Marshawn Lynch: “I’m Here So I Won’t Get Fined”
The week leading up to Super Bowl XLIX has thus far been dominated not by talks of football, but by talks of discipline. There’s the whole Ballghazi deal with the New England Patriots, which I’m sure you’re sick of hearing about. The Seattle Seahawks don’t have anything like a team-wide cheating scandal to deal with, but that doesn’t mean the NFL is ready to stop hating Marshawn Lynch.
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Most recently the league has been on Lynch’s case for his crotch-grabbing antics, threatening to penalize the ‘Hawks on the field and keep fining Lynch more and more if he doesn’t cut down on his “obscene gestures.” They’re also still fining him each time he skips a media session. The NFL gets a big kick out of fining Marshawn Lynch, basically.
There was a lot of speculation that Lynch would be a no-show at Super Bowl Media Day. Made perfect sense that he’d skip it, given that his disdain for the press has turned into an all-out battle against the NFL. He hasn’t skipped out as much lately, opting instead to give brief, generic non-answers to every question he’s asked. These media sessions have quickly become some kind of legendary.
Maybe we shouldn’t be surprised that Lynch showed up to Super Bowl Media Day. We definitely shouldn’t be surprised at how he answered reporter’s questions. And we definitely, definitely shouldn’t be surprised that his answer of choice was a direct jab at his employer.
Are you a member of the national media? Are you a grumpy old curmudgeon who thinks that every single NFL player “owes” you something? If so, then this video probably infuriates you. You hear that Lynch gave this answer twenty-five times in a row, and that just makes your blood boil. Every time Lynch says “I’m here so I don’t get fined,” you see red. It just makes you crave a straightforward answer even worse than you already do.
Are you a fan of the Seattle Seahawks? Do you think the NFL is a league with ridiculous priorities? Then this video probably tickles you pink. It hasn’t been a good year for Roger Goodell and the boys, and here’s one of the game’s biggest stars rubbing it in their face. No matter how much they fine him, Lynch has had a better year than the league in which he plays. He’s awesome, and he does what he wants. He wants to make a mockery of the NFL, and best believe that’s what he’s going to do.
I feel embarrassed to work for a particular organization that fined a teammate of mine for shaking my hand after a touchdown
— Marshawn Lynch (@MoneyLynch) January 23, 2015
So many shots have been fired over the last few weeks, and Marshawn is clearly holding nothing back at this point. He’s called out the NFL time and time again, all while actually saying so very little. And it’s not like he’s the least bit in the wrong, either, and the league’s response has been to act increasingly like a bunch of angry babies:
#NFL source says Marshawn Lynch treated with $500K fine if he failed to be available for Media Day. "I'm just here so I don't get fined."
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) January 27, 2015
That’s a monstrous fine, just for avoiding the press. That dwarfs whatever punishment the Patriots are likely to get for cheating their way to the AFC Championship, and that tells you just about everything you need to know about why Marshawn is right to be doing all of this. He’s drawn attention to a league that is totally insane. Kudos, Marshawn. And way to not get fined.