That's how it should be, though, isn't it? Division rivals having a strong distaste for each other, players having beef with other players, competition at its highest level; this is what makes great rivalries, and the Los Angeles Rams' Jared Verse has a distaste for the Seattle Seahawks, and that's okay.
The rivalry between the two West Coast teams is one of the most exciting and competitive ones across the NFL landscape; it's what makes the NFC West one of the strongest divisions, including the San Francisco 49ers. Yet, within competition and strong rivalries comes deep disappointment when you're on the losing end.
Verse’s Rams were on the losing end of the NFC Conference Championship game when the Seahawks pulled out a 31-27 win to move on to the Super Bowl, sending the Rams packing for the summer. The Rams' season ended over two months ago, but it still stings, and Verse is one Rams player still feeling the aftershock of that loss.
Los Angeles Rams' Jared Verse admits he doesn't like the Seattle Seahawks
If there was ever a good reason to add fuel to the fire inside, it's losing an important game like a conference championship battle to a rival team. That is where Verse was living, over two months ago, and apparently, he's still living there.
The two-time Pro Bowler and former Defensive Rookie of the Year didn't mince words when looking back on the Rams' loss to the Seahawks on January 25th. Before that game, the Seahawks got the better of the Rams in an epic overtime battle down the final stretch of the season. A few weeks before that, the Rams came out on top.
Both games were close and competitive, and simply exhilarating to watch. But it's the conference championship game that lingers with Verse, and he spoke about it while appearing on The Jim Rome Show earlier this week.
“(The NFC title game loss to) Seattle bothered me just because I can say I don’t like them and all that stuff," Verse said. “They’re not my favorite team in the world, period. It bothered me a little bit. I think if it would have been the Eagles or Seattle, either one, it would have bothered me a lot.”
So it's not just the Seahawks that Verse has the cold shoulder for, but the Philadelphia Eagles as well. That may be because it was the Eagles who knocked the Rams out of the playoffs two seasons in that memorable snowy matchup.
It's unclear how many other teams Verse doesn't like, but it appears to be a theme: the teams that beat the Rams in the playoffs. Some might say Verse is petty for his take on the Seahawks, but this is actually good for the rivalry. On top of that, Verse isn't some rotational player. He's a bona fide star in the NFL, and he'll be an All-Pro soon.
Verse would go on to say that despite his feelings for the Seahawks, he's not wallowing in self-pity. That conference championship game came down to one play here and one play there, which means either team had every chance to come out on top. In this case, the Seahawks did, and that's why many still hold them as favorites to come out of the NFC West again next season.
Thanks to reflections like Verse's, one of the league's hottest rivalries will continue to burn. The Rams want vindication, and they'll seek it next year. All that means for Seahawks fans is at least two games next year with a lot on the line, adding to the excitement.
As for Verse, he can expect to face the Seahawks for the foreseeable future; that's exactly what Seahawks fans hope for after these comments.