L
et’s forgo thestandard
are-you-ready-for-some-
football?speakandstart
offbyagreeing thatyes,we
are.Most likelybecause
thehigh-drama2014seasonendedwith
theprofessional-sportsequivalentof
ahangingchad. (Sorry for thatdated
reference.#GetCurrent.)
Thebig“What if?”questionstill
looms large. Inmyopinion,hadSeattle
SeahawksquarterbackRussellWilson
handedoff theball torunningback
MarshawnLynch foramereone-yard
run from theNewEnglandPatriots’ goal
line, theSeahawkswouldhavebeenback-
to-backworldchampions. (Marshawn
averages4.3yardspercarry.)
Butthat’snotwhathasmesoexcited
forkickoff.Forme, it’s thetwinhearts
ofsmashmouthactiononthefield, and
the foodIput inmyownsmashed-up,
chipped-toothmouthoff it.
Let’sstartwiththe former:an
unbridled,up-the-gut,downhill running
style.
Mysisterhas lived inSeattle forclose
toadecade, soI’vebecomeaSeahawks
fan. I loveCenturyLinkField; I lovethat
their fansarebleeding-ear loud; I love
that theiruniformsareunconventional;
andI love the team’shistory.Growingup,
theirSteveLargentwas locked inafierce
battlewithmyOzzieNewsomeof the
ClevelandBrowns formostconsecutive
regular-seasongameswithareception.
(Largentwon.)
Mostly, I loveMarshawnLynch.
There’ssomething tobesaidabout
someonewho, especially in thisdayand
age,doeshistrash-talkingonthefield,
andwhoseprowess isdeterminedsolely
byhisbodyofwork(unlikeSeahawks
teammateRichardSherman,who is
amazing,butwhorunshismouthas
muchashis feet).
Marshawnhasnouse forguys like
me—guyswhomake their livings
andply their tradesbyanalyzingand
scrutinizinghiseverywordandmove.
He’snotalone,mindyou.PlentyofNFL
superstarshaveshiedaway fromthe
mediaover time.Lookno further than
Sweetnesshimself.
WalterPaytonof theChicagoBears
talkedtoreporterswhenhehadto,buthe
was thequiet type.Themediagavehim
apassbecause
heheldalmost
everyrushing
record therewas
by the timehe
retired in1987
(heaveraged4.4
yardspercarry
inhiscareer).
Marshawn,on
theotherhand, isopenlycontemptuous
—evenhostile—when itcomestothe
media.But inthisdayandage, I like it.
Just lookatmyshirt forproof.
Onlyanathleteastalentedand
storied—andphilanthropic—asBeast
Modehimselfcouldgetawaywithsuch
chutzpah.Hisconfidencetranscends
professionalboundaries.For instance, if
Iweretowalk intomyboss’office, and
werehe toaskme togospeak to the
media, and ifIwere to tellhim, “Hey,
I’m justheresoIwon’tgetfined,”you
couldbetsafemoneythatyouwouldnot
bereadingmysmashmouthproseever
again.Thenagain, Imaybeagoodwriter,
butI’mnotMarshawn-good.Truthbe
EDITOR’SNOTE
ByAdamPitluk
told,when itcomestowriting, I’mnotJan
Hubbard-goodeither(readhisexclusive
interviewwithMarshawnonpage44to
findoutwhy).
Whichbringsmebacktothe latter
ofmytwinhearts: stuff-my-faceSunday
eating.
TimewaswhenI’dgo toCleveland
MunicipalStadiumwithmyoldmanand
eat threeor fourhotdogsandabagof
peanuts. Ifwewerewinningandmyold
manwas feelinggenerous, I’dgetaPolish
sausage forabank-breaking$4(1980s
confectionary inflation:#BigSpender).
ThesedaysatFirstEnergyStadium
(thenewCleveland
stadiumbuilton
thesiteof the
oldMunicipal
Stadium),native
sonMichaelSymon
isservingup
foodstuff thatused
tobereserved for
exclusivefive-star
restaurants(page54).He’snotalone.Our
writerroundsupthesixbeststadiums in
thecountryvis-à-visgourmetofferings.
Placeyourbetsandgetready for
whatpromises tobeoneof thebestNFL
seasons inrecentmemory.This issue isa
goodprimer.Anddon’tgetfined.
#GoBrowns!
Smashmouth
Sustenance
AdamPitluk
Editor
FollowAdamonTwitter
@adampitluk
16
SEPTEMBER2015
AMERICANWAY
THERE’SSOMETHINGTO
BESAIDABOUTSOMEONE
WHO, ESPECIALLY IN
THISDAYANDAGE,DOES
HISTRASH-TALKINGON
THEFIELD.
PHOTO
DAVID HALLORAN
For details on this year’s contest and information about
entering, please turn topage4of this issue.
