National Football League

Lynch lets disdain for NFL policy, and his ball-carrying, do the talking

Published Jan. 27, 2015 6:08 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

Alex Marvez

I wedged into the horde assembled in front of Marshawn Lynch's Super Bowl XLIX media day podium Tuesday for a different reason than most of my peers.

I admit that I really wasn't all that interested in what the Seattle Seahawks bell-cow running back had to say. Based on his history, Lynch's answers would all be football drivel at best anyway.

I just wanted to see if Lynch would give legitimate feedback to questions because the moment embodied a far bigger issue: the battle of wills between a free-spirited non-conformist and a league that expects its players to fall into line when ordered.

In this regard, Lynch did not blink.

Channeling the defiant spirit of Dallas Cowboys running back Duane Thomas from Super Bowl VI, Lynch continued to flaunt the rule that demands players cooperate with the media. He sauntered through the crowd on the floor of U.S. Airways Center wearing an unlicensed baseball cap and two beaded necklaces with charm maps of Africa.

That his gold sunglasses were reminiscent of those Elvis Presley once wore added to Lynch's rock-star presence. So did the arena's video monitors showing Lynch on his way to a dais bearing his name above it.

Anyone expecting Lynch to wax eloquently on the New England Patriots or provide a shred of insight into his personal or professional life was sorely disappointed. Lynch declared to the 100-plus media members that he was "just here so I won't get fined. Y'all can sit here and ask me all the questions y'all want to. I'm going to answer with the same answers."

Lynch was true to his word. By my count, he politely but firmly answered at least 29 media inquiries with, "I'm here so I won't get fined," or "I'm just here so I won't get fined." That includes multiple questions by NFL Network's Deion Sanders, a friend to Lynch that in the past was able to get a different response. Not Tuesday.

After five minutes elapsed, Lynch proclaimed "Time!" and walked off with 55 minutes remaining in Seattle's media day session.

An NFL spokesman didn't provide an immediate answer to FOX Sports about whether Lynch's antics fulfilled the minimum media requirement each player is contractually obligated to fulfill. Lynch already was fined $100,000 earlier this year for his lack of cooperation.

The fact he is willing to risk an even larger penalty during Super Bowl week shows how entrenched Lynch remains in his stance. But it also provides more than Lynch's own words could in explaining what makes him tick.

Lynch already has tweaked the NFL's nose by grabbing his crotch during touchdown celebrations and trying to wear gold cleats for the NFC title game against Green Bay.

The same hard-line approach Lynch has taken with the NFL and media is reflected in the determination he shows when rushing the football. Lynch simply refuses to go down upon initial contact. That "Beast Mode" style has made Lynch arguably the league's most punishing rusher.

Yet not only does he wear down defenses as the game unfolds, but Lynch also has the speed to bust big runs. He leads the NFL in 100-yard rushing games (24), total touchdowns (56) and overall rushing yardage (5,357) since the start of the 2011 season.

"He's so dynamic at what he does," Patriots defensive lineman Vince Wilfork said Tuesday. "We have to make sure we always have two, three people attacking him at all times.

"He's unbelievable."

Lynch isn't only a great player. He's a charismatic one as well. That's one of the reasons why so many people want to learn more about him. Lynch, though, allows only select media members to visit his world. Most of the stories produced are subsequently positive, including a focus on his off-field charity work.

Lynch wasn't always this standoffish with reporters. He cooperated until a few years ago when a bad media experience soured him and prompted him to clam up.

This stance doesn't fly with the NFL. The league mandates its players speak with reporters at least once a week  during the regular season. Such interactions feed the media beast that helps keep the NFL so popular.

If one player refuses to address the press and isn't sanctioned for doing so, others would be justified in following suit. In theory, NFL coverage could then potentially dwindle as reporters shift to other sports that provide better access. The more attention that shifts elsewhere, the better the chance that football's popularity begins to slip and the bottom line is affected.

But as the NFL has pushed Lynch to oblige, he has increasingly pushed back. And now, Lynch has teammates and the "12th Man" shoving with him. For many Seahawks fans, they're more than happy to let Lynch do his talking on the field.

As Lynch himself once famously declared to Sanders at Super Bowl XLVIII, "I'm just about that action, boss."

Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson was among those who came to Lynch's defense Tuesday. Asked what NFL rule he would change if possible, Wilson responded, "I wish everybody would stop fining my man Marshawn."

There are still two more days of Super Bowl media access for which Lynch must make himself available again. If he doesn't or the league decides to crack down for the farce this has become, a player whose Twitter handle is @MoneyLynch may be shelling out more Benjamins to the league.

After being obstinate for so long, Lynch simply may not care. That would be a statement unto itself.

share

Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

National Football League