Seattle Seahawks’ cornerback Richard Sherman and running-back Marshawn Lynch are not only Super Bowl champions, but also a perfect example of the one-sided perception of athletes in the media.

This shouldn’t be the case. Lynch and Sherman have been unfairly vilified because of their media antics. Sherman likes to share his insights publicly, and Lynch refuses to, but the media would have people believe they are both a bad influence.

After the NFC championship game, Sherman gave an interview in which he aggressively yelled at the camera, proclaiming himself the best corner back in the league.

According to a Jan. 21 article from Deadspin.com, the word “thug” was used 625 times on television in context with Sherman the day following his controversial, NFC championship post-game interview.

Sherman received a 4.2 GPA at Dominguez High School in Compton,  CA and went on to receive his Master’s in Communication at Stanford University. This academic prowess is that of a role-model, not a ruffian.

A week after Sherman’s rant, Lynch spoke for only six minutes at a mandatory 60 minute Media Day. Lynch has been portrayed in the same light as Richard, as a stuck-up superstar. In reality however, Lynch is just trying to focus on the game.

According a Jan. 28 Chicago Tribune article, Lynch is a self-described man of action over words, and while he understands that people want to hear from him, he just wants to work.

It is unfair for the media to call Lynch obnoxious for simply being shy. The $50,000 fine he was nearly issued for his short attendance at the 60 minute Super Bowl Media Day is overly punitive; he simply didn’t want to talk about the game before he played in it. The bad reputation that came with the silence was unjust. It seems that Lynch is letting his 12-touchdown, all-pro play do the talking, rather than taking the risk of saying something he might regret.

Many people would argue that Lynch and Sherman are  on polar opposite ends of the media involvement spectrum, which puts them both at fault. However, the so-called extreme problems have been blown way out of proportion.

The majority of criticism Sherman received arose from an adrenaline-filled interview, where he went a little overboard after making the biggest play of his life. Lynch on the other hand, is a pure on-field superstar, not a public personality, which is what the traditional athlete has always been. Neither of the two men have caused problems that effect anyone besides themselves, but people love to discuss atypical famous athletes.

Thus these two teammates have been unfairly placed in the crosshairs of all media.