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Michael Crabtree: “What is a diva?”

We’ve noted before that 49ers receiver Michael Crabtree has a “diva clause” in his contract designed to ensure that he’s a full participant in mandatory activities, an almost-full participant in voluntary activities, and generally not, you know, a diva.

Except that Crabtree doesn’t know if he’s being a diva because he doesn’t know what a diva is.

What is a diva?” Crabtree asked in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle. “Really, I have no idea. . . . Isn’t a diva a female? I don’t know, I’m asking. I mean, come on, that makes no sense. A diva?”

Crabtree has a point: According to Wikipedia, a diva is a celebrated female singer, and a male would properly be called a “divo.”

But is Crabtree a diva (or divo) in the modern sense, meaning someone whose bad attitude makes him more trouble than he’s worth? He reportedly had a bad attitude this summer, leading to a confrontation with teammate Vernon Davis. But Crabtree insists he’s a good teammate.

“I’m telling you, that ain’t me,” Crabtree said. “Not when it comes to my teammates and guys that see me every day. I’m just a regular guy like everyone else.”