Okay, I will say it. Black men, many many times are portrayed and viewed with a negative slant. The word thug comes to mind when black men are discussed in media. This word seems to be flung around more than horseshoes at a rodeo. The negative perception of the black male bleeds seamlessly into the professional sports world; you know because now these ni@@ers got money. Just ask the intelligent college educated Super Bowl winner Richard Sherman. In an interview, Sherman said what most were thinking; thug is code word for ni@@er that many sports writers, commentators and anti-fans use. As a matter of fact, it was used over 600 times within media, one day after a Seahawks winning game in 2014.
Sherman’s teammate Marshawn Lynch, has been fodder for many a sports column, simply because he has the audacity of not wanting to speak to the media. WTF is wrong with him? How can a black man who is a millionaire, watched by millions during the NFL season, wears dreadlocks, has grills on his teeth and drives a white Lamborghini Aventador not want media attention? Somehow the media is unaware that just because a person is a celebrity or sports figure, that doesn’t mean they want the Lime Light like a Kardashian.
As Barry Petchesky over at Deadspin has pointed out, Lynch has already said why he doesn’t like speaking with the media during post games. In an interview with Michael Silver at NFL.com Lynch stated;
“I’ve never seen anybody win the game in the media. But at the same time, I understand what it could do for you, if you wanted to be someone who talks a lot. But that’s not me.
“And I’m not as comfortable, especially at the position I play, making it about me. As a running back, it takes five offensive linemen, a tight end, a fullback and possibly two wide receivers, in order to make my job successful. But when I do interviews, most of the time it’ll come back to me. There are only so many times I can say, ‘I owe it to my offensive linemen,’ or, ‘The credit should go to my teammates,’ before it becomes run down.
“This goes back even to Pop Warner. You’d have a good game and they’d want you to give a couple of quotes for the newspaper, and I would let my other teammates be the ones to talk. That’s how it was in high school, too. At Cal, I’d have my cousin, Robert Jordan, and Justin Forsett do it.
“Football’s just always been hella fun to me, not expressing myself in the media. I don’t do it to get attention; I just do it ’cause I love that (expletive).”
Yep, sums it up for me. So sports writers, commentators and anti-fans, there’s no need to refer to him as a thug, ungrateful (because we the media made you), purposely difficult or uppity (more code words). Dude is a chill, laid back type of guy that doesn’t like the spot light. Leave him the fuck alone please.
Lol smh.
That pic itself screams undercover attention whore. Who is he fooling….
When you seriously don’t want attention , you do as the Romans do. I could go on about this , but I’ll wait for other comments.
Wait…having a Lambo and nice things because one can afford it means they are an attention whore? Lets just say they are…how does this relate to not wanting to speak to or wanting news media attention? Does this make him a thug?
Dude, I’m honestly not a sports fan, but I’ve been hearing over the past year or so about the media bashin’ this dude because he doesn’t want to do interviews. how the F#$K do you get fined for NOT talking. But the Media is f#$kd up anyways, they just want him to get on the air and say something f#$k’d up so they can have something to legitimately talk s@#t about. smh
Post game interviews come with the terriotory. Lynch knows this. They go hand in hand. He signed up for this. If he is out to change the rules of the game with his stance, expect the consequences, attention. It’s not rocket science to see this coming. He even managed to get CA to write an article on the subject. The media is going to do what it does. In “your” opinion he doesn’t like the spotlight but his actions speak differently. Either he doesn’t understand the game and what he got himself into or he is that stupid, so be it. On the other hand If he is deliberately bucking the system , he is being “thuggish”. This is how the establishment sees things. Most understand this. You don’t buck the system and expect everyone to be quiet about it. You simply play along.
The pic…..
Supposedly discreet , modest people don’t post (tacky) in my opinion “look at what I have “pics. I know modest well to do folk that wouldn’t be caught dead doing this. It’s very Hollywood. It’s how you keep the buzz goin about yourself. I’m calling his stance that draws the exact attention he claims he doesnt want along with the personality revealing pics as I see it.
I’ll even push the envelope and talk about his …”locks”… Is he a Rasta?……… I’ll wait… Do you know how much maintenance that is?
It’s ok Lynch. We all seek ways to garner attention. Some moreso than others. But don’t act like you’re not seeking it , when clearly you love it. There are many introverted attention whores.
He doesn’t “WIN” at “speaking”. That’s what I get out of this . And his ego won’t allow that to be shown in the “spotlight “.
I can call all of this out because I’m the same way. For his type, it takes one to know one… Wink!
He is either stupid or truly a rebel thug . Or trying to fool “some of the people ” . Which clearly in your case he has.
If I’m using your logic, seeking attention from friends and family members is the same as seeking media attention.
Basically what you are saying is he lied in his NFL.com interview even though there is recorded history of him never wanting to give interviews before his fortune came.
Taking a picture for a magazine spread (pictured above) has absolutely nothing to do with not liking to talk with reporters (some of whom are complete assholes) after a game. How is your thinking not allowing you to separate the two?
Magazine spreads are a form of media. How one participates in them creates their “brand”. The “media” is not going to allow you to pick and choose along the way with ease. One day I want to be a show off. Next day I’m the quiet guy next door that just loves the game of football. It simply doesn’t work that way. As mentioned by another poster , this is about money. And you can’t fault the media for going after a “product ” YOU put out there even if it was unconscious.
He lost control of his image as soon as he made the decision NOT to control it “media-wise” with that very pic, which I’m sure is not the only example.
It’s ego… HE can’t WIN at speaking in HIS eyes , so he chooses not to speak. He wants the game played on HIS terms. In the eyes of the establishment, this is arrogance. They are not having it.
This is what happened to Cosby as well, out of line bucking Donald Trump.
These fools better read 48 Laws of Power and get shit figured out. Do not step on the wrong persons toes. Know your limits!
We not living in a fair world…
So, at what point do we start to believe what a person says, especially when referencing themselves? Think about it, what could he possibly stand to gain by NOT speaking? Fines? Public scrutiny and ridicule? So it seems to me the cons far outweigh the pros so he must truly feel this way. This all goes back to the media, we’ve been trained to scrutinize and pick apart people’s character and public appearance/actions. Why not give people the benefit of the doubt at times, especially when they’re speaking of themselves. None of us knows Mr Lynch personally, so who are we to say he’s not telling his truth? Spot on analysis and rebuttals @Ocky.
On the note about the picture, this man earned his money from being a good football player, not from being a media darling, so if he were riding around in a Prius that would make him more personable? If I make a crap ton of money, you better believe I’m getting the car of my dreams, which in most cases, will be something most people can’t afford. How does that make him attention seeking?
Furthermore, I don’t really think reporters should be allowed in the locker rooms after games, nor do I think players should be required to do press conferences. Everyone is not well spoken or well-versed in media training so you can get yourself in a world of trouble. If you win, you can say some inflammatory things in regards to the other team. If you lose, you can say some messed up things about your own team. The only way to come out unscathed is to be media savvy, or just don’t say anything at all. I applaud Marshawn for standing up for his beliefs. You know the one interview he DID do? The one Skittles PAID him to do. That’s how you play the game.
My point with the pic of flaunting what he has materially is that it does bespeak of someone who is totally “unassuming ” as Ocky seems to be implying with his last sentence in his article.
Yes it’s unfortuna that sports is a “master and slave/gladiator ” culture. But we all know this by now. And Lynch should be WELL aware of it. You buck the masters , you get called out. Simple.
If he wants to make a political point I’m all for that. But this isn’t about some “chill laid back type of guy that doesn’t like the spotlight”.
Un-as-sum-ing
Not pretentious or arrogant;modest
I see a disconnect between Ockys surface impression of this guy and what his actions truly show him to be.
Again, he is either totally ignorant of the system, which I doubt. Or a rebel they are calling a thug.
It’s all good. But let’s keep it real.
Modest people with way longer paper don’t pose in front of their trappings. I know them. They simply have them. And everyone knows they do. I’m not knocking Lynch for his Hollywood antics. It just doesn’t match up to the personality assessment in this article. This is not a man that wants to be left alone in reality. If so, he’d be playing by the rules.
First, let me say I’m in no way a sports fan by any means. However, I can’t help but notice the pattern of the “media” in trying to assassinate the image of the Black man. It annoys the heck outta of me because every time you turn on the television all you see is the bad images and behavior of black people mainly the black man.
Whether it’s the Bill Cosby scandal, the shootings and killings of young black men, sport athletes etc. I’m sick and tired of it!
But I guess that’s what happens when a portion of people own majority of the media. It gives them power to fabricate stories and images allowing them to tell as many lies as they want and yet the masses who’re blind will believe it and follow suit.
I can understand why he doesn’t like to deal with media. Too often media types edit and cut things to make people look bad. We all know the media loves to demonize black men especially young black men who don’t present a clean cut “unthreatening” image that most of white America deems acceptable. He just wants to do is job and be left alone. I can dig that.
Lynch is his own person you got to respect that. If the man don’t wont to talk he does not have to talk to you.
The NFL is about one thing only. Making Money. Its not about the players. Its not about the teams. Its not even about the game. Its about making a relatively small amount of white men a whole lot of money.
Exactly! This reminds of when Serena Williams copped an attitude with the “media” years back. They deflated some of that phat ass real quick! You better know who your boss is when you decide to work him.
If every player tool Lynchs position the media would be out of work. It’s fair to say MOST athletes would rather keep it moving instead of talking. But that’s not how it works. If you don’t want to look a certain way, polish up your act. All theatre comes with script and the directors call the shots in MOST cases.
My question is when will we STOP looking to whitey to NOT demonize us. That is a fantasy. In their eyes this is a necessity. We have to come to terms with that as a people. Make and take their $$$$ and reinvest in grass root endeavors. And stop with th flamboyant nonsense! That’s how you make your OWNS game . How are you gonna change a game you didn’t make and powers much stronger than you are keeping in place?…….
Being sick and tired of things changes nothing.
I hear ya…I do see that some players (notably Richard Sherman) have been speaking out against the NFL and its policies.
You are right. Mr. Sherman has been speaking loudly about DeflataGate and he has been reaping a whole lot of hate because of it. How dare that nig— speak out against his Corporate Masters!
And yet some still wonder why he doesn’t talk to the media…
The media is not taking this whole “Marshawn Lynch not really talking to the press” thing very well.
Just this week, adult members of the media have asked the Seattle Seahawks running back point-blank why he is being a “jerk” and implied he would be making $8 per hour if not for them. One guy even seems to be seriously calling for journalists to boycott skittles.
Again, these are adults who get paid regardless of whether or not Lynch says anything.
Marshawn Lynch, a man of the people, doesn’t appear ready to appease the media any time soon. But he did offer some extended comments on Thursday after a few more, uh, straightforward press conferences.
Lynch said “I don’t know what story y’all trying to get out of me. I don’t know what image y’all trying to portray of me. But it don’t matter what y’all think, what y’all say about me; cause when I go home at night, the same people that I look in the face, my family, that I love, that’s all that really matters to me. So y’all can go and make up whatever y’all wanna make up cause I don’t say enough for y’all to go and put anything out on me. But I’ll come to y’all event, y’all shove cameras and microphones down my throat. But when I’m at home, in my environment, I don’t see y’all.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/29/marshawn-lynch-family_n_6573568.html
I think it was a character on The Wire who gave this gem of wisdom: “You cannot lose if you do not play”. I think that’s a fairly sensible stance to take regarding the game that is the media. Like was mentioned, the media can tear you down so quickly with so little effort from just one slip of the tongue or off-the-cuff remark.
I LOOOOOVE Marshawn Lynch! I absolutely love him! And I’m a Patriots fan! I just love this dude. And I just love that picture y’all have of him, from the Lamborghini (my favorite exotic car brand), to the shoes, to the pants, his SEXY dreads, and his grill, and I am a person who just does NOT like grills, but I love it on him lol. I just love him.