Petition seeks to prevent Marshawn Lynch from being forced to talk

Is the NFL bullying Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch by forcing him to speak to the media?

At least one Seahawks fan believes the league is, and that’s part of the motivation behind a petition that calls for the NFL to change its media policy so Lynch no longer has to engage in awkwardly painful interviews with reporters after each game.

A petition posted on GoPetition.com on Sunday has more than 14,000 signatures as of Tuesday morning from people looking for the NFL to stop forcing players to talk to reporters. The petition, which is titled, “Enough is Enough! Stop bullying Beast Mode!” claims Lynch has an “obvious anxiety” dealing with the media.

The petition blames the NFL for being hypocritical in its stance toward bullying and domestic violence by forcing someone to do something uncomfortable.

Lynch has been fined $100,000 for not speaking with reporters over the last two seasons. But those fines represent virtually nothing when standing next to the $30-million contract he signed in 2012.

In recent interviews, Lynch has resorted to saying “thanks for asking” and “I’m thankful” when responding to questions in order to avoid being fined.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.