Marshawn Lynch's reticence with the media is well known at this point in his career. The 28-year-old running back is one of league's elite players and a key cog in the Seattle Seahawks offense, but he's clearly not comfortable speaking in public and does his best to avoid the spotlight.
Super Bowl 2015: Pete Carroll defends Marshawn Lynch
Lynch’s coach and teammates came to his defense on Wednesday.
Head coach Pete Carroll defended Lynch’s shyness at a press conference on Wednesday. “You are seeing a guy being himself, not what everybody wants him to be,” Carroll said, via the Los Angeles Times. “He’s being true to himself.” Carroll also added that his star running back is a respected team leader both in the locker room and on the field, which isn’t an unexpected view from Carroll, who has a reputation as a players’ coach.
Lynch put on a typical performance at Tuesday’s Super Bowl Media Day, answering every reporter’s question with some variation of this one-line answer: “I’m just here so I don’t get fined.” But there is still chance he could still get a hefty fine from the NFL because the “Beast Mode” hat that he wore doesn’t conform to the league’s regulations about which brands can be visible during media availability.
Quarterback Russell Wilson also came to Lynch's defense when speaking to reporters on Wednesday, saying that his teammate shouldn't be fined for wearing the wrong hat and put the incident into perspective.
Wilson said Lynch shouldn't be fined for wearing the wrong hat: "Sometimes we focus on things that don't matter."
— Terry Blount (@TerryBlountESPN) January 28, 2015 Lynch did make his required appearance in front of the media on Wednesday, announcing himself to the reporters, “You know why I’m here.” He then left after the minimum five minutes, thanking everyone as he walked away. He still wore the “Beast Mode” hat, but this time it sported a New Era sticker, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. However, that might not let him off the hook in terms of avoiding a fine. Although the hat was made by an approved company, the promotion of his personal brand could still be considered a violation of league rules.
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