The saga began in last year's Super Bowl with "I'm just 'bout that action, Boss."
Then, his blatant disregard for the media, and the NFL's rules surrounding it, continued through to this season. Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch has been putting on a spectacle with the media all year, which has now carried into the Big Game.
According to an ESPN article, in the 2014-15 season alone, Lynch "had been threatened with a $500,000 fine by the NFL if he skipped media day and has accumulated $131,050 in fines since the start of the regular season for violations of the league's media policy as well as on-field conduct" (Marshawn Lynch, 2015, para 12).
Likely fearing harsher fines and punishment from the league, Lynch honored (some of) the regulations of the Super Bowl interview sessions and attended. He did, however, wear apparel from his line Beast Mode, which will undoubtedly earn him a decent sized fine.
Lynch got creative this time around, adding some variety to his Super Bowl Media Day press conferences. In his defiant refusal to give the media the information they were looking for, Lynch stuck with the phrase, "I'm just here so I won't get fined," for five straight minutes at Tuesday's session. Wednesday it was, "you know why I'm here."
However, it was after Thursday's Media Day session that it became apparent why he was behaving the way he was, and it's because he genuinely does not care about the media, or anything they stand for. On Thursday, he gave shoutouts to his hometown, his family, his teammates, his charity and his hat- all things that he is passionate about and that carry great importance to him. At the end of the day, he cares what his family and his teammates think of him, not how the media want to portray him to the sports fans of the world.
As a current member of the media, it is often frustrating when athletes do not allow you to easily do your job. However, taking a step back from my profession, I have come to a conclusion that I never thought I would in a situation like this.
It's brilliant. And I respect it.
He stood true to what he believed in, and despite criticism from the
media around him, never backed down. Washington Redskin's safety Ryan
Clark said it was "the
perfect end to what he's done with the media all season." He finally
let us in to his thoughts, what drives and motivates him, and what his
perspective was on all of this.Before last year's Super Bowl, a profile on Lynch was done by Michael Silver. This profile explains why Lynch reacts the way he does to the media. He said, "Football's just always been hella fun to me, not expressing myself in the media. I don't do it to get attention... I'm not as comfortable, especially at the position I play, making it about me. As a running back, it takes five offensive linemen, a tight end, a fullback and possibly two wide receivers, in order to make my job successful. But when I do interviews, most of the time it'll come back to me" (Marshawn Lynch's, 2014, para 36 and 38).
I agree with Clark, Merrill Hodge and all of the other commentators who have praised Lynch for his behavior this week. This is not to say that I condone breaking league rules and policy, but hey, he warned the media early on: he is not interested and does not appreciate the attention. He was upfront and nobody respected his wishes.
On Thursday he told reporters he was here to prepare for the game, now let's see if preparation pays off.
Do you think Lynch was wrong to not cooperate fully at the press conferences? Do you think the media should have left him alone to prepare the way he wanted to? Should anything be done by the NFL to change the rules for interviews moving forward to ensure something like this doesn't happen again?
References:
Marshawn Lynch Offers Statement. (2015). ESPN. Retrieved from http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2014/story/_/id/12248321/marshawn-lynch-seattle-seahawks-offers-statement-media-answer-questions
Marshawn Lynch's Quiet Power Behind Seahawks' Super Run (2014). NFL.com. Retrieved from http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/story/0ap2000000318651/article/marshawn-lynchs-quiet-power-behind-seahawks-super-run
Alexx,
ReplyDeleteI have been thinking about this issue since seeing clips of Marshawn Lynch on ESPN. To be honest, at first I thought he was being a 'jerk.' And I thought to myself, "does he not want to get a job after his gig with the Seahawks is over?" It seemed to me that his behavior was counter-productive. Then you brought up the way it impacts someone in the media. I remember seeing an ESPN clip on how the media really produced the "Golden Age of Sport" by writing stories that created an awareness of athletes being 'bigger than life.' An L.A. Times reporter closed with a statement that athletes need to remember that the media made them who they were.
So when you said that you thought it was brilliant, I was taken aback. I think some of the ESPN announcers said something similar. I must admit that I am rethinking my initial impressions. So thanks for getting us to think about Marshawn Lynch in a different way.
Dr. Spencer
After reading this post, I also began to think more about all of the attention and talk about Marshawn Lynch. I had not been keeping up with this story or what has been going on with the media and Lynch much, but now that I am a little more aware of some of the history, I don’t blame Lynch for some of his abrupt/succinct responses to the media. I understand that it may be a league policy to attend such media events but I do not think it is right to mandate attendance and being able to fine the players if they choose not to do so. These athletes are under the spotlight and are set up for scrutiny by just being themselves. They are there to play a game. They are trained to perform in the games; therefore I do not think the NFL should make it mandatory for them to attend media events and allow media to invade their personal lives and questions their actions. Great post!
ReplyDeleteMarissa
I think that the media has a job to do and this is just what as athletes you have to go through. I agree with Lynch sometimes you just don’t want to speak with the media. I can remember watching Ricky Williams during an interview and he had his helmet on. I thought it was childish at the time but as I watched and learned about Ricky Williams I learned that he didn’t like speaking in front of cameras and so it made since. Not saying that Marshawn is the same guy or does not speak to the media for the same reasons but, I think that if Lynch doesn’t want to talk with the media that’s fine. I also think that his mind is in the right place and that he’s more of a team player than most people give him credit for. I think he’s one of the best backs in the NFL and I wish I could hear more from him, but he is human and I know how he feels. I go to class sometime and I just don’t want to speak. Dr. Spencer please don’t fine me for that statement. Then I go and I feel like my opinion matters and I speak up. I hope Marshawn thinks more along those lines but if not I’m okay with him not saying anything. I like the way he plays the game and to me that’s why I watch him.
ReplyDeleteVincent Marshall
Vince,
DeleteYou made me smile when you asked that I not fine you for saying that sometimes you go to class and do not want to speak up. I understand that feeling! I often felt that way when I went to my grad classes! Obviously, I got over it. Anyway, do not worry because I will not fine you:-)
I like your example of Ricky Williams.
Dr. Spencer
Alexx,
ReplyDeleteAs much as I am invested in sports and sport news, I can honestly say I never heard about the Thursday media day sessions when Lynch explained some of his actions. That isn't surprising to me, though, because reporters seem to love the angle of Lynch being a "bad boy" and his reluctance to provide any details in his interviews still makes the news. I never considered Lynch to be a bad person because of his defiant ways regarding the media. I actually was under the impression that Lynch had similar social issues to what Ricky Williams experienced during his career. Williams suffered from, if I remember correctly, social anxiety and didn't like being in front of cameras or the environment of media sessions. He was criticized as well, and it even became a joking matter after the previously mentioned "helmet incident." I will have to find a clip of Lynch's statement from Thursday and see what he explains in the session.
Joey Durant
I absolutely respect Marshawn Lynch in his actions towards the media. After coming out and telling why he doesn't enjoy talking to the media, it made me truly admire what his reasoning was and what he stands for. Football is absolutely a team game and it takes more than one guy to accomplish anything.
ReplyDeleteAs for the media, they have to ask the questions; that is what they are paid to do. But, as for the players, as long as they show up to their obligated time, they don't have to answer the questions in any certain way. I don't think the NFL can do anything to them in the future, as long as they show up.
Derek Shay
I don't think Marshawn Lynch is necessarily wrong but I do think that it could be done in a more mature, professional fashion. I don't think he's wrong because I understand wanting to prevent from being misquoted or misrepresented to the public. However, my issue with the way he deals with the media is the fact that he has a huge platform that could be used for good but instead he chooses to be selfish. As a star athlete he is being watched by young people all over the world and has the opportunity to set an example and show how to be a professional and I think it's rather selfish of him for choosing not to. I'm actually of fan of Marshawn Lynch, I like who I believe he is which is a genuine and honest person. I don't think he's a bad guy and I hate that these kind of things portray him to be or insist that he might. It's not fair but he's bringing that kind of negative attention to himself. I do not think the media should leave him alone, they're just doing their job. However I think the NFL could prevent this by creating some kind of player protection clause that protects them from their names being slandered or misrepresented in the media. I think that Marshawn Lynch or any other athlete that does not like dealing with the media, are simply afraid of being misrepresented and I don't blame them.
ReplyDeleteJonathan Robinson
Jonathan,
DeleteI can definitely understand his not wanting to be misquoted. Since he wants to be represented fairly, it would be good for him to write a book that accurately reflects his views sometime down the road.
Dr. Spencer
No, I do not believe that Lynch was wrong by not cooperating fully at the press conferences. Why should he be forced to speak when that is not comfortable to him? He gets paid to play the game. I think if the media was smart then they wouldn’t have wasted their time trying to ask Lynch questions. Did the media members really believe that their question would get Lynch to change his answer? I believe that something does need to be done. When we went to the MAC Championship and bowl game this past season the only two players who had to speak with the media were Gabe Martin and Alex Huettel. Both of these players were hand-picked by the head coach to be at these media sessions. I understand that the NFL and NCAA are different. But I do not believe that every player needs to be mandated to be available to the media.
ReplyDeleteMarshawn Lynch is and has been consistent. Since his time starting in the NFL to the present, the way he has dealt with the media has been steady. If he chooses not to speak to the media that is his prerogative, and his money to pay the fines that the NFL tacks on him. The fact of the matter is that this whole ordeal over Lynch is about control. The Seahawks have plenty of other options and vibrant personalities on their team that reporters could interview (Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman, etc...). If the league knows Lynch has an issue talking to the media it could easily redirect reporters to other stars on the team that would give better interviews. Marshawn has made it very clear what he is going to do when addressing the media. He has paid fines, given one worded responses to questions, and just not showed up to media events. The NFL could try to meet him halfway or continue to bump heads with him on his approach with the media. It's really more on the league to find a workable solution because Marshawn has made it very clear the action he is going to take with it.
ReplyDeleteAt first I thought that Lynch was being incredibly rude and making himself look like a fool. But after hearing what he stands for and why he was doing what he was doing i have a lot of respect for him. A lot of the time professional athletes spend to much time in the limelight and do not give enough credit to the people that helped them along the way and in everyday life, whether it is their team mates, family or friends. There are way too many athletes that portray a negative outlook on themselves and their team. There needs to be more athletes that act like Lynch and do not abuse the use of media. I feel like the media is one of the best and worst things that has happened to Professional sports. Athletes and media alike need to learn when and where to draw the line.
ReplyDeleteMarshawn Lynch is in a win/win situation. The media is in a loose/loose situation. Either way people are going to build a perception about this interview towards Lynch, some see his as arrogant, and some see him as a team player and an athlete. Either way, people see him. The fact that he is on TV and people are talking about him draws interest. He will undoubtedly get fined for wearing his Beast Mode hat, but that doesn't matter, because sales will go up from people seeing it on TV.
ReplyDeleteThe media is never going to get what they want out of him, and they waist their time by trying to do so.
Furthermore, I can't stand it when media outlets interview athletes before big games. This is not the media's time, or the fan's time, or the owner's time, this is the athlete's time. Let them prepare for their job.
Matthias E. Reiber
DeleteIn my opinion, Lynch has been getting crucified by the media and ESPN about what he has been saying during interviews. As a student-athlete I can see where he is coming from because the media can be extremely harsh sometimes and ask either really pointless questions or ask you to respond to something that puts you in a bad situation. Never was I on the media’s side with this story because Lynch has been attacked on multiple occasions which eventually caused him to have negative feelings towards the media and act out during most interviews that he is asked to do. I believe that if Lynch steps over the line and decides to use profanity and become offensive then that is when they have a real problem and need to take action. I just think he needs to be a little bit more careful with his sarcasm and what he says so the media can’t continue to make him look like the bad guy.
ReplyDeleteJasmine Matthews
Great post Alexx! Knowing that you are in the sport media field, it is interesting to here your thoughts about this topic.
ReplyDeleteI think the media and the NFL should LEAVE THIS MAN ALONE! I don’t understand why people are trying to force him to talk. I understand it is in his contract to be available to the media. During the Super Bowl press conferences, he was “available to the media” for the time he was mandated to be. The man does not like to talk to the media. So why is the media constantly probing him with questions that he is uncomfortable answering. The NFL is trying to control everything. I never knew his reason for not talking to the media. All I knew is he didn’t like public speaking because it made him uncomfortable. That’s all I needed to know. I enjoy his commentary, and I think the media has flocked to Lynch even more due to his nonchalant attitude towards on of his “required duty.” I’ve heard people say that Lynch should answer the questions for the fans. 90% of what players say during those interviews is fluff. “We have a good opponent, and we have to perform together as a team.” That is the gist of these interviews. There are only a couple players in the NFL who truly gives the media things that they want to hear. Including a couple on the Seahawks. I think the NFL should leave Lynch alone. Good Post Alexx!
-David Sims