Why Marshawn Lynch should have been a baseball player
“I am here so I won’t get fined.”
That is what Marshawn Lynch said at Media Day for the NFL circus during Super Bowl week. He also says it during the season when he must. He must because it is a requirement of the NFL that one must talk to the media. It is fortunate that they do not require you make answers they desire, though I am sure that is on the horizon.
If Marshawn played major league baseball, or was in the NBA, or NHL, he would not have these problems. He would not be fined for his reluctance to talk with reporters. Nor would he be fined for grabbing himself, because baseball players constantly grab their junk (why is it called junk; so demeaning to my personal friend). The NFL, to my knowledge, is the only major sport that mandates professional athletes to talk to the press.
The NFL is a control freak. They love to fine players for any small transgression. Throw the ball into the stands? You get fined. Where the wrong socks? You get fined. Don’t play nice for the media? You get fined.
The NFL’s dictatorial methods are archaic and they are fighting a losing battle. If the NFL Player’s Association truly cares about their players, they will take a stand in the next contract negotiations. I don’t care who does or doesn’t talk. Most of the questions and answers between reporters and players in any sport are boring anyway.
The NFL should not be worried about being more tolerant to freedom. There are plenty of players who like the spotlight, who love to talk, enjoy being the center of attention. There are no shortage of players who will promote the NFL. Forcing people to talk is childish.
If you are arrested for a crime, you are not forced to talk. You can ask for an attorney. You are not afforded that courtesy in the NFL. Instead, the NFL, like the inquisition, will make you talk. Fining players for not talking is a civilized answer to the rack.
Balls and Strikes 