OT-Marshawn Lynch at media day
January 27th, 2015 at 6:27 PM ^
This is no "chicken or egg" debate. We know what came first(the owners). There are far more people who play football than people wealthy enough to field a football team.
January 27th, 2015 at 6:00 PM ^
To argue just one side is stupid as fizuck.
The both need each others...the owners couldn't do what they do and make as much money without today's players and todays players couldn't make the amounts of money they do without the owners. It's really that simple.
Both would survive without each other, but neither would be as rich.
January 27th, 2015 at 3:49 PM ^
January 27th, 2015 at 3:53 PM ^
January 27th, 2015 at 3:59 PM ^
This thread has more posts than I thought it would.
January 27th, 2015 at 6:07 PM ^
It's just like deflategate or Jameis Winston. You're either on one side or the other.
We can't talk politics on MGoBlog, but in reality...all these topics...are just sports politics.
And just like many polictical topics in our nation, people find one side or the other and hold their ground.
My only beef is with anyone who judges Marshawn without knowing the man. Those are the folks I remember, because on a website devoted to opinion...I couldn't give a damn about the opinion of those who judge someone without knowing that individiual.
And be clear, there's a distinct difference between having an opinion on someone's actions and judging that individual as a person.
January 27th, 2015 at 9:20 PM ^
January 27th, 2015 at 4:16 PM ^
Loads of presumptive douchebags in this thread.
The only reason players are required to speak to the media is because the Skip Baylesses of the world need to justify their meaningless existence. The entire sports media industry has done their level best to make sports about them instead of the actual participants, and it's been this way for decades.
It's why Peter King literally holds grudges against players who don't speak to him on their own time and smears them in his columns for years (Cam Newton is a prime example). It's why talking heads brag on the air about all the coaches and players to whom they have access only to do nothing of journalistic value with said access (plenty of media moguls knew about the Ray Rice tape long before it was released to the public and sat on that information).
Sports media is full of narcissistic jackasses and I won't begrudge Marshawn Lynch for being reluctant in giving them the time of day.
January 27th, 2015 at 4:51 PM ^
January 27th, 2015 at 4:50 PM ^
January 27th, 2015 at 5:18 PM ^
The mistake some people make is expecting everyone else to be "normal", in this case to be able to tolerate the intense media scrutiny and play their game of "Q&A gotcha" without contempt. But some people actually do suffer from severe anxiety disorder...they simply cannot sit there patiently and function "normally" while cameras are flashing and they're being cross examined until they unwittingly produce a juicy story line. None of the reporters give a shit about that person's feelings or emotions, they're just doing their job to produce copy. So the whole thing is a joke when the interviewee is unwilling and unable to play along. It's literally torture for that person to go through with it, so I applaud Lynch for finding a way to call BS on the whole circus.
January 27th, 2015 at 5:18 PM ^
I think it is pointless that we are debating him having to talk. This thread is as pointless as his media day. I do not want to go to work at a certain time every day, but i do it. The only social disorder he has is an unnatural compulsion to grab himself in public.
January 27th, 2015 at 6:08 PM ^
I mean, plain awful.
January 27th, 2015 at 6:18 PM ^
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January 27th, 2015 at 5:30 PM ^
they wont leave him alone, so he will treat them like this. He was blessed at being the best back in the league, not being a talker. So if he wants to just play football, more power to him.
Go Hawks
January 27th, 2015 at 6:08 PM ^
January 27th, 2015 at 5:57 PM ^
Bad combination.
January 27th, 2015 at 6:09 PM ^
January 27th, 2015 at 7:27 PM ^
I don't know I look at it this way.
My job has a pretty well defined job description.
In addition there are certain additional responsibilities that my employers sometimes ask me to do because he/she feels it is in the best interest of us being successful.
If I didn't do those additional responsibilities I would be disciplined.
If I did those additional responsibilities but did it at the absolute minimum I would likely be disciplined.
If I did them in a manner that wasn't considered professional I would likely be disciplined.
I don't really care how Lynch decides to do these interviews or decides to skip them as it doesn't effect me one way or the other. But if he is going to do what he is doing he should expect to get disciplined by his employer.
I think we are losing sight of the issue here when we just talk about "who cares about the media".
I'm pretty sure Lynch has a lot of fans who want to hear his opinion on things. Even if they are as cliche things as "how big is this game" or "how much do you want to win". If Lynch doesn't interact with the media it cuts off one of the ways his fans have access to him. I don't really think that is fair to the fans.
January 27th, 2015 at 8:52 PM ^
In addition there are certain additional responsibilities that my employers sometimes ask me to do because he/she feels it is in the best interest of us being successfulAnalogy failure #1: the manner in which a player interacts with the media has never and will never influence the interest of an NFL team. Analogy failure #2: the players who talk to the media "at a minimum" or are total dicks to the media aren't being fined or hounded, so at the very least, there's an unfair double standard here.
January 28th, 2015 at 7:19 PM ^
And again I'm not saying he should be fined.
I'm saying he (and by extension fans) shouldn't be shocked when he does get fined.
#1: People tend to start following a franchise because its local or because there is a specific player they are interested in. In order to identify with the players they tend to take an interest in their opinions and feelings on all sorts of things. The manner in which they interact with the media might not have an impact (no such thing as bad press right?) but doing it and not doing it will. Like I said I'm sure there are people who want to hear what Lynch has to say. If ESPN can pick up that interview and people watch ESPN which in turn makes ESPN want to carry more football that is money for the league.
The point is more so that it doesn't matter what is realistic the NFL believes that media interaction with the players/coaches is good for the league. As a result prior to signing contracts they tell players "part of your job is to interact with reporters". Just like there are things my boss asks me to do which don't provide a benefit we can capture. I agree to work there, I agree to follow the rules.
#2: This is the most tired excuse ever. I got pulled over once for speeding when everyone around me was speeding. Should the cop let me go? No, I was speeding I should get a ticket. I follow the NFL a lot and I haven't seen anyone act in this manner as consistently as Lynch, as a result the NFL is paying special attention to him.
Why is it that people act knowing there are specific condequences and then are shocked/angry at the consequences? They even gave Lynch a pass with the first time he did it and he kept it up. Again why be surprised?
January 27th, 2015 at 9:13 PM ^
January 27th, 2015 at 7:36 PM ^
I love ML's shtick. Ever since newsmedia went from morning, afternoon and nightly news and a few outlets, papers and magazines here or there to 24/7 coverage by a gazillion media entities, the quality and integrity of our news and sports reporting took a massive nose dive. 75% of media is looking to post any story, no matter how negative or hurtful. I love that ML gives them all I giant middle finger and let's his running do his talking. Wish more athletes, not to mention musicians, actors and others were like him that way.
January 27th, 2015 at 8:10 PM ^
if I were to puruse through the threads how many of you that are team "omgosh! just do your job and talk to the media" are also team "omgosh! why does Richard Sherman talk so much?"
You all really crack me up. Its rather entertaining...
January 27th, 2015 at 8:39 PM ^
if you have a problem with him i probably would have a hard time being friends with you. he is universally loved by the people i hang out with.
January 27th, 2015 at 8:42 PM ^
and not love the guy.
January 27th, 2015 at 10:56 PM ^
Was just going to post this myself. The guy has a sense of humor and can be engaging. I just think he doesn't suffer fools.
January 27th, 2015 at 9:42 PM ^
Are players required to be available to answer questions? I would love for him to just show up with a copy of Thomas Paine's "The Crisis," and just read it until his timer went off.