NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Marshawn Lynch was there. He even talked a bit. Then he was gone, cutting short his Super Bowl media day appearance after 6 1-2 minutes.
And then he was back, albeit to the side of the "mixed zone" the NFL created for players not on podiums or in microphone-equipped speaking areas at the Prudential Center. But this time he wasn't speaking, except briefly to Deion Sanders for NFL Network, to the Seahawks website, and to Armed Forces Network.
Seattle's star running back, wearing a cap, hood and dark sunglasses, even acknowledged he was trying to avoid being fined by the league for not meeting his media requirements Tuesday. That's why he returned to the floor of the arena rather than disappear completely after he cut short his Q and A with perhaps 100 media members packed together trying to hear his pearls of wisdom.
When he came back, one reporter asked Lynch, "Are you trying to avoid being fined by standing here?" Lynch twice nodded his head yes.
Earlier this month, Lynch was fined $50,000 for not cooperating with the Seattle media. The NFL put the fine on hold, saying it would be rescinded if he complied with media obligations.
"Players are required to participate and he participated. We will continue to monitor the situation," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Tuesday.
Lynch has required media sessions Wednesday and Thursday. The Seahawks play the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
Along with letting slip a profanity to Sanders, he three times described himself as "smooth" to the Hall of Fame cornerback, adding: "I ain't never seen no talk that won me nothing."
