So we don't get fined
Monday 10 April 2017 15:34, UK
Sky Sports remember our favourite Marshawn Lynch moments, but only so we don't get fined.
Lynch's visit to the Oakland Raiders during the off-season suggests his two-year retirement might be ending so Sky Sports have strolled down memory lane.
The powerhouse who coined the term 'Beast Mode' has been retired since the conclusion of the 2015 season, after nine NFL seasons that saw him represent the Buffalo Bills and the Seattle Seahawks, where he earned a Super Bowl ring.
Possibly the play that will come to define Lynch's argument that he should be included in the NFL Hall of Fame. Six years ago, an outrageous display of athleticism and brute strength from Lynch sent Seattle into such raptures that the wobbling CenturyLink Field registered on a local seismograph.
The Seahawks were playing defending Super Bowl champions New Orleans Saints in the Wild Card play-offs and were locked in a nip-and-tuck battle that could have ended either side's season. In the fourth quarter, Lynch settled proceedings by skipping past nine tackles and scoring a remarkable 67-yard touchdown.
The Seahawks had called '17 Power', a power run, for the first time and shifted the ball into Lynch's hands. He bolted past Scott Shanle, Sedrick Ellis and Will Smith within the blink of an eye. Saints' Remi Ayodele and Darren Sharper simultaneously dived at Lynch only to grasp nothing but thin air. After fighting off Jabari Greer, Lynch performed the most memorable feat of strength as he stiff-armed Tracy Porter out of his path before crossing into the end zone for one of his greatest touchdowns. It helped Seahawks win 41-36 and the 66,000 capacity '12th Man' shook Seattle to its core.
Lynch's career-best 79-yard touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals in late 2014 may not have taken him past nine opponents like the original Beast Quake but it remains his longest ever score. And if you ever doubted the nickname, remember Lynch began this game against the Cardinals on the bench due to sickness and didn't touch the ball until moments before half-time.
But in the fourth quarter he burst into life by shoving red jerseys out of the way with immense arm strength and, at one point, a nudge of the helmet like a charging bull. He wrecked Rashad Johnson and Patrick Peterson's initial attempt to bring him down and, just as he did in the first Beast Quake, leaped triumphantly into the end zone. Seattle won 35-6 and went top of the NFC West en route to the Super Bowl.
Afterwards when questioned about his swashbuckling score he merely replied "thanks for asking" as his reply to every query, with his recent fines for blanking the media fresh in his mind. A sign of things to come?
No stranger to incurring monetary penalties for a lack of co-operation with the NFL off-the-field, Lynch still had no intention of providing genuine answers to reporters prior to the Super Bowl two years ago. Inadvertently (or maybe brilliantly) he created a sensation which took social media by storm and turned into a line of profitable merchandise.
Lynch had been fined for not fulfilling media duties not long before the Super Bowl in February 2015 against the New England Patriots but became the sensation of the pre-game shenanigans for his brash attitude towards reporters. Contractually obliged to face questions for a minimum of three minutes, Lynch politely informed reporters he would not stay for a single second too long - and set a reminder on his phone which triggered his exit.
During those three minutes, Lynch repeated 'I'm just here so I won't get fined' 29 times. He has since received an official trademark for the phrase and released a series of T-shirts.
The Seahawks fell short of winning back-to-back Super Bowls by a mere yard in 2016, in a game that will always be remembered for their decision to not utilise Lynch at the pivotal moment. It was presumed he would never get another chance to add to his single Super Bowl ring, until last week's speculation about a return.
Trailing the New England Patriots 28-24 with less than 30 seconds remaining, Seattle had the ball in hand after Lynch had stormed to within a yard of the end zone during the previous play. All signs indicated they would hand him the ball again for him to deliver the winning score. But it wasn't to be.
Seattle called a slant pass which was intercepted by Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler ensuring New England would preserve their lead to the final whistle. A stunned Pete Carroll, the Seahawks head coach, explained afterwards he tried to catch the Patriots unaware because they arranged themselves primarily to block Lynch. One of the most bizarre plays in Super Bowl history deprived the most powerful runner in the NFL of the chance to score a potentially match-winning touchdown.
Injury ruined Lynch's final NFL season and limited him to just seven starts as he battled hamstring and abdominal issues. The mileage was beginning to show.
He still had time for one last touchdown against the Carolina Panthers but, with his 30th birthday creeping up on him, Lynch called time on his career in typically cryptic fashion. Waiting until the fourth quarter of Super Bowl 50, he tweeted a picture of his cleats hung up from a telephone line which prompted tributes from the Seahawks and his former team-mates.
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