"I'm Just Here So I Won't Get Fined Boss"

In short, media has made millions and millions for these leagues and the commissioners are smart enough to know it and continue to enforce these policies

 

This will never happen so it is ridiculous to even bring up.

 

Sure you do. Why wouldn't you?

(EDIT: In answer to Zagoshe saying you can't separate the media that interviews you from the one that puts your games on TV.)

 

Well because it is all tied together. Again, I have no problem with an athlete refusing to speak to the media provided he has no problem paying the fine that comes along with it.

The commissioners understand it, the owners understand it, the jackasses who hate "the media" just look at this as one more reason to bitch about "the media"

 

What on earth are you talking about??

Take away tv game coverage, and there is a problem.

The nfl would suffer absolutely zero percent if the "What do you think about the New England defense?" questions were eliminated.

Nobody cares about the questions. And nobody cares about the answers.

Just play the games.

 

The St. Paul Press is not tied in to Fox's broadcast of the NFC championship game. No way. No shape. No form.

 

ESPN Seattle reporter:

I've seen this on this site all week and I don't get it. The experts were saying 2-3 feet. Is that not a big deal? They were wrong, so the lesson is don't listen to scientific experts?

 

They are all media companies, they are all in the business of hyping the league and providing free advertising, marketing and public relations for the league. Again, marketing people understand it, business people understand it which is these policies exist.

And the "what do you think about Seattle's defense" questions may not matter to you, they matter to a lot of people, which is why the four or five most read stories on just about every newspaper's web-site (in an NFL market) on a Monday during the season has to do with the NFL team and the game the day before. It is why every radio station in pro markets have a bunch of sponsored shows involving NFL players -- because they know they will translate to ratings because people do care.

So the idea that the league is asking a guy making $8 million a year -- in large part because of his attachment to a league that relies on being hyped, televised and marketed -- to take ten minutes of his time, which, by the way isn't his time because it is part of his obligations to the team and the event, to answer questions is intrusive or unfair is downright asinine and the kind of idiocy you find on message boards among loser fans who believe "the media" is the devil.

 

And the fact that there are jackasses on here blaming "the media" for predicting snowfalls - when all they were doing was reporting what SCIENTISTS and WEATHER EXPERTS were showing in their models -- only further strengthens my point that most of the defense of Marshawn Lynch comes from the crowd who hates "the media"

 

I have no issue with a scientific expert saying, "Look, stock up on some shit because you COULD - Repeat: COULD - get a couple of feet of snow."

What I have an issue with was the non-stop masturbating from the TV news screamers. "Lets go to Bob who is out reporting on the grocery store fistfight....now lets go to the Mayor who is giving a press conference....now lets go to Judy who is wearing a funny hat and is standing by a pile of rock salt.....back to the weather clam in a tight dress who has abosolutely nothing new to add...." It's not journalism. It's hype and bullshit.

 

It is the same hype and bullshit that gave the NFL 24-7 of FREE coverage for a week when there were no games talking about inflated footballs.

Nobody talked about the NBA or the NHL, hell the NHL had an all star game most people didn't even know it, because, as you say media "hype and bullshit"

I'll say it again, the commissioners of these leagues understand this, they get it, which is why these media policies exist.

And the "hype and bullshit" is only that to people who consume news 24-7, which there are many -- and there are many more who do the same for sports, who follow the "hype and bullshit" 24-7 and are dying for every little bit of info on their favorite teams -- which once again only further strengthens the overall point that there is absolutely no sensible defense of Marshawn Lynch's act, Rasheed Wallace's act or any of these other idiots who spend more time and energy figuring out how out how to get around the policy then just taking the five or ten minutes and acting like a normal human being.

 

Living in Pittsburgh, you of all people should be able to differentiate between a scientific expert giving his analysis and dozens of morons in parkas and hats with microphones out interviewing dopes buying milk and eggs, dopes selling milk and eggs, dopes buying shovels, dopes selling shovels, PennDOT spokespeople, the mayor, the deputy mayor, Deputy Dog, Dog the Bounty Hunter, Torii Hunter, Catfish Hunter, Bobby Fisher and the man in the motherfucking moon because the city MIGHT get 4-6 inches overnight. The only thing Pittsburgh loves more than interviewing drunks after Steelers games ("Big Behhhhhh! Stillers!!! DAAAAAAAAAH") Is "Storm Team Coverage."