They said what? Volume 9: AJ McCarron, Nick Saban and why Marshawn Lynch is my favorite athlete

NFL: Seattle Seahawks at Atlanta FalconsI love me some Marshawn Lynch.

Why?

Because he’s all about that business.

Do you guys remember last Super Bowl?  Why wouldn’t you?  It wasn’t all that long ago.  The two weeks preceding the biggest sporting event of the year feature the most obnoxious media coverage to ever grace our television sets.  Despite the fact that there’s a rather important football game to be played, all anyone seems to ask about is anything BUT football.  The pinnacle of our nation’s cluelessness might have come years ago when one member of the media asked Donovan McNabb how long he had been a black quarterback.

Exactly.

This is why I like Marshawn Lynch.

In a day and age where we scrutinize every athlete’s last word, Marshawn Lynch says nothing.  In fact, he was fined $50,000 by the league last year for refusing to speak to the media.

Why?

Because he’s all about that business.

AJ McCarron played four years at the University of Alabama.  He’s currently third on the Cincinnati Bengals depth chart which means it will be a very long time and two debilitating injuries before he ever sees any playing time.  That doesn’t stop him and his mouth from making the headlines.

McCarron and SabanIn a recent interview with some godforsaken news reporter, McCarron was asked how he felt about Alabama’s loss to Ole Miss and his former college coach Nick Saban.

McCarron commented that he felt Saban sometimes “handcuffed” his offensive coordinators.

Cue the backlash.

The calm and collected Nick Saban probably refused to comment on these matters but that didn’t stop former NFL quarterback and current analyst Fran Tarkenton from chiming in.

“Oh gosh, it’s AJ McCarron.  Did he go to class? Did he make the league or not? He needs to be quiet. He was so fortunate to play in that program. He’s an average quarterback at best. He played fine, but he couldn’t have played anywhere else but Alabama.  To make a comment like that is just disrespectful. He should keep his mouth shut and praise Saban and Alabama for the rest of his life.”

Good to know Tarkenton has Saban’s back.  Fran’s right too but in the grand scheme of things, how does any of this matter?

Now you all see why I like Marshawn Lynch so much.

Why?

Because he’s all about that business.

Remember back in high school when someone got drunk at a party, made out with someone else and for the next few weeks, it was all anyone could talk about?

That’s what professional sports reporting has become.

Musburger WebbSomeone saying (or doing) something stupid and someone else running with it.

Were McCarron’s comments out of line?  Who cares?  Should he have just said he was upset with his alma mater’s loss?  Probably.  But why is this news?  I guess I should just be happy we’re not talking about McCarron mistreating his wife.  That’s something Brett Musburger would rather do anyway.

As much as I love reading about sports, it’s the misshaped, mistook and misremembered comments athletes blurb that I could live without even though it does give us plenty to write about.

That’s why, as much as we want to get a feel for what athletes are truly like, sometimes it’s just better not to.  They’ll only disappoint.

But not Marshawn Lynch.

Why?

Because he’s all about that business.

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19 Replies to “They said what? Volume 9: AJ McCarron, Nick Saban and why Marshawn Lynch is my favorite athlete”

  1. It’s like the only way to succeed in the media world is you have to make a splash. You have to be recognized. Once that happens it’s not good enough to do it just one time, you have to do it over and over again. Then… If the right muckity muck sees and likes what you’re doing you might land on a higher rung of the ladder. Do people really want all this hoopla? I like Marshawn Lynch too…

  2. Sorry but that isn’t the reason Lynch don’t talk to the media. It is because he can’t string four words together in an understandable coherent statement. Nice to think he is all about the “business” but not true. And anytime Alabama has any infighting, I am all for it.

  3. Bobby Green…

    It’s a little bit of all our faults, the media’s for baiting athletes into these kind of answers, the athletes for saying stupid shit in the first place and ours for sucking all this up.

    Like I said, there’s always plenty of stuff to write about so I guess I shouldn’t complain that much after all.

  4. Don’t get me wrong, Jack.

    I don’t need my athletes to be brainiacs. Heck, does anybody really want to watch Ryan Fitzpatrick play football?

    But at least Marshawn knows his place.

    Actually, it’s that I think he’s uncomfortable in front of cameras more than anything else.

    Heck, the rest of us say and do stupid things as well. We just don’t live under a microscope.

    And did you say ‘Bama infighting or inbreeding?

  5. I feel your frustration, Chris. It’s the main reason I’ve cut back on my sports talk consumption lately. BTW, McNabb may have been asked that question, too, but I’m pretty sure it was first tossed out to Dougie Williams, RIP.

  6. AJ McCarron and being in handcuffs ? Wasn’t that one of his sexual fantasies after his idiotic engagement announcement (his fiance is a former state beauty queen) ?

    Marshawn Lynch’s stock as far as I’m concerned is at an all-time high ! First off , people seemed to forget it was Deion Sanders conducting an interview which led to his behavior , in not wanting to speak to the press . Sanders’ and Magic Johnson leave a great deal to be desired , when it comes to interviewing techniques and their asking questions . Magic was never going to replace Arsenio Hall in the specific demographics his now defunct late night talk show was aiming for . As for Sanders , his art was simply one of making an a-hole of himself . Look no further than last year’s Pro Bowl .

    Lynch’s accuser in a recent sexual case ,has now recanted her statement and the police are now looking at filing charges against the female , for filing a false sexual assault claim against the Seahawks’ running back .

    Good to see noles’ AD Stan Wilcox proving that he’s just as incompetent as many of his predecessors, with his recent statement concerning the school’s ongoing issues concerning Jameis Winston. A pattern of behavior and yet neither Jimbo Fisher of Wilcox have the faintest f$$king idea as to what they’re doing . Never mind the fact the school has been repeatedly complicit in working with the Tallahassee Police Dept in showing their repeated incompetency when it comes to dealing with FSU and alleged criminal activity by their (school’s ) athletes . The police Chief Michael DiLeo is a damn moron and a fool . His agency , he believes has conducted itself with utter professionalism ? What has kissing @ss got to do with acting professionally, when it comes to that particular police department? TPD (Tallahassee PD) ranks right up there with the Lakeland Police Department in Polk County , Florida ,. Only thing we have yet to find out about TBD , are there any female administrative assistants getting down on their hands and knees to service the detective and beat cops within their police department there in Tallahassee ?

  7. Dang Chump! I bet you knew right off the bat…

    Okay… We’re sports writers. Let’s go goad some unsuspecting athlete into saying something he’ll regret when his coach, teammates, wife, children, parents or significant other reads it… Hell of a job…

  8. Yaz…

    I had planned on heading up to Gville this weekend. Had some good buddies in town for their annual excursion.

    As much as I would have loved to take off work and seen them (not the Gators), thank goodness I didn’t go.

    Can you please explain to me what the hell is going on up there?

  9. Al…

    I don’t see what’s wrong with an athlete declining his option to speak with the media. Shouldn’t they have that right?

    In this day and age, you’d think most professional sports leagues would want their athletes to shut the hell up.

    That goes for the college athlete too.

  10. What I believe is going on is the implosion signaling the end of the Muschamp era. It’s tough to be the “guy after the guy,” see Ron Zook. He has all the best intentions but has not delivered in building continuity in coaching and recruiting. Last night’s debacle against LSU showcased the sometimes inexplicable play calling, poor decision making and execution. He walked off the field with his head down and Jeremy, only a few steps behind, had a similar posture. It was a tough night in the Swamp. His capital with the fans is gone and we’ll see next Saturday night whether he still has any with his team. I think it’s down to either win out (lol) or move on. I’ll embrace any change at this point.
    🙁

  11. Very well said, Yaz.

    Like I said, I had all intentions of heading up there this weekend but work was just too damn busy.

    Let’s just say that I wouldn’t have been in the best of moods.

    Ironically, I was following along on my phone as best I could and kept thinking to myself “Damn, I can’t believe I didn’t go up there for this” to “Damn, I’m glad I didn’t go up there for this” back to “Damn, I can’t believe I didn’t go up there for this.”

    Then Driskell threw that pick and well, you know the rest.

    Let me ask you. Do you think Foley is untouchable in all this?

  12. Yes, I do. He’s been there quite a while and presided over Championships in many sports. Any mistakes he may have made in hiring coaches pale in comparison to the HR he hit when he hired Billy D. He’s also reached the point where he could retire if he wanted. I think enough boosters remember the Arnsparger/Carr years and recognize Foley’s track record. He’s not perfect, but he’s the best we’ve had since I’ve been around. My take is he will leave on his own terms.

  13. You’re tellin’ me Chump. Only Week 6 and Beast Mode already single-handedly has won me two weeks in fantasy. The guy is a freak of nature!

  14. Chris

    There’s always an athlete with something say and there are some you simply don’t want to hear anything from . In the NFL, it’s one of Goodell’s idiotic edicts . You’d think he has more to worry about, than fining an NFL player for declining an interview.

    So what hope is Lovie Smith now bringing to the Buccaneers ? This team is frigging awful without a player deserving an actual salary . The Ravens are whupping their collective @ss without even breaking sweat . Nice job Lovie , you bring about as much discipline to the team as can be found in a brothel filled drunken sailors .

    I’m sure the crowd at Raymond James Stadium are really enjoying themselves with all of that revelry .

    Don’t look now, but the Orioles are gift wrapping the ALCS to the Royals .

    tophatal ……………

  15. Someone’s gonna have to take the fall here, Yaz.

    It’ll obviously be Muschamp, I just don’t know when.

    Clearly winning the SEC East, which is still miraculously possible would save Coach Boom his job. Would anything less not?

    Sure, Foley found Spurrier, Donovan and Meyer but those hires were no-brainers. Zook was questionable at best when we couldn’t get the guys we wanted and clearly Mus hasn’t worked out as we would have liked.

    I’m just wondering if another mishire might, as you suggest, force Jeremy into retirement.

  16. Here’s the thing, Al.

    I know the NFL wants to promote their image but perhaps they should do a better job of controlling who gets to say what. Perhaps not sticking a mic in front of each one of their players is the way to go.

    Certainly seems that way.

    Re: the Bucs, I know people that were leaving the stadium in the second quarter. And what the hell is up with all the Ravens fans? Perhaps it’s time for Buccaneers fans to stop drinking so much and pay attention to the damn game.

    Or is it the team that’s driving them to drink?

  17. Pingback: And my new favorite basketball player is… | Sports Chump

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