Lynch Fined for not speaking to the media

[Zebulon Dak]

I hope he never changes.

 

[Sports Hernia]

I hope he tells Rog where to go and how to get there, I think that would qualify as an interview right? Of course that would result in another fine since most CEO types are thinned skinned ass clowns!

 

[NFSeahawks]

If I were Lynch I'd just go to the doc and get documented as suffering from social anxiety disorder. Then he could legally tell the NFL to piss off and have legal recourse if they didn't. Hostile work environment. This approach isn't exactly rocket science, and I'm sure it's been proposed before, so I'd love to hear from anyone that knows the specifics on such a process.

I agree with this. If I had to compare it to something, it's almost like making a person with down syndrome play sports.

Why are we forcing him to talk, when he's clearly not comfortable. I have a unique personality myself where people sometimes take things out of context so I understand where he's coming from to a degree. Just let him be Marshawn

Honestly I thought he did talk to the media, not in front of the podium, but to someone none the less.

Just let him be Marshawn, he's an awesome football player, thats all he needs to be.

I'm getting sick of hearing about all this stuff too, the media really over does themselves sometimes.

 

[hawk35fan]

Just a way for the media and the league to bully and harass someone so they can feel superior. One of these days they are going to go to far and the subject of their harassment is going to commit suicide.

 

[ZagHawk]

From before the Super Bowl.


[youtube]je9135N6FQI[/youtube]

You can really see how uncomfortable he is here with the media, which makes me feel for the guy.

BUT

Talking to the media is PART of his job. When you're a pro athlete getting paid big money. You're not just an athlete, you're an entertainer. If talking to the media was NOT a big deal, it would not be in the contracts, it would not be in the NFL policy, and there would be no fines involved for avoiding them. So guess what, we all have things about our job that we don't like, but if you want to continue doing your job and getting paid for it. You gotta do the parts you don't like too.

I mean if he really is that uncomfortable with the mass media, then maybe do just the 1 on 1 interviews (which I'm sure would be considered enough). The problem is Marshawn rather than working some kind of solution so it's a win-win for everyone involved chose to avoid the media almost entirely. He got fined, then they let him off assuming he'd do better and get the idea that he has to play ball (with the media). He chose to again BARELY do anything, so they imposed it.

I see his fine like the 2 year probation period you get for a speeding ticket. The one where you gotta be clean for 2 years and the ticket stays off. Get another ticket, and you get both. You had your warning, you were on probation, you failed.

OR like someone else said above. Get a doctor's note and get legally excused. Problem over.


I don't have much sympathy. Marshawn gets paid big boy money, which involves more than just training for and playing football..I love the beast, but Sorry Boss, this is part of your action.


Side note: If Beast Mode was NOT Beast Mode, everyone would just say F' him and do your damn job.

 

[ZagHawk]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/Softykjr/status/535192083473379328[/tweet]

No kidding! What the hell, they're all making a big deal out of this like his normal choice would have been to run down to Wal-Mart and charge-up a bunch of Flat Screens before the credit cards got canceled.... I'd feel the same way, a little insulted, it's not a big deal and what a normal human being would do.

The story is because Marshawn could have just handed this to some Seahawks goon to take care of for him, but he went out of his way to be a good samaritan. When you're at his status level, your time is very valuable (compared to normal folks like ourselves), and it is extra ordinary to take the time out of your day to do something like this.

Side note...with all the other bad publicity the Seahawks get, why r u upset? I'm glad we finally got something that wasn't about PEDs, Richard Sherman talking trash, Locker Room Disputes, Marshawn disputes with FO, etc. etc.

 

[truehawksfan]

A lot of netters will not remember this, but New Orleans RB Ricky Williams suffered from anxiety disorder. He was so uncomfortable, that he took questions with his helmet on. He also had a dark colored visor so you couldn't see his eyes.

Everyone has seen how uncomfortable Beastmode was during Super Bowl media days. His body language clearly screams Anxiety Disorder, but the knuckleheads continue to push the, players must speak with media crap.

Anxiety disorder is no joke. For the NFL to push this requirement is a major joke.

And Ian Shitaport can stick it. What a Adan Schefter wannabe.

 

[SonicHawk]

A lot of netters will not remember this, but New Orleans RB Ricky Williams suffered from anxiety disorder. He was so uncomfortable, that he took questions with his helmet on. He also had a dark colored visor so you couldn't see his eyes.

Everyone has seen how uncomfortable Beastmode was during Super Bowl media days. His body language clearly screams Anxiety Disorder, but the knuckleheads continue to push the, players must speak with media crap.

Anxiety disorder is no joke. For the NFL to push this requirement is a major joke.

And Ian Shitaport can stick it. What a Adan Schefter wannabe.

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Yeah, he's real anxious, all the time.

 

[AgentDib]

I wouldn't have expected quite this much passion about such a minor issue, the NFL isn't going anywhere and surely it is reasonable for them to want their employees to talk to the media. Maybe it's unpleasant for people to think of the NFL as a an entertainment business but that's what it is. Lynch can afford the fines, or he can make some sort of effort if he doesn't want to be fined.

 

[Meeker]

This is Marshawn's problem right here. Everytime he does speak, something memorable always seems to comes out of it, driving the media to want to talk to him even more. His SB media interview with Deion Sanders was awesome.

 

[RiverDog]

I have mixed emotions.

It's a stupid rule and an even more outrageous fine. 100K just because he refused to speak? All the comments made in this thread very accurately reflect the feelings I have towards this nonsense so there's no sense in trying to add more of my own origin.

But on the other hand, it is a rule. His employer is not making an unreasonable request. Unfortunately we don't get to pick and choose the rules by which we must abide. I have scores of rules that I think are silly that I must abide by at my place of employment. If Beast doesn't like it, he is free to find another job that doesn't require talking to the press of which there are hundreds of thousands in this country alone.

 

[Scottemojo]

Lynch is so committed to being real that this is the result. He doesn't talk to the media because he doesn't believe he deserves any more glory than the guys who talk to him. He holds people who do love talking in a bit lower regard. Lots of NFL players have this stance, over the years offensive linemen have often refused to talk to the media, but the media did not really care, who wants to interview offensive linemen? Lynch is an OL at heart. How does he celebrate a TD? He goes and shakes hands with his blockers.

The fact that the fine is this big when the fine for dropping racial slurs is a tenth is silly, but that is the business. It is odd that the NFL would rather have Donkey Kong Suh and Moving on to Cincinatti type interviews that make the league look as stupid as they do, but the NFL is and never will be easily explained in regard to it's whorish policies with media relations.

 

[ZagHawk]

I think the issue with the fines is that you want these fines to be meaningful so the players actually somewhat fear them and will adhere to your policy. People are complaining about I think the Ray Rice fine being only $58k for hitting his fiance/wife meanwhile this fine (without additional from last year) is $50k for just not speaking. It does seem absurd. However, if you were to make this fine only $10-$20k. It loses a lot of its meaning, and a player like Marshawn would be like "pshh..whatever, pocket change".

So conversely, you COULD up the fines for more major infractions like the Ray Rice deal from $50k to $100 or $200k, so things seem more fair and linear or whatever you want to call it. BUT at the same time NOT every NFL player is making millions a year. Some are on rookie contracts, and if you were to fine someone making only $500k, a fine in that amount. You in essence are eliminating his entire salary. Depending on the circumstance, that could be seen as a huge injustice as well. The guy is already going to go to court, pay tons of legal fees, probably see jail time, this contract may be his ONLY contract, this job may be his ONLY job after he gets out of prison, and on top of that you're going to fine him 1/3-1/2 of an entire years worth of salary. Something that will hope to cover him for the rest of his miserable life for making a stupid decision.

The fines aren't easy to set up. Problem is you got players making Millions, and then rookies make chump change in comparison. You could change the fines to be a percentage, but that isn't exactly fair either.

 

[RiverDog]

I think the issue with the fines is that you want these fines to be meaningful so the players actually somewhat fear them and will adhere to your policy. People are complaining about I think the Ray Rice fine being only $58k for hitting his fiance/wife meanwhile this fine (without additional from last year) is $50k for just not speaking. It does seem absurd. However, if you were to make this fine only $10-$20k. It loses a lot of its meaning, and a player like Marshawn would be like "pshh..whatever, pocket change".

So conversely, you COULD up the fines for more major infractions like the Ray Rice deal from $50k to $100 or $200k, so things seem more fair and linear or whatever you want to call it. BUT at the same time NOT every NFL player is making millions a year. Some are on rookie contracts, and if you were to fine someone making only $500k, a fine in that amount. You in essence are eliminating his entire salary. Depending on the circumstance, that could be seen as a huge injustice as well. The guy is already going to go to court, pay tons of legal fees, probably see jail time, this contract may be his ONLY contract, this job may be his ONLY job after he gets out of prison, and on top of that you're going to fine him 1/3-1/2 of an entire years worth of salary. Something that will hope to cover him for the rest of his miserable life for making a stupid decision.

The fines aren't easy to set up. Problem is you got players making Millions, and then rookies make chump change in comparison. You could change the fines to be a percentage, but that isn't exactly fair either.

I disagree. It doesn't take too much common sense to figure out which violation is significant and which one is ticky tack. 10K, maybe. But 50K x 2? It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out that kind of disproportion.

In any situation, you have to make the punishment fit the crime, and in relation to the other rules that are on the books, this one clearly doesn't fit.

 

[SonicHawk]

It's not disproportionate because the media means EVERYTHING to the NFL.

And your arbitrarily ok with $10k but not $50k?

 

[LawlessHawk]

Side note...with all the other bad publicity the Seahawks get, why r u upset? I'm glad we finally got something that wasn't about PEDs, Richard Sherman talking trash, Locker Room Disputes, Marshawn disputes with FO, etc. etc.

Where was I upset?? I'm agreeing with ML's own statement... try reading it again and then go bait someone else. :roll:

 

[Sgt. Largent]

I don't know one person who doesn't hate part of their job, it's called being a grown up. Sometimes we have to do things we don't want to do.

So it's hard to sympathize with Marshawn. Having anxiety while talking to the crush of media for the SB is one thing, hanging out at your locker after a regular season game and answering a couple questions once in while shouldn't be that hard for him.

 

[Kixkahn]

He just needs to always say the same thing as an answer. Then they might get bored with it and leave him alone. Sometimes these interviews are nauseating.

 

[Seafan]

The rule may be stupid but paying that fine is stupider.

 

[hawk45]

His money to waste I guess, doesn't change how I like him as a player.
Fine proportionality can be argued in the nfl as in the legal system. But marshawn isn't being picked on by the nfl. He's perfectly free to pick another profession where media access isn't written into contracts, and take the paycheck that goes with it.

Talk about first world problems.