Marshawn Lynch offers statement

PHOENIX -- In the last league-mandated media session of the week for players in Super Bowl XLIX, Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch went on the offensive a bit, but he still did not answer questions and left his designated table after timing five minutes on his smartphone.

As soon as Lynch sat down Thursday during a formal interview session with the team's players and coaches at the resort hotel the Seahawks are using as their team headquarters, he offered a brief statement on the events of the week.

"Hey look, I mean, all week I told y'all what's up," Lynch said. "And for some reason y'all continue to come back and do the same thing that y'all did. I don't know what story y'all trying to get out of me. I don't know what image y'all trying to portray of me. But it don't matter what y'all think, what y'all say about me.

"When I go home at night, the same people that I look in the face -- my family that I love. That's all that really matter to me. So y'all can go make up whatever y'all want to make up because I don't say enough for y'all to go and put anything out on me.

"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 you ain't mad at me, then what y'all here for? I ain't got nothing for y'all, though. I told y'all that. Y'all should know that. But y'all will sit here like right now and continue to do the same thing.

"I'm here preparing for a game," Lynch continued. "And y'all want to ask me these questions, which is understandable. I could get down with that. But I told y'all. I'm not about to say nothing. So for the reminder of my, what's that, 3 minutes? Because I'm here I'm available for y'all. I'm here, I'm available for y'all. I talked. All of my requirements are fulfilled. For the next 3 minutes, I'll just be looking at y'all the way that y'all looking at me. Thank you."

Lynch, again wearing a hat from his own Beast Mode clothing line, still faces a potential fine for violating the NFL's media policy as well as its apparel policy. Personnel from the league office, as is custom at Super Bowl media availabilities, were on hand each day with the Seahawks, including Thursday.

On Thursday, Lynch offered "shoutouts" to his hometown of Oakland, California, to his teammates and to the Family First Foundation. He also responded to a question about the Seahawks' best player, saying, "All of them."

At Tuesday's Super Bowl XLIX media day, Lynch answered every question posed with some slight variation of "I'm just here so I won't get fined," for just under five minutes. On Wednesday he altered the approach slightly, answering virtually all of the questions with "you know why I'm here."

Singer Katy Perry borrowed one of Lynch's catchphrases during her news conference Thursday to discuss her halftime performance.

Asked which player she has her eye on, Perry said: "I'm just here so I don't get fined."

Lynch had been threatened with a $500,000 fine by the NFL if he skipped media day and has accumulated $131,050 in fines since the start of the regular season for violations of the league's media policy as well as on-field conduct.

NFL contracts require players to merely make themselves available to the media, an obligation Lynch has seemingly satisfied with his five-minute appearances. It is unclear whether the league could still impose a media fine, since the league's official policy contains no language about a player having to be available for a specific length of time.

The Professional Football Writers of America complained to the league about Tuesday's session and Lynch had been apprised of a potential fine. A league spokesman declined comment.

Independent of the media policy, Lynch also faces a potential fine for wearing non-league sanctioned apparel to an official league event. He has worn a hat and sunglasses from his Beast Mode clothing line to all of the week's media sessions.The two hats he already wore this week have sold out on Lynch's website.

Thursday, former NFL tight end Johnny Mitchell, who is working with ESPN Brazil at the Super Bowl, asked Lynch about his charitable work, as others have done this week, to give Lynch an opportunity to expound on his off-the-field efforts.

Lynch then told Mitchell if he were to visit during one of those events, he would speak to it then. Mitchell responded: "I will, I'll hold you to that."

Team officials, league officials, officials from the NFL Players Association as well as Lynch's representatives have been in discussions this week about Lynch's responsibilities. A year ago, at Super Bowl media day, Lynch showed up with a hood pulled up on his head, sunglasses on and said, "I'm just 'bout that action, Boss."

Lynch was fined $50,000 in November for violating the league's media policy and at that time he was informed by the league an additional $50,000 fine imposed last season would be collected, as well. Lynch was fined $20,000 by the NFL for an obscene gesture following a touchdown in the Seahawks' NFC Championship Game win over the Green Bay Packers.

Lynch had been fined $11,050 for a similar crotch grab gesture in a late December game against the Arizona Cardinals.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.