Marshawn Lynch may not attend Super Bowl Media Day
Jan 26, 2014; Newark, NJ, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch arrives at Newark Liberty International Airport to face the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Earlier in the year, Marshawn Lynch was fined $50,000 for not speaking to the media.
Today is Super Bowl Media Day, but the reporter-shy Lynch still isn’t planning on talking to anyone, according to multiple reports.
Lynch was not among the 17 Seahawks players and coaches assigned a podium to speak at during Media Day, which starts at 10:30 a.m. ET today.
But Lynch has his reasons. He spoke with NFL Media columnist Michael Silver last week:
"“If you’re forced to do something, it’s not as good as if you choose to do it,” Lynch told Silver last week. “So no, I won’t have a lot of interesting things to say. When you’re forced to do something and you know it, it kind of just takes away from the whole experience of what it could be if (it were) natural. So, I’ll probably give forced answers.”"
If he gives any answer at all.
The New York Daily News reported that Lynch could face over $100,000 in fines if he does not attend Media Day.
The NFL doesn’t mess around when it comes to its players speaking to reporters.
Two years ago, New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora was fined $20,000 for missing a non-Media Day interview session during Super Bowl week.
If Lynch decides to attend Media Day, he will probably be designated to a “standing interview section”, which is sure to be flooded with reporters all trying to get a word or two out of Beast Mode.
The Seahawks are expected to begin their Media Day session at about 12:45 p.m. ET and will be wearing special jackets designed by Nike:
Jacket Seahawks players will wear for tomorrow's Super Bowl media day pic.twitter.com/4X76pfmk9G
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) January 27, 2014
Even if Lynch shows up, he won’t have much to say. That’s just how it’s always been.
“Football’s just always been hella fun to me, not expressing myself in the media,” he said in the same interview with Silver. “I don’t do it to get attention; I just do it ’cause I love that (expletive).”