While accused of "dirty play" and unsportsmanlike conduct during his career, leading to calls in 1949 from coaches Greasy Neale and Buddy Parker for the NFL to discipline him, he defended his play as not being any different from other players of the era. According to Sprinkle, "We were meaner in the 1950s because there were fewer positions and we fought harder for them. It was a different era."
While criticized for "dirty play" and unsportsmanlike conduct during his career, leading to calls from coaches Greasy Neale and Buddy Parker for NFL discipline in 1949, he argued that his actions were typical of players from the same era. Sprinkle elaborated, "We were meaner in the 1950s because there were fewer positions and we fought harder for them. It was a different era."