Phoenix: Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch broke his self-imposed Super Bowl week silence on Thursday with a scolding for reporters.
“All week I done told y’all what’s up,” Lynch said as the Seahawks held their last NFL-mandated media availability before Sunday’s championship game.
“I don’t know what story y’all trying to get out of me. What image you are trying to portray of me. But it don’t matter what y’all think.
“When I go home at night to the same people I look in the face, to my family that I love, that’s all that matters.”
Lynch, fined $50,000 (Dh183,000) already this season for failing to meet the media obligations imposed by the league, paid lip service to those requirements with a brief and unilluminating appearance at Tuesday’s Media Day circus.
Lynch answered more than 20 questions with the response “I’m just here so I won’t get fined”, a refrain he changed on Wednesday to “You know why I’m here.”
The performance, after similar stunts at last year’s Super Bowl in New York, has become as much a Lynch trademark as his explosive, defence-shredding runs.
His teammates and coach dismiss it as the reticence of a private man. Media-shy or media-savvy, there’s no doubt it’s drawn more attention to the player than a few genuine answers would.
“I’m here preparing for a game and y’all want to ask me all these questions, which is understandable, I can get that,” Lynch said. “But I told y’all I’m not about to say nothing.”
He made an exception for one question — and anyone who’s interested can buy gear bearing his “Beast Mode” nickname at Beastmodeonline.com — official home of the official brand of Marshawn Lynch.
“I done talked,” Lynch said. “All of my requirements are fulfilled.”
