As Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch braces himself for two more days of scheduled availability, his coach is doing his best to defend his player.
Pete Carroll just finished a well-explained explanation for Lynch’s reticence to play along with the media, saying he’s a team leader and simply not comfortable in the role.
“You’re seeing a guy being himself, and not being what everyone else wants him to be,” Carroll said.
Which is fine, such that it fits within a system with rules and consequences.
While we’ve long passed the point of gleaning any insights from Lynch at a podium, the only thing happening now is turning him into a martyr — which he clearly relishes.
Teammates rally around him, fans love the anti-hero quality, and the media’s an easy pinata. Everyone gets that.
But as he’s made commercials for insurance and candy recently, Lynch is showing that he’s not camera-shy. He just wants to engage in communication on his own terms.
And as long as he’s willing to pay the cover charge, he can party in that club all he wants.