Marshawn Lynch fines

[itjclarke]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

This is about respecting your employer and your job. If doing publicity comes with the job and you take the job you owe it to your employer to do your freakin' job properly. I mean, when I was employed by a law firm if I went to court for a hearing and said "I'm just here so I don't get my pay docked" instead of actually doing what I was sent there for, I'd be fired in no time, and justifiably so. The biggest stars in Hollywood do their publicity junkets as their contracts require but this dingleberry thinks he's above it? Puh-leeze...

I personally have no problem with Marshawn...actually I like it. To the point above, I think much of this is driven by the fact the many, if not most of the players don't respect their employer. When I say employer, I mean the NFL, as opposed to the Seattle Seahawks. I'm pretty sure Marshawn respects Pete Carroll, and probably loves most of his teammates... And you can't deny he definitely does to the job he's hired to do, which is carry the football with a fierceness very few if any can match. I think the obligation to speak is sort of silly if a guy really doesn't want to do it. Why didn't the commissioner have to speak for weeks/mths following the Ray Rice and AP incidents? He basically disappeared until things blew over.

Other Seahawks players seem to be fully on board as well. All players defend Marshawn, and Sherman's comments earlier this week I think had less to do with any concern about deflate gate, and much more intended as a direct jab at the commish. None of the other major US sports have as contentious a relationship between league office and the players. When the Ray Rice story hit its low point, players jumped got in line to destroy Goodell.. My favorite was James Harrison who'd been fined many times, tweating- "ain't no fun when the rabbit's got a gun". After years of handing out player conduct suspensions which may often justified, but for which durations seem totally arbitrary... And years of imposing rules changes which show strong favoritism toward protecting super stars, QBs, while dismissing and/or even increasing risk of injury for less important players, the players are fed up (even a punter Chris Kluwe went on an on line revolt against the league a couple years back).

Many players in the league are well payed yes, but most are not rich, nor will they ever be rich. The league/teams use these guys up for what they're worth and spit them out. I love it when guys like Ricky Williams or Tiki Barber can choose to walk away from the game whole, and fans and teams may attack them for being selfish.. However, if/when a guy blows out his knee in OTAs, a team will often make sure cut him before a deadline so they won't be obligated to pay his contract while on IR, and that just "the business". Bill Parcells once cut a guy in the preseason who'd been diagnosed with a sudden life threatening ailment. He could have stuck him on IR, assuring the guy would have a paycheck, and benefits, but he cut him. Apparently only players ever checked in with him in the hospital.

I think the "brotherhood" amongst all players has never been stronger, and I think it's in large part because many view the league office as a common enemy. Crazy enough, I think Kraft's presser, which I saw as a jab aimed directly at Goodell (a guy he'd been key in hiring and protecting through scandal) was IMO maybe in part influenced by the way he's seen players acting out towards the commish. If they don't treat him with respect, why should he?

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by itjclarke

Crazy enough, I think Kraft's presser, which I saw as a jab aimed directly at Goodell (a guy he'd been key in hiring and protecting through scandal) was IMO maybe in part influenced by the way he's seen players acting out towards the commish. If they don't treat him with respect, why should he?

Goodel's Q&A today was interesting. He made it clear that it was his job to enforce rules, and he also didn't back down in the least about his relationship with Kraft. I think his message to Kraft today was at least as strong as Kraft's was to him. Interestingly, no one asked Goodell about apologizing to Brady and Belichek if they are innocent. His response would have been an equally good message to Kraft, as I'm sure no apology is warranted - investigations either should or shouldn't take place, but a warranted investigation requires no apology, regardless of what is found.

[itjclarke]

Originally Posted by Runscott

Goodel's Q&A today was interesting. He made it clear that it was his job to enforce rules, and he also didn't back down in the least about his relationship with Kraft. I think his message to Kraft today was at least as strong as Kraft's was to him. Interestingly, no one asked Goodell about apologizing to Brady and Belichek if they are innocent. His response would have been an equally good message to Kraft, as I'm sure no apology is warranted - investigations either should or shouldn't take place, but a warranted investigation requires no apology, regardless of what is found.

Interesting! I'd be much more interested to keep tabs on this spat, than I am to hear disinterested player (even the cooperative ones) spout cliché after cliché. In the end, Goodell cannot win a battle with Kraft, or the other owners... but it makes me wonder if he's getting pressure from other key (in Roger's world there is definitely a pecking order amongst owners, Jed may be last) owners to go after the Pats.

[Runscott]

Same here. And I hope the NFL investigation finds no wrong-doing, just so Goodell can defy Kraft by not apologizing.

[D. Bergin]

I'd take Marshawn on my team in a heartbeat. I love the guy. Plenty of athletes are media whores and like to play up their image and speak to the press as much as possible.

The ones that aren't. Leave them alone if they want to be left alone. Pretty sure Marshawn was recruited for his athletic skills.....not his media skills.

NFL is just making a martyr out of the guy. For those that say "just follow the company line and do what you're told, you're making a lot of money".........is not a way of thinking everybody agrees with.

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by D. Bergin

NFL is just making a martyr out of the guy. For those that say "just follow the company line and do what you're told, you're making a lot of money".........is not a way of thinking everybody agrees with.

I think you're talking to a straw man here, Dave. No one said that - they said that it's written into his contract, so just do it. He could have spoken for his 5 minute requirement while the "media whores" as you call them, did the full 30 or so. He could have kept it short. He could have fulfilled his contract with no pain. Instead, Marshawn became the media whore - HE is the one who made himself into a martyr. The media is loving it - they have a story. Only the NFL is pissed, and for them it's just a matter of being able to give themselves a crotch grab...kind of ironic, actually.

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by Runscott

I think you're talking to a straw man here, Dave. No one said that - they said that it's written into his contract, so just do it. He could have spoken for his 5 minute requirement while the "media whores" as you call them, did the full 30 or so. He could have kept it short. He could have fulfilled his contract with no pain. Instead, Marshawn became the media whore - HE is the one who made himself into a martyr. The media is loving it - they have a story. Only the NFL is pissed, and for them it's just a matter of being able to give themselves a crotch grab...kind of ironic, actually.

Well apparently he disagrees with a blanket clause in his contract (or the NFLPA contract), that he didn't have much of a choice in signing or being a part of if he wanted to drag himself out of the poverty he grew up in.

These guys are basically kids, pulled out of college and thrown into a world foreign to them. Thrown a lot of money and told to grow up and toe the line. That some of them would develop individual personalities that questioned certain things as they got older, should not be a shocker.

I Just saw an E60 episode on Marshawn. He did the crotch grab thingy at the end of a TD run against the Saints in the 2011 Playoffs. Nobody seemed to give a crap then............but now all of a sudden, people are offended.

It's all silly. Most of the drama the NFL creates for itself is fairly silly.

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by D. Bergin

Well apparently he disagrees with a blanket clause in his contract (or the NFLPA contract), that he didn't have much of a choice in signing or being a part of if he wanted to drag himself out of the poverty he grew up in.

That's true, and now he can rebel against it, which I think he should. But he's doing so in a very childish way.

[itjclarke]

I'll add, from afar it seems like the Seahawks respect and almost champion freedom (on and off field) amongst their players. I think Pete Carroll, and the whole Seattle organization empower their players, and in turn inspire them as individuals, and get great loyalty from them. It's not perfect, nor can it be (Marshawn held out, etc), but in the NFL machine, it's seems pretty amazing. As a Niner fan I am pretty envious. Jed York and his crew don't inspire much of anything now.

The Steelers have had an amazing thing going forever as well, and I think that's top due to been down stability.. 3 coaches in 40+ years and you hear players say the Rooneys treat them with respect and genuinely care about them, their families, etc. IMO, that's the best way to earn true loyalty, and is definitely not the norm in the NFL.