DawgTalkers.net Forums The Archives 2014 NFL Season The NFL Post Season 2014 Beast Mode...Genius or Menace? Marshawn Lynch

DISCUSS!!!

He's been an annoyance to the NFL and whats your thoughts...is he being a menace or a genius?


I think its harmless, hilarious, and an amazing thumb in the eye of some of the more silly rules of the NFL. Lovin it.
I hope he doesn't bend...not to mention the amount of publicity hes gotten...plus his clothing line is taking off via his hat. Great work Beast Mode. Bravo.

A phenomenal running back and football player.

Possibly the most underrated player in the league over the past 5 years.

His abilities far exceed the next closest top guys at his position. For him to run as hard as he does, and not be seriously injured most of the time, is credited to either inhuman genetics or ....

He is a difference maker.

i think he has anxiety issues.

is he a Dominant back. that can't even be debated.

but this media stuff, i understand players are suppose to interact with the media, but he clearly shows some sort of anxiety in front of cameras. he doesn't seem to have a problem doing one on one interviews. so why can't they just leave it at that?

I never understood why Buffalo ever let him get away? I mean, if he's that good (and he appears to be) why did they let him out of town. I just don't remember the details of that move.

Who?

dude was getting in trouble left and right in buffalo.

[quote=PrplPplEater]Who? [/quote

Marshawn Lynch otherwise referred to as Beast Mode...

Whenever I hear "Beast Mode", I think of Mike Tyson. I remember him saying "Beeth Mode Activated" once.

Yea he was...

He hit a person in downtown Buffalo in a parking lot in his car, left the scene and turned himself in later and said he didn't know he did it

He really opens up in an interview with Kenny Mayne.

I think what he's doing is brilliant, whether it's intentional or inadvertent.

He also stole $20 off a cop's wife's table at a TGI Fridays.

"Change of scenery" is a real thing.

I think that he is a jackhole that "secretly" loves all of the attention and is intentionally doing what he is doing. 1.) He gets paid WAAAAAYYY better than most of us to do his job. 2.) He signed the contract that said he would have to interact with the media.
That said:
There are certain parts of my job that I truly enjoy and other that I absolutely despise. But, the overall success of my company and my job depend on how I handle those times that I can't stand.


As far as I'm concerned, Lynch can take all of those Skittles and deposit them in his booty as far as they can go sideways. He's another entitled athlete that feels like he can do what he wants because he always has enough to pay the fine. See what he thinks in 8-10 years when he doesn't have the big paychecks coming.

Maybe, he can take Icky Woods' place and "get some cold cuts."

I don't know, if the man doesn't want to talk to the media, why force him? It just becomes an outcome like that. I'm sure the reporters felt embarrassed and or disrespected. I don't get it, but I don't blame the man. Definitely not being a menace, Billicheck does similar things all the time.

I think he's getting some excellent advice and is playing things just right.

His clothing line, especially the hats are selling like crazy.


Marshawn Lynch's silence pays off

This story appears in ESPN The Magazine's Feb. 16 Gambling Issue. Subscribe today!

Marshawn Lynch has a unique talent for making certain people very angry. They don't like the way he dresses, in cleats that gleam like rare coins. They hate the way he celebrates, his hands invariably reaching for his family jewels. Worst of all, though, is his refusal to engage with the press, an act that spurred one journalist to call him a "disrespectful, unprofessional dick." Over the last two seasons, Lynch has been fined $100,000 for failing to comply with the league's mandate that players talk to reporters; if he stays mum on media day, he could incur another massive penalty. Beast Mode's silence has come at a great cost.

It's also made him the most popular running back in the NFL.

Consider the timing. At a moment when the league is enmeshed in a potential cheating scandal, and while the stench of Ray Rice's, Adrian Peterson's and Greg Hardy's rotten deeds still lingers over the game, Lynch's actions seem comically trivial. As a result, his punishments feel arbitrary, and his critics sound crotchety and out of touch, as if they're auditioning to replace Clint Eastwood in a "Gran Torino" sequel.

The NFL, Lynch's chief nemesis in this low-stakes battle, is resoundingly unpopular these days. YouGov BrandIndex reports that public perception of the league, which briefly improved in January after a disastrous season, plummeted again last week. The NFL now scores worse than MLB, the NHL and the NBA. This bodes well for Lynch; just look at how Americans rallied behind "The Interview" when North Korean hackers got involved. "Every time the NFL fines him, he becomes more sympathetic to fans," says Bob Dorfman, an executive creative director who specializes in sports at Baker Street Advertising. "They tend to take his side."

True, some fans are probably offended by Lynch's antics. But most don't care. When he barely spoke to the press during last year's media day, inspiring one writer to say fans see him as "a pampered brat," a SportsNation poll found that 87 percent of respondents didn't object to Lynch's behavior. A few weeks ago, ESPN reporter Darren Rovell asked his followers if Lynch should be obliged to provide the media with "meaningful answers." More than 1,000 people responded, and 83 percent of them said no. Seattle Seahawks GM John Schneider, the guy who issues Lynch's paychecks, recently told reporters he isn't bothered by his employee's attitude. "I kind of love his act," he said. My take? I think the league should set clear, predictable sanctions, and if Lynch willfully violates the rules and pays his fines, so be it -- no further moralizing is needed.

The running back's silence has created a paradox: The less he speaks, the more people talk about him. This phenomenon, coupled with his incredible performance on the field, has catapulted his star. Lynch has long been one of the best-known backs in the league, but he's become more famous than ever this season. According to data gathered by Twitter, Lynch was mentioned in about 35,000 tweets in December 2013, compared to 68,000 for DeMarco Murray, 115,000 for LeSean McCoy and 158,000 for Jamaal Charles. In December 2014, Lynch was mentioned 366,000 times -- more than those other backs (and nearly every other rusher, I suspect) combined. His jersey was the 10th-highest seller in the league during the fall, a rank that would probably be higher if Seattle's roster wasn't stacked with recognizable names. Over the past month, Lynch's name has appeared in 2,199 news stories, according to LexisNexis, about 500 more than the same period last year. Searching for his name on Google Trends produces a graph that looks like a bubbly stock chart.

Lynch's heightened profile, Dorfman says, could help him pursue moneymaking opportunities off the field this year. "When you're a running back and not a QB, you need to stand out more," he says. The increased emphasis on passing in the NFL has not only boosted the statistics of quarterbacks, it has also clarified their public personas, which in turn increases their appeal to marketers. Russell Wilson is pious, Tom Brady is suave and Peyton Manning is an everyman. Could you easily come up with a single word to describe Murray, Charles or Le'Veon Bell? Would the average fan recognize one of these stars on the street? Lynch, on the other hand, easily commands several adjectives: tough, authentic, taciturn. "It does make him a little cooler, a little more alluring, a little more interesting as a pitchman," says Dorfman.

Of course, Lynch's reputation terrifies many brands, especially larger companies with risk-averse marketing departments. McDonald's and Visa aren't likely to cast him in commercials any time soon, but they probably wouldn't use him even if he did offer stilted sound bites and kept his hands a safe distance from his crotch. Meanwhile, Lynch's growing popularity -- and his distinctive character -- make him a compelling fit for quirkier, edgier companies, according to marketers (he currently endorses Vita Coco, Monster headphones and Skittles). Because the running back hardly ever talks to the press, his rare moments of disclosure are innately compelling--which makes his commercial spots titillating. On Monday, Skittles released a "press conference" starring Lynch, which has already racked up 750,000 views on YouTube. "He's gonna work better for a brand trying to break into the market," says George Belch, a professor and department chairman of marketing at San Diego State University. "It's got to be a brand that wants to be perceived as rebellious."

The NFL's treatment of Lynch has turned him into a sort of football Obi-Wan Kenobi; the more the league strikes him down, the more powerful he becomes. If he parlays that influence into another national endorsement, Dorfman says, Lynch could easily reap a few hundred thousand dollars in fees. A local deal, he adds, might generate as much as $100,000 -- exactly the amount the NFL fined him in November for keeping his mouth shut. Poetic justice, perhaps, for a man of few words.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/122314...ar-running-back

No he doesn't. This is all an act, at this point.

He laughs about it and thinks it's funny.

I felt for him at first, because I thought he truly got anxious with the media, but it's a publicity stunt -- I think that's clear now.

End of the day...guy has 3 years of tape that says he's the best RB since Jim Brown.

Yea, he really is a great running back.

He could have talked about deflated balls.

That would have been funny...

1. I don’t understand this line of thinking, he is a professional football player, how can you compare his job to yours? That’s like me comparing my profession to someone who works at Wal-Mart. I get paid wayyyyy much then they do and I have specific job perks that they will never have. It’s really apple to oranges.
2. I can understand this, but I would assume that interacting with the media is mandatory for all players and the players can’t opt out.
3. He does not secretly love the attention because he is being forced to talk to the media, he does not want to be there and if he wasn’t forced he wouldn’t be there. (how much has he been fined for not talking to the media?)


He makes a lot of money but that is what his profession demands. Also, how much does he make the Seahawks and NFL? It’s not like the media and NFL are victims here, they are making buckets full of money for the small price of “his” health.

The biggest thing I respect the most about these interviews are that he is pushing his foundation and talks a lot about them, he is using the media as a spotlight for something good.

Why are we not talking about his foundation which are helping kids?

Fam first Foundation

As I said its not a publicity stunt, because if he wasn't forced to be there he wouldn't be there. He is being forced to be there so he is rebelling.

a few, lol. He went #12 overall.

I can almost guarantee that if, in his contract, it was specified - SPECIFIED that he needed to spend 10 minutes after every game talking with the media AND answering questions in a non smart ass manner, OR lose $10,000 per game that he didn't, he would have no problem answering questions.

Being paid to be and act professional is not comparing apples to oranges. It is saying that for the amount of money he makes, he should be held to the standards that the NFL sets forth.

Just like Archbold just said, if the NFL said they would fine him for acting like a jackass and not answering questions, I bet he'd start answering them.

Sorry, I'll agree to disagree here. His presser today was featured on ESPN and the sale of his Beast Mode hat is through the roof right now. I truly think that he relishes being so combative with the media. Wonder how he'll feel when needs that media to help keep his foundation thriving?


I'm glad that he is giving back to the community and trying to make a difference, but he's not the only one.

A charity event that we hosted helped raise $56,000 for the local art center's youth programs. And, I'm just a washed up chef who makes a living wage.

Aside from the "in a non smart ass manner' part, that's precisely what his contract specifies.

Though I think the fine is much steeper than $10k.

He has to be a genius. He's keeping within the confines of the rules, his clothing sales are through the roof and he's headline news. Soon he'll be getting even more endorsement deals. He's making as much $$$ as he can with his 15 minutes of fame and I don't blame him one bit.

I think he knows what he's doing. Free publicity for his brand. Guarantee he gets a commercial poking fun at this.

He is exposing the laziness of sports journalism.

'Write a profile on a man who refuses to speak to you' isn't an insurmountable task for a talented writer.

Frankly, I think that it would be hilarious if the reporters all just walked out on him, left the cameras going, and let him sit there for his allotted 10 minutes. Why bother feeding his ego by playing his game?

I get that he does not like these pressers, and I don't think that players should be forced into them, however, it is part of the job that they agreed to when they hired on. He is happy to promote his brand, but not to lower himself to answer a few simple questions.

What would be hilarious about that?

I would imagine that he wouldn't sit there for 10 minutes. He'd probably leave as soon as the reporters did.

I can't find even ironic hilarity in people quietly shuffling out of a banquet hall.

It would be about as hilarious as C-SPAN when the cameras are rolling between hearings/votes.

Evidently he had to be available for 10 minutes, hence the staged use of the cell phone timer to make sure he was there for that long, and not a second later.

Maybe then put one reporter in the room, and have him ask nothing.

He is more than willing to promote his brand, but he doesn't want to answer questions for reporters who, to a huge degree, promote the NFL. Without the NFL, he has no brand, and so I think that he has a responsibility, even if he hates doing so, to do a press conference and at least try.

I think he is great. You cant win in the media unless you say the same politically correct thing as the next guy. The only thing that wont get taken out of context and blown out of proportions is the scripted BS that everyone spews. I dont blame him at all for not wanting to talk to those weasels.

jc

http://www.highsnobiety.com/2015/01/30/marshawn-lynch-rob-gronkowski-moral-kombat-x-conan-obrien/

^^^

That's a skit from Conan O'brien. he's got Marshawn and Gronk playing that new Mortal Kombat against each other. simply hilarious!!

Yup, it IS funny. Watched it earlier today.

Kinda sorta proves the point that he's all about him though. IMO.

So, he's intelligent. He's talkative.

But only when he wants to be. Ding him $10 grand every time he's a jerk to the press, I bet he changes his tune.

No, not so much. He was fined $50k in 2013 for not talking to the media, which the NFL did not collect if he complied in with the media policy in 2014. He is now being fined $100k for non-compliance in both 2013 and 2014. A nominal fine compared to what he is making off the publicity he is receiving.

Savvy business move on his part.

Link

Yup. As I've so often said: follow the money.

It's sad really. Sports, politics - get what you want if you have the money to pay.

I like that he doesn't want to talk. The press is just waiting for the wrong thing to come out of his mouth, so they can twist it and create a story out of nothing. His talking comes in the fourth quarter, when he is trucking three or more guys every run. Press can't spin that.

I think more of these players ought to just shut up and play. The media hype is BS imo. They want guys to say something they can spin as controversial. Screw the media, just play ball.