Courtesy; Washington Times
Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch has seen his name in headlines a lot lately. Some of it for his play on the field but mostly because of his antics in the locker room. He was recently handed down a $100,000 fine for not adhering to the NFL’s media policy.
Afterwards, Marshawn Lynch made a mockery of the situation with his “availability.” Local and national media members began their questioning, like every other NFL player does, at his locker after a practice. None of the questions even mentioned the fine and were strictly referred to on the field. Yet Marshawn Lynch showed blatant disrespect to those reporters, along with the entire system, by answering the questions with one word; “Yeah.”
Every NFL player must make himself available throughout the season to speak with the media. Lynch has refused to do so and this is not the first time. He made headlines Super Bowl week for not participating in mandated availability for the biggest sporting event in the world.
Some people just think if Marshawn Lynch does not want to talk, he shouldn’t have to. But in the end it is a part of his job description; and a major part of it at that. It is not only disrespectful but disgraceful for someone that makes such a hefty living to play a sport. Over the last two seasons, he has made a guaranteed amount of $17 million, with the a chance to make over $11 million more for the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
Just imagine this scenario: A businessman takes a job which requires weekly company presentations. If that person does not perform his duties, he is not going to get a slap on the wrist with a fine or sanction; he is going to be FIRED. If that person is not qualified to speak in front of groups or the public, then he should not get the job in the first place.
Marshawn Lynch and his teammate cornerback Richard Sherman (who came to Lynch’s defense with a mock press conference) do not seem to understand they luxuries they have in the NFL. Players are given so much leeway because of their success on the field and rewarded handsomely for their performance. And it only opens up more money making opportunities outside of the game.
Courtesy: Fox Sports
For two players to be so disrespectful of the media is just simply hypocritical. Marshawn Lynch receives an undisclosed amount from Skittles to market their brand. But how did that sponsorship come about? The local and national media utilized their tools to promote Marshawn Lynch’s fondness for Skittles on the sideline.
The same goes for Sherman, who became famous overnight because of his antics in the media. He has embraced every opportunity to build his brand. The world became familiar with Sherman after last year’s NFC Championship, which he had an epic rant on broadcast television, thanks again to the national media. Now he receives checks from Campbells Chunky Soup, Beats by Dre and other corporations.
Yet they believe it is okay for Marshawn Lynch to avoid part of his JOB. If he has an issue with media or cannot handle the attention, then he simply signed up for the wrong profession. He can go find a job working 9-to-5 like the rest of the population that has to follow the rules of their company. But then again, Marshawn Lynch likely would not be making those millions of dollars he has pocketed if he did that.
