Twitter reacts to Marshawn Lynch not playing

Seahawk fans took to Twitter to voice their support, or displeasure, with Marshawn Lynch’s decision not to play Sunday.

So…. that escalated quickly. After three straight days of full participation in practice, with both Pete Carroll and Darrell Bevell telling us that Marshawn Lynch was ready to be a full go in Sunday’s playoff game against the Vikings, the mercurial running back ruled himself out for this week. Apparently he just didn’t feel like he was 100% healed from major abdominal surgery he underwent November 25th.

Once word got out that it was Lynch himself who made the call not to play, all hell broke loose on Seahawks Twitter.

First, you had the fans concerned for his health, and in full support of his decision.

And then you had the instant rationalization, as Seahawk fans tried to work their way through the grief cycle. “Don’t worry,we will be OK!!!!!”

But then the real silliness began. Conspiracy theorists proclaimed this as Lynch’s “revenge” for not getting the ball on the last play of the Super Bowl in February, and worse…… the ones who claim Lynch somehow quit on his team, or “screwed them over” by practicing all week before pulling the rug out from under their feet before the team left for Minnesota.

I could go on….. but seriously, which do you think is more plausible; that Lynch, coming off major surgery to reattach muscle that had torn off his pelvic bone, deemed himself as not-quite-ready to take the massive pounding his running style requires? Or that he waited all this time, after working out 10 hours a day with MMA trainers, just to pull a fast one and dupe the Seahawks into thinking he was going to play when he had no intention of it?

Really?

But clearly the most consistent theme tonight on Twitter is the sense of regret Seahawk fans were expressing that they may possibly have seen the last of Beast Mode in Seattle. He’s due $12 million next year, and clearly the team proved that a Russell Wilson-led offense can thrive without him. The unique way in which Lynch goes about his business notwithstanding, it makes sense from a pure football perspective that the Hawks will part ways with him this offseason.

Next: Seahawks vs Vikings, 3 keys to the game

Whether we get to see him punish any more would-be tacklers in blue and green again may depend on if Seattle can dispatch the Vikings Sunday to advance in the playoffs. And that, may just hinge on how well Christine Michael does, as he’ll be the starting RB in the absence of Lynch.