Was Marshawn Lynch’s one-line press conference brilliant or botched?

There’s the letter of the law, and then there’s the spirit of the law.

Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch, who is notorious for avoiding the press, obeyed the NFL’s rules Tuesday, attending Super Bowl Media Day under threat of a $500,000 fine. However, the reporters in attendance didn’t get much more than they would have gotten if Lynch hadn’t shown up at all.

The running back answered 29 straight questions with the same answer: “I’m here so I won’t get fined.”

After just under five minutes of questioning, Lynch said, “Time,” got up, and left.

Clearly, that wasn’t what the NFL intended by forcing Lynch to show up and talk to reporters. Quite a few reporters expressed frustrations with his non-answers:

And he’s not funny. RT @mike_madson: Marshawn Lynch is a clown. I understand he doesn’t want to talk to media, but it is part of the deal.