaneous reaction to the course of the game. That’s not typically me, but in that situation that’s just what happened.
“Personally I didn’t mean anything by it negatively towards anybody. I do regret the fact that it cost my team 15 yards. And to the fans, ultimately I apologize to anybody who I offended in any way.”
Baldwin also changed his tune on the target of the celebration, admitting it was directed towards Patriots cornerback Darrelle Revis, who spent most of the day guarding Baldwin. After the game, Baldwin said the celebration was between him and the person it was intended for, and when asked specifically if it was directed at Revis, Baldwin said it was not.
“It’s a competitive situation, first and foremost,” Baldwin said Monday. “And as a competitor, when I’m out there on the field, I block out everything other than the guy that’s in front of me, what I’m supposed to be doing, what I’m supposed to be handling, so that would be Darrelle Revis. And I spent a lot of time those two weeks prior just focused on my individual matchup with him, and I put a lot into it.
“So in that moment I guess you could say it was just kind of a built up frustration I was letting out in that sequence, just between him and I. Because obviously there was competitive stuff going on in that game, and in that moment I just let out what I felt personally.
“It’s a mutual respect thing, but on the field you get those competitive juices going through your body. I was kind of frustrated I didn’t get more opportunities. It was an opportunity for me to go up against one of the best guys in our league and to prove to myself—this was a measurement for myself to go up against one of the best guys in the league—so I was a little frustrated I didn’t get more opportunities, but that’s part of the game.”
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