Buftex Posted February 18, 2009 Posted February 18, 2009 So, listening to GR, both Jerry Sullivan, and Paul Hamilton claimed to be "not surprised" by the latest Marshawn Lynch news. I know most here hate both of these guys (or at least Sullivan, I don't), and this isn't really about them. But both said that Marshawn was a "bad guy". Hamilton just says the Bills should get rid of him, because it isn't going to get better. Sullivan suspects that Ralph doesn't care all that much, as long as the guy can play. He said Ralph probably isn't crazy about it, but he won't do anything beyond what the leauge requires. Sullivan, who claims to have communication with Ralph (and I don't doubt him) and says Ralph never liked McGahee. It wasn't that his off the field stuff bothered him (Ralph never addressed the anti-Buffalo comments), he just didn't like him as a football player. Sullivan said Ralph must be saying to himself "Okay, my last running back wanted to move the team to Toronto, the one before was a coke head, and the greatest one murdered his wife. This makes Thurman look like an angel... I can live with a gun charge..." What struck me about this, was that I don't think I have ever seen/heard any Buffalo media people judge any player so definitively, while he was playing... I think it is going to be ugly.
DonInBuffalo Posted February 18, 2009 Posted February 18, 2009 Has any Buffalo professional athlete come anywhere close to this standard in an entire career, much less two years: - Reportedly numerous incidents of being thrown out of downtown bars for carrying his own bottle into the bar. - Ran over someone's mailbox, but wasn't charged because the owner didn't press charges. - Hit a pedestrian injuring her and drove away. - Smoked pot with friends in a car parked on a public street, with a loaded unregistered gun somewhere inside the car. The Buffalo media is "killing" Lynch because he's earned that right. It's become tragically obvious that he makes stupid decisions and doesn't learn from his mistakes.
MRW Posted February 18, 2009 Posted February 18, 2009 Has any Buffalo professional athlete come anywhere close to this standard in an entire career, much less two years: - Reportedly numerous incidents of being thrown out of downtown bars for carrying his own bottle into the bar. - Ran over someone's mailbox, but wasn't charged because the owner didn't press charges. - Hit a pedestrian injuring her and drove away. - Smoked pot with friends in a car parked on a public street, with a loaded unregistered gun somewhere inside the car. The Buffalo media is "killing" Lynch because he's earned that right. It's become tragically obvious that he makes stupid decisions and doesn't learn from his mistakes. Now we're talking about him running over mailboxes and carrying his own booze into bars (well, again on that one)? This is ridiculous. You've got two jokes lumped together with two serious offenses. If you want to make a case about Lynch having poor judgment I suggest leaving off the first two.
Buftex Posted February 18, 2009 Author Posted February 18, 2009 Has any Buffalo professional athlete come anywhere close to this standard in an entire career, much less two years: - Reportedly numerous incidents of being thrown out of downtown bars for carrying his own bottle into the bar. - Ran over someone's mailbox, but wasn't charged because the owner didn't press charges. - Hit a pedestrian injuring her and drove away. - Smoked pot with friends in a car parked on a public street, with a loaded unregistered gun somewhere inside the car. The Buffalo media is "killing" Lynch because he's earned that right. It's become tragically obvious that he makes stupid decisions and doesn't learn from his mistakes. I am not disagreeing with you, or Sullivan and Hamilton for that matter. Lynch is obviously a little fugged up, really immature, and not real smart. Or, he just doesn't care. My point was, I don't think this story is just going to die, and I wouldn't be surprised if Lynch is not a Buffalo Bill next season. Personally, the hit and run thing last off season, and the way it was handled/not handled was a pretty good sign that this kid is more dangerous and arrogant than he appears on the field. Don't get me wrong, I love his play, but if what Hamilton and Sullivan seem to be saying (there have been signs all year that this guy is trouble), I say good riddance.
Steely Dan Posted February 18, 2009 Posted February 18, 2009 Carrying his own bottles of beer into a bar!!?? Man that's cheap. At least my friends would get drunk outside before going into a bar.
Thurman#1 Posted February 18, 2009 Posted February 18, 2009 Now we're talking about him running over mailboxes and carrying his own booze into bars (well, again on that one)? This is ridiculous. You've got two jokes lumped together with two serious offenses. If you want to make a case about Lynch having poor judgment I suggest leaving off the first two. Well, because you made the suggestion, we will try to honor it. We always try to change our thoughts in line with your suggestions, of course. Hey, get used to it. This is what happens when someone makes mistakes over and over again. The old ones get brought up because they form a pattern together. If he wants to stop hearing about the mailbox and carrying booze into bars, all he has to do is stop making stupid decisions. Does he seem likely to to do that?
DonInBuffalo Posted February 18, 2009 Posted February 18, 2009 Now we're talking about him running over mailboxes and carrying his own booze into bars (well, again on that one)? This is ridiculous. You've got two jokes lumped together with two serious offenses. If you want to make a case about Lynch having poor judgment I suggest leaving off the first two.While of course those two aren't as serious as the others, they're still good examples of how Lynch uses poor judgment and fails to accept responsibility for his own actions. The guy's a fuggin millionaire who drives a Porsche. How hard would it have been for him to make a mental note of at least the approximate address of the mailbox he ran over, and tell anybody who works for the Bills what happened, and ask them to help him make sure it gets taken care of? How many times does he have to be told he's not allowed to bring his own booze into a bar? That alone is embarrassing enough to the NFL that Goodell might take into consideration when deciding Lynch's punishment.
MRW Posted February 18, 2009 Posted February 18, 2009 I am not disagreeing with you, or Sullivan and Hamilton for that matter. Lynch is obviously a little fugged up, really immature, and not real smart. Or, he just doesn't care. My point was, I don't think this story is just going to die, and I wouldn't be surprised if Lynch is not a Buffalo Bill next season. Personally, the hit and run thing last off season, and the way it was handled/not handled was a pretty good sign that this kid is more dangerous and arrogant than he appears on the field. Don't get me wrong, I love his play, but if what Hamilton and Sullivan seem to be saying (there have been signs all year that this guy is trouble), I say good riddance. Here's my problem with the situation. These guys will not sit back and let events unfold. They have to go out and fan the flames against Lynch. Even granting that he's been dumb and immature, does he get a chance to change his behavior? Especially in a case like this where there is no victim? Are these media figures reporting on what happens or shaping the narrative? Frankly I don't know these guys from Adam so the fact that they think Lynch is a bad guy means jack to me.
Kelly the Dog Posted February 18, 2009 Posted February 18, 2009 What struck me about this, was that I don't think I have ever seen/heard any Buffalo media people judge any player so definitively, while he was playing... I think it is going to be ugly. I'm sure someone can fill in the blanks for me, but I think I recall one of the announcers at the Pro Bowl (I think it was Collinsworth) saying that the Buffalo players absolutely LOVE Lynch. They were talking as if he was the most popular player on the team, which holds a lot of water for an organization. It has something to do with how hard he tries but it's also to do with hi teammates think he is a great guy and fun guy, not a "bad guy". Granted, it's entirely possible that a reporter or policeman or fan or anyone really could say the off the field Lynch is a bad guy, and the on the field and in the locker room Lynch is a great guy. Those two things very likely co-exist and fit a lot of players on a lot of teams in pro sports. And it very well could be the case here. But the fact the Bills teammates love this guy is just as important if not more important than Sullivan or Hamilton saying he's "a bad guy".
MRW Posted February 18, 2009 Posted February 18, 2009 How many times does he have to be told he's not allowed to bring his own booze into a bar? That alone is embarrassing enough to the NFL that Goodell might take into consideration when deciding Lynch's punishment. Quite frankly, that would be shocking to me.
Buftex Posted February 18, 2009 Author Posted February 18, 2009 I'm sure someone can fill in the blanks for me, but I think I recall one of the announcers at the Pro Bowl (I think it was Collinsworth) saying that the Buffalo players absolutely LOVE Lynch. They were talking as if he was the most popular player on the team, which holds a lot of water for an organization. It has something to do with how hard he tries but it's also to do with hi teammates think he is a great guy and fun guy, not a "bad guy". Granted, it's entirely possible that a reporter or policeman or fan or anyone really could say the off the field Lynch is a bad guy, and the on the field and in the locker room Lynch is a great guy. Those two things very likely co-exist and fit a lot of players on a lot of teams in pro sports. And it very well could be the case here. But the fact the Bills teammates love this guy is just as important if not more important than Sullivan or Hamilton saying he's "a bad guy". You are likely right. I was just surprised to hear this. Most of these guys stuck up for McGahee until the end, and frankly, I think Marshawns pattern is even a little more disturbing than McGahees. I think McGahees fall from grace in Buffalo was as much the product of thin skinned Buffalonians, as it was anything he actually did. I like Lynch, and Hamilton pointed out that he is very popular with his teammates. I think when they are saying he is a "bad guy" they simply mean he hasn't shown any signs of having learned any lesson from last offseason. I think it was Sullivan who pointed out that Lynch seems to have adopted this sort of "victim" thing with the Buffalo media, over last years off season incident. Sullivan said that when Marshawn finally did speak with the media last year, and Mark Gaughn braught up the "hit and run" incident, Marshawn said something to the effect "figures you would bring it up", almost like he doesn't feel any responsibility for his actions. He may be a good guy, good teammate, fun to be around, but a "bad guy" in the sense that he doesn't seem to think he has done anything wrong. Frankly, that is kind of dangerous, as far as its' ramifications for the Bills are concerned. And lets not pretend that this is Lynch's second mistake... he wasn't a choir boy at Cal either.
Trader Posted February 18, 2009 Posted February 18, 2009 So, listening to GR, both Jerry Sullivan, and Paul Hamilton claimed to be "not surprised" by the latest Marshawn Lynch news. I know most here hate both of these guys (or at least Sullivan, I don't), and this isn't really about them. But both said that Marshawn was a "bad guy". Hamilton just says the Bills should get rid of him, because it isn't going to get better. Sullivan suspects that Ralph doesn't care all that much, as long as the guy can play. He said Ralph probably isn't crazy about it, but he won't do anything beyond what the leauge requires. Sullivan, who claims to have communication with Ralph (and I don't doubt him) and says Ralph never liked McGahee. It wasn't that his off the field stuff bothered him (Ralph never addressed the anti-Buffalo comments), he just didn't like him as a football player. Sullivan said Ralph must be saying to himself "Okay, my last running back wanted to move the team to Toronto, the one before was a coke head, and the greatest one murdered his wife. This makes Thurman look like an angel... I can live with a gun charge..." What struck me about this, was that I don't think I have ever seen/heard any Buffalo media people judge any player so definitively, while he was playing... I think it is going to be ugly. Marshawn Lynch is killing Marshawn Lynch.
Chalkie Gerzowski Posted February 18, 2009 Posted February 18, 2009 I think a thing that speaks volumes now is Marshawn's mother, right after he was drafted, saying "DON'T JUDGE MY SON"...which sort of left me and I would think others like ... Why would you make that comment right after he was drafted? Something to hide?
Mr. WEO Posted February 18, 2009 Posted February 18, 2009 Here's my problem with the situation. These guys will not sit back and let events unfold. They have to go out and fan the flames against Lynch. Even granting that he's been dumb and immature, does he get a chance to change his behavior? Especially in a case like this where there is no victim? Are these media figures reporting on what happens or shaping the narrative? Frankly I don't know these guys from Adam so the fact that they think Lynch is a bad guy means jack to me. "Does he get a chance to change his behavior?" Of course he does! After each transgression, the League, the owner, the cops and guys like you give him another opportunity to "change his behavior". You're joking, right?
DrDawkinstein Posted February 18, 2009 Posted February 18, 2009 just following in the footsteps of Bruce and Jimbo. of course back then it was coke, DWIs and throwing shot glasses and women in bars. but this hitting a mailbox thing is pretty serious...
Ramius Posted February 18, 2009 Posted February 18, 2009 Big shock that the buffalo media is going after Lynch. He refused to talk to them for what, 6 months or something? The media acts like a bunch of 12 year old girls who didn't get invited to so-and-so's birthday party when an athlete wont give them what they want. They get all pissy throw a fit. The buffalo media has a huge axe to grind with Marshawn.
Fan in Chicago Posted February 18, 2009 Posted February 18, 2009 The buffalo media has a huge axe to grind with Marshawn. Perhaps true but Lynch is certainly doing his part by giving them plenty of fodder.
C.Biscuit97 Posted February 18, 2009 Posted February 18, 2009 Again, many of us did a lot of dumb things when we were 22. Now imagine if you were famous and had millions of dollars. Lynch doesn't seem like a bad guy. However, I think he is very influenced by others. He needs to cut off the leeches before he destroys a promising NFL career.
Mike in Syracuse Posted February 18, 2009 Posted February 18, 2009 I can't really blame the Buffalo media for hammering Lynch. The guy spent almost all of the last offseason fighting felong hit and run charges. The positive is that it's the Buffalo media and no one outside of 100 miles of Buffalo will ever notice. Can you imagine if Lynch played for the Jets or Giants? The media would be crucifying him.
Ramius Posted February 18, 2009 Posted February 18, 2009 Again, many of us did a lot of dumb things when we were 22. Now imagine if you were famous and had millions of dollars. Lynch doesn't seem like a bad guy. However, I think he is very influenced by others. He needs to cut off the leeches before he destroys a promising NFL career. Good post. Even taking into account last year's situation, both incidents with Lynch can be explained away by simply being young and stupid. Toss in a whole mess of $, and that complicates the situation.
Recommended Posts