Dunlap: Lynch Made NFL's Policy Look Foolish
Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch picked up a new fan this past weekend --- me.
He went against the grain.
He did what he felt was right.
He made a decision and never wavered; stuck to his convictions and refused to be controlled by a huge entity.
Lynch spoke loud and clear by barely speaking at all.
And I loved every word of it. All 50 of them he used to answer 22 questions.
You see, Lynch has a history of not wanting to talk to the media, of electing to stay silent and keeping his pregame and postgame thoughts to himself.
If that's what he wants to do, as far as I am concerned, so be it.
However, that doesn't sit well with the NFL. The league operates in a manner in which they must control every message disseminated by people associated with it, must attempt to disperse the homogenized product.
Lynch doesn't feel like playing that game. And let's remember --- he isn't exactly speaking out against them in the recent past, rather just choosing to say nothing.
Following a Nov. 16 game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Lynch rolled past reporters in the postgame locker room, refusing to answer questions.
He was fined $50,000 for that offense and the league also collected a $50,000 fine that was imposed following violations of the media policy during the 2013 season but held in abeyance in anticipation of future cooperation.
He didn't cooperate and ended up $100,000 lighter in the wallet.
Then came this past Sunday, when Lynch cooperated with the NFL Media Policy in his own, crazy-like-a-fox way.
So as to avoid getting drilled with a fine again, he repeatedly used one-word answers --- he said "yeah" 12 times --- after reporters asked their questions. Sprinkled in with all the "yeah" answers were a few times he used "maybe" and "Boosie" and he also went on to elaborate once --- but he did so as he explained a fundraiser he had planned in the future.
Some in the media referred to Lynch's postgame way of conducting himself on Sunday as childish. Some called him immature and ridiculous.
I thought it was absolute brilliance.
Lynch found a loophole and didn't just make his way through it, he smiled triumphantly and thumbed his nose at the establishment while going through it.
A caller to my show on Monday night made a stellar point. He said, paraphrasing here, that people charged with crimes in our country have an ability to stay silent, but those working under the command of Roger Goodell don't have such a choice. Well, they do have choice, but if they remain silent, it will cost them a lot of cash.
That's a very good point --- and one well taken.
It is also insanely ludicrous that it is fact, but it is.
Keep in mind, Lynch --- and every other player --- works under the confines of an established NFL Media Policy.
In part, that policy mandates that players must be available to the media during the practice week and in the locker room following all games. Star players, or other players with unusually heavy media demands, must be additionally available to the media that regularly cover their teams at least once during the practice week.
One could argue that if the NFL didn't institute a policy making these men talk, many wouldn't. I'd counter that with this: Players are savvy to their image, especially the star players. Also, many want to make as much as they can on endorsements, thus connecting with fans through those media availabilities is something that most would do anyway, even if they weren't mandated.
What Lynch did by mocking the NFL got a chuckle out of me and didn't allow the league to get any more money out of him.
It also proved something very loud and clear: In a way you can make a man talk when he really doesn't want to, but you better be prepared for him making you look stupid.
Colin Dunlap is a featured columnist at CBSPittsburgh.com. He can also be heard weeknights from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sports Radio 93-7 "The Fan." You can e-mail him at colin.dunlap@cbsradio.com. Check out his bio here.
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