Marshawn Lynch detests the media. The Seattle Seahawks star rarely speaks to reporters, and, until a couple weeks ago, had simply decided to give them the cold shoulder for majority of this season.
There's an issue with that, though: Players are required by the National Football League to speak with the media, and Lynch was handed down a $200,000 fine a couple weeks ago for not complying ($100,000 of which had been withheld after a previous warning in hopes that he would change his behavior).
When approached after a win against the Arizona Cardinals on November 23, Lynch opted to use a one-word answer — "Yeah" — to fend off most of the questions.
This week, after the Seahawks defeated the San Francisco 49ers on Thanksgiving, Lynch decided to switch things up to "Nope."
Here's the video evidence (via @CJZero):
The large fine earlier this month angered teammate Richard Sherman (perhaps best known to non-football folk by this raucous post-game interview), who got creative with his league bashing.
During a Monday press conference, Sherman addressed the media with a cardboard cutout of teammate Doug Baldwin, which was manned by Baldwin himself. The conversation began with talk about Sherman's busy offseason (quotes via Seattle Times).
Sherman: "Oh man, it's been incredible. You know, the other day Marshawn Lynch got fined $100,000. Did you know that? $100,000. It's like, they wouldn't have even paid him $100,000 if he had talked. Doug, do you think they would have paid him $100,000?"
Baldwin: "No, they sure wouldn't have.''
Then, later...
Sherman: "It seems like we're in a league where they say, 'Players, please don't endorse alcohol, no DUIs please.' But yet a beer sponsor is their biggest sponsor. Doug, how do you feel about that?"
Baldwin: "Like I said, it sounds very hypocritical."
And finally...
Baldwin: "Speaking of health, how do you feel about the NFL making you play two games in five days?"
Sherman: "Oh, my gosh. Jeez. I almost didn't realize that, because they've been talking about player safety so much, and two games in five days, it doesn't seem like you care about players' safety. It's a little bit much for me.''
