In life I am usually a calm laid back individual. I sit back and observe a room and the people inside it. I can sit completely quiet in a room filled with thousands of people talking and, honestly, I feel just fine. It’s not that I can’t talk or that I don’t like to talk, I can just feel comfortable not talking. If someone was to ask me a question I would answer them politely, and 7 times out of 10 I will try to spark up a conversation if I’m standing next to someone. Yet, when I’m on a stage or in front of kids for some reason I cant stop talking. I’m goofy, funny, and energetic. I love making people laugh and getting them excited for what’s going on or what’s about to happen. Something just happens when I’m in my element.
In the sports world today the hot topic is the Seattle Seahawk’s running back Marshawn Lynch. He is a dynamic running back, a five time pro bowler and super bowl champion. Children look up to him and young boys all across America try to imitate his skills on the field or in a video game while yelling “BEAST MODE!”
The only problem with Marshawn Lynch, according to culture, is that he doesn’t like to talk to the media. In fact he has been fined multiple times by the NFL for refusing to talk to the press in the locker room or after a game. Since he must go in front of the press according to NFL rules, Marshawn has resorted to answering with phrases such as “Yeah”, “I appreciate you asking”, and most recently “I’m just here so I wont get fined”.
Have you ever watched an NFL or any sport press conference? The media comes in and fires questions at these players hoping to get that one quote for an article or story. They usually hope for a quote that will cause drama because Americans love drama.
Almost every player answers these questions the same way: They praise the team, back up the coach’s decisions, and thank the fans. It’s the same thing every time. Almost all of these players have been doing this routine since high school and there’s a good chance they were trained in college on how to talk to the media. Sure, every once in a while you get the wild cards like Richard Sherman or a Joakim Noah who just say whatever pops in their head (which I love!), but most of the time its like watching a bunch of robots who are programed to say the right thing.
However, Marshawn Lynch doesn’t want to be fake and he doesn’t want to be that wildcard and run the risk of getting in trouble by just saying whatever pops in his head. Marshawn chooses not to talk because that’s simply not that type of guy. Marshawn Lynch isn’t going to let the media slam any image on him. He is going to stay true to himself and just play football. And that is why I think that makes Marshawn Lynch one the most honest players in the NFL.
Marshawn Lynch is calm laid back football player. He sits in a locker room with his team and just focuses on the game and his playbook. He can sit in a press conference with thousands of people asking questions and not say a word and feel just fine. I don’t think Marshawn cant talk, he just feels comfortable not talking.
What’s wrong with that? Marshawn Lynch is a young man from the housing projects of Oakland where he lived off food stamps and was often racially profiled. Now he has become a star athlete living in a media crazed world looking for one thing: drama. Marshawn has already dealt with that drama and takes full responsibility for those mistakes he has made. But now he wants to put an end to the drama and focus on football, not media. And it’s seen when Marshawn hits a football field where he turns it on. He breaks tackles and scores touchdowns. That’s what Marshawn wants to be known for – not for whatever the media decides – but for who he is as a player.
Marshawn and I are quiet guys and often that can be misunderstood. Our conversation comes naturally from an honest heart. Let us focus on being the best we can be in our element. When we can do that, we’ll make an impact because we’re staying true to how God made us and not who the world is telling us to be. Marshawn does it on the field while I do it in the classroom or on a stage. Either way, watch out as both of us remove the drama and go into BEAST MODE!
In the sports world today the hot topic is the Seattle Seahawk’s running back Marshawn Lynch. He is a dynamic running back, a five time pro bowler and super bowl champion. Children look up to him and young boys all across America try to imitate his skills on the field or in a video game while yelling “BEAST MODE!”
The only problem with Marshawn Lynch, according to culture, is that he doesn’t like to talk to the media. In fact he has been fined multiple times by the NFL for refusing to talk to the press in the locker room or after a game. Since he must go in front of the press according to NFL rules, Marshawn has resorted to answering with phrases such as “Yeah”, “I appreciate you asking”, and most recently “I’m just here so I wont get fined”.
Have you ever watched an NFL or any sport press conference? The media comes in and fires questions at these players hoping to get that one quote for an article or story. They usually hope for a quote that will cause drama because Americans love drama.
Almost every player answers these questions the same way: They praise the team, back up the coach’s decisions, and thank the fans. It’s the same thing every time. Almost all of these players have been doing this routine since high school and there’s a good chance they were trained in college on how to talk to the media. Sure, every once in a while you get the wild cards like Richard Sherman or a Joakim Noah who just say whatever pops in their head (which I love!), but most of the time its like watching a bunch of robots who are programed to say the right thing.
However, Marshawn Lynch doesn’t want to be fake and he doesn’t want to be that wildcard and run the risk of getting in trouble by just saying whatever pops in his head. Marshawn chooses not to talk because that’s simply not that type of guy. Marshawn Lynch isn’t going to let the media slam any image on him. He is going to stay true to himself and just play football. And that is why I think that makes Marshawn Lynch one the most honest players in the NFL.
Marshawn Lynch is calm laid back football player. He sits in a locker room with his team and just focuses on the game and his playbook. He can sit in a press conference with thousands of people asking questions and not say a word and feel just fine. I don’t think Marshawn cant talk, he just feels comfortable not talking.
What’s wrong with that? Marshawn Lynch is a young man from the housing projects of Oakland where he lived off food stamps and was often racially profiled. Now he has become a star athlete living in a media crazed world looking for one thing: drama. Marshawn has already dealt with that drama and takes full responsibility for those mistakes he has made. But now he wants to put an end to the drama and focus on football, not media. And it’s seen when Marshawn hits a football field where he turns it on. He breaks tackles and scores touchdowns. That’s what Marshawn wants to be known for – not for whatever the media decides – but for who he is as a player.
Marshawn and I are quiet guys and often that can be misunderstood. Our conversation comes naturally from an honest heart. Let us focus on being the best we can be in our element. When we can do that, we’ll make an impact because we’re staying true to how God made us and not who the world is telling us to be. Marshawn does it on the field while I do it in the classroom or on a stage. Either way, watch out as both of us remove the drama and go into BEAST MODE!