I spent Sunday watching the NFL Conference Championship games with friends like most of you. As Green Bay was completing its epic collapse Seattle was completing its incredible comeback, Marshawn Lynch became Beast Mode, finishing off a touchdown run with his now-famous HOLD MY D*CK celebration:
I didn’t really have a dog in this fight, so the play made me (along with everyone else) jump off the couch screaming “HOLD MY D*CK!!!!” while grabbing our respective crotches.
Fun all around.
Now that the weekend is over and our Super Bowl matchup is set, I have one question:
Why doesn’t everyone hate Marshawn Lynch?
He has all the attributes of Terrell Owens, a great player that will never get his due, in part, because we hated him. Here are three examples:
He’s kind of a “look at me” guy on the field –
And didn’t we all agree to hate “Look at me” guys?
Desean Jackson. Hated.
RGIII. Was loved, became hated.
Chad Ochocinco/Johnson. Polarizing, but hated by many.
Terrell Owens. Hated.
So why is it cool when Lynch grabs his junk while flying backwards into the end zone?
Or grabs his junk when his teammate makes a great play?
Look toward the top left.
He’s bad with the media –
Lynch is now famous for his locker room interviews.
It’s obvious he doesn’t like them. So he gives answers that are short, repetitive, and generally a zero on the Insightful scale. The NFL has even fined him for failing to take the interviews seriously. Take this for example:
Again, I thought we all agreed to hate guys that shirk their responsibility to the media. We crave the clichés many sports figures feed us through the media.
He plays for a dominant team –
This one depends on the other two.
The Seahawks are the defending champion, and are poised to defend their title. Usually, a cocky player who doesn’t give us what we want in interviews is hated.
Want an example, look at Lynch’s teammate Richard Sherman.
He quickly became hated for all the things Lynch seems to exemplify. Yet one is hated and one is loved.
—
I’m at a loss.
Lynch has all the familiar symptoms of a guy you’d hate. And yet, he’s a guy people have no problem getting behind.
What do you think? Why does he seemingly get the best of both worlds?
Hit the comments and let me know!
He is loved because while all the other guys you cited are the ultimate self-promoter, Marshawn is the exact opposite. the only endorsement he has off the top of my head is with skittles. the dude basks in the shade, and that permits him to throw it from time to time too!
Lol, like the play on words.
I definitely wouldn’t call him a self-promoter. I’m just surprised the crotch grabbing and interviews don’t outweigh the respect earned for being “bout that action”. I hear you though.
Because Marshawn is solely “about that action.” All the other guys named above have questionable teammate attributes (selfishness, lack of accountability, gloating)…there’s never been a question about Marshawn in your backfield. If y’all win…he won’t say much…if y’all lose …he won’t say much. Every game, he’s guaranteed to play is ass off.
YES, INDEED!
He’s loved because he is “About that action”. So Seattle fans and fans outside love him because he is somewhat of a punch the clock go to work type of guy.
I think you sort of answered the question in the post. It’s easy to hate NFC players; particularly NFC East lol If Beast Mode played in the NFC East or even South, then he’d undoubtedly be hated. But he plays in harmless Seattle. Who really roots for Seattle outside of the PacWest you know? Yet we are all Seahawks fans in 2 weeks!
I’d also say maybe it’s because of his position. For some reason, it’s easy to hate WRs and QBs. But I can’t remember the last time a running back was unanimously hated by people the way we hate WRs and QBs.
I understand your question, but I don’t really think that Marshawn wants the attention the other guys you mentioned want. I see Marshawn as a player who just really wants to play football. I look at the things he does that are getting attention as his way of saying F*** You to the NFL! I think he thinks the rules they create are pointless & I think he just wants to be himself & play ball. So, I don’t agree that he is a distraction like many of the hated players you mentioned. From what I understand his teammates love him, & I recently read an article where his teammates said they knew the “Real Marshawn” while the media has no clue who he is. He doesn’t speak on all of the things he does in his community or for children because I don’t think he cares what others think of him, nor does he want the attention.
LaLa
Agreeing with ^^^^^this too…dude just wants to play. Honestly, these reporters who continue shoving microphones in his face just look ridiculous to me. How about just interview another player?