Whether he's refusing to speak at a press conference or grabbing his crotch in celebration of a touchdown, Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch has been in the media spotlight on and off the field all season. But not everybody thinks he's funny.
In a segment with "The Cook and Poni Show" on Monday, Cardinals linebacker Larry Foote discussed Lynch's image and the message he's sending to kids everywhere.
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"You hear in the media, he always mentions his foundation and what he likes to do for the city of Oakland," Foote said. "I'm from the same type of urban environment that he's from and the biggest message that he's giving these kids, he might not want to admit it, is the hell with authority. ‘I don’t care, fine me, I’m gonna grab my crotch, I’m gonna do it my way.'
"In the real world, it doesn't work that way. It just doesn't. How can you keep a job? I mean, you got these inner-city kids, they don’t listen to teachers, they don’t listen to police officers, principals, and these guys can’t even keep a job because they say ‘F’ authority."
Foote knows firsthand that things in the real world don't work out the way they do in the NFL. He believes that Lynch is sending the wrong message with his unwillingness to follow the rules that Foote and other players in the league must abide by. After all, it is part of their job, whether they like it or not.
Foote, 34, played for the Steelers from 2002-08 and 2010-13, spending the 2009 season with the Lions. Last season, he had 84 combined tackles and one interception with the Cardinals.