Steve Smith Clowns Benny Sapp, Explains 'Rules of the Game'

I could see if Antonie Winfield had gotten in Steve Smith's ear before last night's Vikings-Panthers get-together. Two of the best players at their position engaging in a little pre-game gum-flapping. It happens every week, no big deal.

But when Benny Sapp is the guy chirping at Smith ... well, that's different. That's like, say, Josh McDaniels telling Chargers players that the Broncos own them. You know how it's going to end. In Sapp's case, Smith caught nine passes for 157 yards and a touchdown as the Panthers upended the Vikings, 26-7. (And as long as we're blaming him for stuff, this is probably his fault, too.)

Which led to Smith making these post-game comments to NBC's Andrea Kremer, who has forgone the multi-zippered homage to Michael Jackson for the more conventional one-zipper.

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"You know, uh... You know, No. 22 [Sapp] had something to say to me on the field. So, little youngster ... (he was) just telling me who he is, so I had to establish the rules and regulations of the game."

As Doug Farrar points out on Shutdown Corner, Sapp is No. 28. I'm guessing it was hard for Smith to make that out with Sapp always behind him.

And just so we're clear: "Rules of the game" = "89." That that, Benny, is why you're going home.

via Football Outsiders, PFT