Marshawn Lynch speaks up to ask media ‘what are y’all here for?’

For the third day in a row, Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch showed up for media availability so he wouldn’t face a fine from the league, but this time instead of just repeating a phrase over and over—“I’m just here so I won’t get fined” on Tuesday, then “you know why I’m here” a day later—Lynch had a real message for the media crowded around him.

“Look, all week I done told y’all what’s up, and for some reason y’all continue to come back and do the same thing that y’all did,” Lynch said after starting a five-minute timer on his phone. “I don’t know what story y’all are trying to get out of me, I don’t know what image you’re trying to portray of me, but it don’t matter what y’all think, what y’all say about me, because when I got home at night to the same people I look in the face, my family that I love, that’s all that matters to me. So y’all go make up whatever you want to make up, because I don’t say enough for y’all to go put anything out on me. But I’ll come to y’all event, y’all shove cameras and microphones down my throat, but when I’m at home, in my environment, I don’t see y’all, but y’all mad at me. And if y’all ain’t mad at me, then what are y’all here for? I ain’t got nothing for you though; I told y’all that, so y’all should know that. But y’all sit here and continue to do the same thing. I’m here preparing for a game, and y’all want me ask me all these questions, which is understandable, I can get down with that, but I told y’all, I’m not about to say nothing.

“So for the remainder of my three minutes, because I’m here, I’m available for y’all—I’m here, I’m available for y’all, I done talked—all of my requirements are fulfilled, so for these next three minutes, I’ll just be looking at y’all the way y’all be looking at me. Thank you.”

That took up 1 minute, 38 seconds of time, then as he had promised, Lynch was mostly silent the rest of the time, though he did give some shoutouts, saying at various times, “Shoutout Oakland, California. Shoutout Westbrook. Shoutout to my teammates. Shoutout to my real Africans out there. Shoutout to Family First (Lynch’s foundation).”

Asked to say something in Spanish, Lynch said, “Hola.”

Asked for a prediction on the game, Lynch said, “That I’m going to sit here with my mouth closed and look at you.”

And when five minutes were up, Lynch was gone, done with media for the week unless he’s the Super Bowl MVP, in which case there will be an awkward press conference Monday morning.

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