World No. 1 Rory McIlroy understands why Marshawn Lynch doesn’t want to talk to the media.
Lynch, who has gone out of his way to be media-unfriendly, has come up with creative non-answers to respond to reporters’ questions during NFL-mandated media availability. The “I’m thankful” line following the Seattle Seahawks’ Divisional round playoff win against the Carolina Panthers on Saturday night was the latest tagline for the runningback.
McIlroy’s stance set off a number of intriguing replies from followers, to a select group of which McIlroy responded.
McIlroy, who has rarely been anything but gregarious and forthright with the media, has been forced into several awkward encounters with reporters in the last two years by his own doing.
In March 2013, McIlroy withdraw from the Honda Classic with a phantom toothache. (A discussed oral surgery follow-up never happened.) Last May, McIlroy appeared before the media to discuss, as best he could, his unexpected break-up with then-fiancee Caroline Wozniacki.
More embarrassing information could come out when McIlroy’s lawsuit against his former representation at Horizon Sports Management unfolds in an Irish courtroom in February. Lawyers for Horizon have already suggested McIlroy tried to time the filing of his lawsuit with Graeme McDowell’s wedding, a charge McIlroy’s counsel denies.
Then there’s the matter of McIlroy choosing to announce he’d represent the Republic of Ireland if he qualifies for the 2016 Olympic golf tournament. Thanks to a quirk in international golf rules, McIlroy had the choice of playing under the Irish flag or, as a Northern Irishman, representing Great Britain. The backlash from many in his home country was unsettling.
Needless to say, McIlroy has plenty of recent history to explain his tweets.
However, now that he’s a four-time major champion and the clear torch-bearer for golf’s next generation, McIlroy will face more media scrutiny than ever. As he pointed out, he’s comfortable in front of cameras and microphones. He’s merely defending Lynch, who McIlroy said he doesn’t know.
McIlroy knows well the value of keeping the media just close enough to keep us happy. He only needs to study how Tiger Woods was treated after his car accident on Thanksgiving 2009 and the resulting fallout to know what can happen when a jilted media corps has ammo.
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
Follow @RyanBallengee
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