One of the big storylines in sports today is whether or not professional athletes should be hounded for interviews. Most notably, Marshawn Lynch of the Seattle Seahawks is someone who looks to hide from the media as much as possible.
Lynch is one of the more perplexing characters in professional sports. On the field he seems like a big bad man who enjoys knocking people over in search of the end zone. He runs violently and celebrates with fans and teammates when he scores.
Off the field, Lynch is a completely different person. He seems sort of introverted. He wants to play the calm, relaxed role of a normal person in society. These are two very different characters.
Lynch made headlines when he refused to answer questions from the media after the Seahawks 24-20 loss against the Kansas City Chiefs on November 16th.
Lynch was fined $50,000 for this incident as well as another $50,000 for refusing to meet with the media during the week leading up to the Super Bowl early this year. Those charges were suspended so as Lynch cooperated with the media in the future, and after this incident both fines were collected.
This stirs up the debate as to whether Lynch is right or wrong. Is the NFL being the “No Fun League” yet again putting harsh punishments on its players acting like a cruel dictator? Is Lynch simply being a baby and refusing to do something that is part of his duty?
I think the NFL is right in this instance. I do not think the NFL is right very often, but it is part of a player’s job description to deal with the media. Fans have a right to access to these players. We rely on the media to ask the players the questions that we are wondering. Oftentimes the media is very vanilla with their questions in respect to the players.
Marshawn Lynch should not think he is above this obligation. The NFL has every right to fine him for refusing to do something that almost every player in the NFL has done. If you want to give bland answers, go right ahead. Bill Belichick, the head coach of the New England Patriots never gives direct answers to questions from the media. There are ways about handling the media if you do not want to comply. Lynch should at least give a couple minutes of his time to handle something that is a requirement.
Lynch responded to the NFL’s fine by actually meeting with the media the following week. Here is what Lynch had to say in that interview
Lynch followed that interview the following week answering all questions with “nope.”
Fellow Seattle Seahawk teammates Richard Sherman and Doug Baldwin came to Lynch’s defense by using a press conference as a place to hold a faux interview between Sherman and Baldwin making fun of the NFL and their policies.
Seems like the Seattle Seahawks have a lot to say after winning the Super Bowl. It may be time for them to stop speaking out or finding loopholes in the system, because they are in a heated race to make the playoffs with three games left to go.
Professional athletes must meet with the media. The same way celebrities are expecting to be followed by paparazzi, athletes are followed by the press. A lot of people get angry with paparazzi and the press, but you are getting paid millions of dollars and these are part of your obligations.
Lynch has discussed retiring at the end of the season lately and I hope it isn’t due to the media. He is a major talent and it would be sad to see a player leave over such a trivial issue.
