…serial dick-swinger/Vikings TE Visanthe Shinacoe and Saints S Darren Sharper. The rich backstory, courtesy the Minneapolis Star-Tribune’s Jud Zulgad :
It came as no real surprise that Shiancoe and Sharper have both embraced Twitter and started to spar via the service after Sharper wrote that X would mark the spot on Brett Favre’s surgically repaired ankle on Sept. 9 when the Vikings open at New Orleans.
But now it’s tough to tell if what appeared semi-good natured at one point has turned personal. Things might — and we stress the word might — have gotten out of control when Shiancoe visited Camp Ripley on Tuesday and was given a target that featued a picture of Osama bin Laden with Sharper’s jersey number and the words, “I’m Darren Sharper.”
Sharper claimed he did not take kindly to that and on Wednesday he tweeted, “ok homeboy you done went too far, making me out to be something that has brought this country alot of heartache. Imma bust you right under your chinstrap from the first play on. I don’t care about the fine. [Bleep] the money. Imma do it for the red,white&blue.”
The money part was a reference to Sharper’s offer to put his game check on the line for Sept. 9 if Shiancoe was held to less than three receptions and no touchdowns.
Later Wednesday, Sharper sent the following text message to Saints beat writer Mike Triplett of the Times-Picayune after Triplett asked if the exchange was still in fun or had turned serious: “What u think, he pitting me as a terrorist, that ain’t funny. … You’ll be there Thursday night so you’ll see how serious I am.”