Strong Sides: Should Marshawn Lynch talk to the media?
Strong Sides is a series in which theScore's NFL editors debate topics from around the league.
Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch is expected to dodge media questions at the NFL's Media Day as he did a year ago and for most of the regular season. Should Lynch be obligated to answer questions? Is the media overstepping by repeatedly pursuing him for comment?
Should Marshawn Lynch talk to the media?
David P. Woods: Yes. He signed a contract to be an NFL player and with that comes many obligations. One of those obligations is making himself available to the media at pre-arranged intervals.
Arun Srinivasan: Lynch has an obligation to speak the media and he's fulfilled his commitment. His interview with Deion Sanders was the highlight of Super Bowl media week, and when Lynch speaks all eyes are on him.
Woods: It's highly debatable that speaking in non-sequiturs qualifies as fulfilling his obligations. I appreciate that Lynch has given substantial access to a few chosen media outlets, but I don't see how anyone benefits when Lynch dodges valid questions from the many media members who attend Seahawks games and the Super Bowl. If his goal is to avoid drawing attention to himself, he would be better served diplomatically answering the questions, as most of his teammates do. He doesn't, so it raises the question of what he's accomplishing with his strategy of avoidance.
Srinivasan: Lynch embodies the adage 'damned if you do, damned if you don't.' In Buffalo, Lynch was an accessible interview but was lambasted by the team's beat writers for a series of indiscretions that he hasn't repeated since joining Seattle almost five years ago. Part of his evasiveness stems from a cultural divide; Lynch is perceptive enough to know that he'll be called a thug or worse for his distinct vernacular, affinity for everything gold, and Bay Area rap music if he provides uncensored access. Lynch told Michael Silver last year that if he is forced to do something, he'll give forced answers, and he'd rather not do that.
Woods: The notion that the media is somehow out to get Lynch is ridiculous. At best, the media provides him the chance to tell the story of his unique experience as an NFL superstar who overcame early-career struggles. Why would he pass up that opportunity? At worst, he's asked the same boring stock questions his teammates are (repeatedly and without incident). He's not damned if he talks, as he may irrationally believe, but he's certainly damned if he doesn't. By failing to fulfill his contractually-obligated media availability, Lynch forces his story to become the negative one he supposedly fears.
Srinivasan: Lynch is trying to control his own narrative with limited media appearances. Whether he should be afforded that right is a different issue. Lynch has documented his story of escaping inner-city Oakland and his initial unease with fame in a candid interview on ESPN's E:60. I think problems begin to arise due to Lynch's tepid indifference to the 24-hour news cycle, and he'd rather just promote his foundation that helps Oakland's youth.
Woods: If he's trying to control his own narrative, his attempts have gone off the rails. He's created a world where the media members he initially (incorrectly) believed were out to get him may now actually be out to get him because he makes it hard for them to do their jobs. If Lynch truly wanted to be left alone, he went about accomplishing that goal in the worst possible way. Whether he talks or not, he'll be the focus on Media Day. I wonder if he secretly loves the renegade image his actions have earned him.
Srinivasan: If he's created a renegade image, I'd imagine he's largely indifferent to it. Although it certainly won't be recognized, Lynch has exposed the narrative fallacies of reporters who want him to "talk about" whatever pre-written stories they're trying to fulfill. He's never been inaccessible to his fans, and his teammates have repeatedly vouched for his character and unique sense of humor. It's not like the Seahawks have a shortage of quotable players.