PHOENIX — As he watched teammate Nate Isles being interviewed by a pair of purple puppets from Mexico, K.J. Wright shook his head and laughed.
The Seattle linebacker was among 14 Seahawks with his own podium during Super Bowl Media Day on Tuesday. From his perch, Wright gazed upon the annual scrum of athletes, coaches, reporters, pseudo-celebrities and fans filling the downtown US Airways Center.
“It’s fun,” Wright said. “You don’t usually get to experience anything like this. You get people from all over the country, Mexico, Britain.”
Fun is right, as in fun like a circus. There were no elephants, but New England tight end Rob Gronkowski said he would be a tiger if he were any animal.
There was no popcorn, but Richard Sherman was asked what his favorite snack is. “Funyuns,” the Seattle cornerback revealed. In a slightly more important note, Sherman also revealed his girlfriend in due any day to give birth to their first child.
There were no clowns, but Marshawn Lynch made a mockery of the event. The Seattle running back has been fined $131,050 this season, the most of any player, largely for refusing to meet NFL-mandated media obligations.
Tuesday, as he took a seat before a crowd of several dozen reporters, Lynch said “I’m just here so I won’t get fined. You can sit here and ask me all the questions you want to. But I’m going to answer with the same answer. So you can shoot if you all please.”
Lynch went on to answer 29 consecutive questions by saying “I’m just here so I won’t get fined.” Lynch was reportedly threatened with a $500,000 fine if he didn’t show up Tuesday.
And the best high-wire act was from Russell Wilson. NBC fashion divas Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski asked his opinion on the costumes of one of Wilson’s favorite musicians, Michael Jackson. “We had one rule growing up,” Wilson said. “Don’t say anything bad about Michael.”
Blount: Seattle’s defense beatable
Beyond the absurdity of Media Day, there were plenty of football-related questions being tossed around.
Earl Thomas, who dislocated his shoulder in the NFC Championship game, was asked about tackling 245-pound Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount.
“Big body,” Thomas said, adding that his tackling technique would need to be perfect. “Definitely up there on the tackling plan going against him. It’s going to be a test.”
Blount, who rushed for three touchdowns in the AFC Championship against Indianapolis, said he is not worried about Seattle defense, which gave up a league-low 15.9 points a game this season.
“I don’t care about them being the top defense, that doesn’t bother me,” Blount said. “They were good enough to get here, just like we were good enough to get here. They’re not immortal. They can be beaten.”
Browner explains remarks
Patriots cornerback Brandon Browner explained his remarks about Sherman and Thomas that created a stir over the past two days.
Browner was quoted by ESPN as saying his teammates should target Sherman, who has a sprained elbow, and Thomas, who has an ailing shoulder. “Try to break it if you can,” he said. The former Seahawk said Tuesday he “wasn’t coming from a bad place.”
Browner said Sherman texted to him “LOL” (laughing out loud) upon reading those remarks.
“Those are my brothers, at the end of the day there’s no hard feelings,” Browner said. “That’s like in any game, you have a guy that messes his ankle up and you’re going to tackle and make sure you land on his ankle. You guys know how close I am to those boys and at the time that felt like the right thing to say.”
Deflate-gate yet to die
For the second consecutive day, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady denied any involvement in the deflation of footballs during the AFC Championship game.
“I talked about this all week last week and, like I said, my focus is on the game,” Brady said. “That’s where it needs to be. How it sorts itself out, that will all be determined after the season. But I’m excited about the game.”
Patriots owner Robert Kraft said he is not backing down from his demands that the NFL apologize to Brady and coach Bill Belichick if the league’s investigation finds no wrongdoing.
“I wanted them to know how I personally felt about everything,” Kraft said. “And how we love this game, how we respect the game, and how badly we want to win.”
Top Five quotes from XLIX Media Day
• “I just love my beard. Moses had one. Genghis Khan had one. Just good guys man. Jesus had one too.” — Michael Bennett, Seattle defensive end.
• “I like a little puppet that you can put your fingers in. A little monkey.” — Bill Belichick, New England coach, asked by a child reporter what his favorite stuffed animal is.
• “I’m bringing my sunblock, shades and hat. I’m going to Revis Island.” — Doug Baldwin, Seattle wide receiver, on testing New England cornerback Darrelle Revis.
• “Best dancer? I mean, since I’m the only one who really whips out my dance moves, I’d have to go with myself.” — Rob Gronkowski, New England tight end.
• “Putting Lynch in front of the press is like putting a reporter on field and asking him to tackle Adrian Peterson.” — Richard Sherman, Seattle cornerback.
