July 24, 2025 • 9 mins
Lions edge rusher Marcus Davenport wants to focus on football and stay out of the media, but is it a justified stance to take?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I mean, honestly, if y'all looking for someone, don't look
at me, just let me be me. I'm gonna go
out there and try to stay healthy and do what
I can. I don't know, I don't really like it
when people talk about me anymore, good or bad. You know, Shoot,
I got a hold a chip on my shoulder, and
then with every good thing, shoot the next day people
becoming at me anyway. So people can leave me alone
(00:21):
and let me just work, I'll be happy.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
It's Marcus Davenport. Look.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
I always laugh when athletes get tired of the media,
and I suppose I would be too, but I get
I think it's funny when I hear just leave me alone.
I used to have this debate with a number of
athletes before, who you know, wanted their space, which I respect,
I greatly respect.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
I had a debate with a Tiger's player.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
They're coming off the field and they literally come up
to me and they sought me out, and they said, schep,
let me ask you a question. I said, sure, go ahead.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Why do you guys have to.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Be in our locker room or clubhouse? And I said, well,
you know, it's where we can talk to you guys
and get what we need for our pre games. I
was doing a pregame at the time, our pregames or
for a new segment or something along those lines. And
they said, yeah, but that's our that's like our house,
(01:28):
that's our sanctuary.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
You guys don't belong in there.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
And I said, well, where do you think we should
talk to you? And he said out here And we
were on the field. We were just at the Tigers
dugout at the time. And I said, okay, here's the
problem with that. First of all, you come out, well
i'm talking to you, somebody else runs right by, and
(01:52):
I need them to because if you know the media,
oftentimes we can't just talk to one player. We need
to be able to talk to multiple players. I know
it gets monotonous, but it's true. And he said, well,
you can get him after batting practice. I said, I can't.
For example, I got to be at the set. So
(02:16):
you're telling me, I've got to wait for you to
come out when you want to come out, and I'm
probably going to get one, maybe two players maybe, because
a lot of times what you get is players saying
i'll get you in a little bit. I'll be out
in a minute, and then they never come out. And
I said, I understand, that's your sanctuary, that's your home.
(02:39):
Sometimes I don't even feel like I deserve to be
in there. I think the time should be more minimal
than what is allowed. But you guys come in at
different times. And I'm not saying you should all be
stamping and punching the clock at the same time, but
you come in at different times. There are certain things
that we need to try and gather to make it
(03:02):
interesting for fans. The debate then turned to, well, we
really shouldn't have to do that, and I said, okay, well,
then give some of your money back. What do you mean,
why do you think you make so much money.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
You're really good at what you do. You're elite.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
All you athletes are elite. Think about how many people
play the sport of baseball in the world, and then
how many are on the field of play, even if
you're not on the field of play. All right, think
about it for a minute. Eight hundred are playing this year?
(03:48):
Give take a few, rounding up eight hundred. Sure you
have some guys coming up, all right, maybe let's do
a thousand. That's elite, man, it's incredible. But if you
relied only on ticket sales, nobody in Chicago or Colorado
(04:08):
would be making bunch money. Nobody in the athletics organization
would make much money.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
How are you making the money?
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Oh, it's the media. The amount of money spent to
broadcast your games. That's where you make your money as
much as anything else. Endorsements, all these different things, right,
signage from in the stadium that goes to the team
that allows to pay you. But it's about the media, man.
(04:41):
I was reading something the other day Mark Murphy, who
was the former president of the Green Bay Packers, and
how much money the green Bay Packers made and how
much money the NFL. The NFL distributes a thirteen billion
per team billion as in bally Bally billion. That's what
(05:02):
they're distributing to football teams.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Hey, Marcus.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
The reason the teams are making that much money and
can distribute to players is because of those TV rights deals.
So sorry, if you have to sit down and talk
to members of the media, it's what generates interest and
continuous eyeballs, whether it be reading or listening or watching,
(05:37):
and it helps pay your bills, man, especially in this
day and age when the accessibility is at an all
time high social media, and it can be a pain
in the ass. There's no doubt trying, of course, I
would guess more. There are more people asking for and
granted credentials on a regular basis than ever before. And
(05:59):
I get it, really do. I understand everybody wants to
be part of it. There are YouTubers, there are influencers
quote end quote, there are streaming services. There's more people
gunning for those types of credentials than there ever was before.
It used to be one person from the free press,
high Kurt Sylvester, one person from the news, what's going on,
(06:21):
Mike O'Hara, maybe a couple of TV stations, a radio station.
Right now, think of all the radio stations that want
to be part of it, even music stations because they're
doing a segment on the Lions, for example. So there's
a lot of it. So it probably gets to be
a little bit much. But here's what people have to understand.
At training camp, at band camp, no, at training camp,
(06:46):
there is a podium and in the backdrop they have
somebody who is who has bought that podium, where a
player brings and what the pr folks do is that
they go around to the members of the media, who
are you looking for today, We'll see if we can
get them. If a number of people say, you know,
I'd like to talk to Marcus Davenport, okay, then the
(07:09):
PR team goes up and says, hey, Marcus, few words.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
You don't have to do it every day. Even quarterbacks
don't have to do it every day. Matthew Stafford did it.
I think it was on Wednesdays, so you had to
be there for that. And Dominican su did it on
Thursdays at a defensive tackle who did it once a week?
Otherwise you go inside the locker room and you go
(07:35):
up to a player, Hey, you got a minute? No,
not really, man, Oh okay, how about after Nope, I'm
not talking to the media today.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Okay, thanks. Is there something we did? I mean, what
is it? Golden Tate would talk all the time.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
Anyway.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
That's how it works.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Team with the Detroit Lions that has one award has
done a really good job. Even Reynolds, I know, well,
really good guy, handles himself exceptionally well, has really good
people there. He's not going up to Marcus Davenport asking
him again today. He won't ask him tomorrow, might not
ask him Saturday. Maybe maybe just a few times during
(08:21):
training camp, they're going to ask you to go up
and talk to the members of the media.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
How in the world is it.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
I just want you guys to leave me alone.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
It's interesting, isn't it? Leave me alone?
Speaker 3 (08:36):
Then? When he has three sacks in a game? How
come nobody's talking to me. I had a good game.
Players of that position are not like offensive lineman. Offensive
lineman do not care all right, My gosh, Barry Sander
rushed for two thousand yards.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Hey, Lomas, can.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
We talk to you? Yeah, I guess, I mean, if
you want to. But I go talk to Barry and
he was really good with the media.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
And he still is, you know what I mean. It's
just it bothers me. It's like, I want you all
to leave me alone. No you don't.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
You don't want to answer certain questions because you haven't
been at full strength for years and people want to
know are you going to be able to come through
and fulfill what the Lions signed you for.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
That's the thing, more than anything else,
I mean, honestly, if y'all looking for someone, don't look
at me, just let me be me. I'm gonna go
out there and try to stay healthy and do what
I can. I don't know, I don't really like it
when people talk about me anymore, good or bad. You know, Shoot,
I got a hold a chip on my shoulder, and
then with every good thing, shoot the next day people
becoming at me anyway. So people can leave me alone
(00:21):
and let me just work, I'll be happy.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
It's Marcus Davenport. Look.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
I always laugh when athletes get tired of the media,
and I suppose I would be too, but I get
I think it's funny when I hear just leave me alone.
I used to have this debate with a number of
athletes before, who you know, wanted their space, which I respect,
I greatly respect.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
I had a debate with a Tiger's player.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
They're coming off the field and they literally come up
to me and they sought me out, and they said, schep,
let me ask you a question. I said, sure, go ahead.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Why do you guys have to.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Be in our locker room or clubhouse? And I said, well,
you know, it's where we can talk to you guys
and get what we need for our pre games. I
was doing a pregame at the time, our pregames or
for a new segment or something along those lines. And
they said, yeah, but that's our that's like our house,
(01:28):
that's our sanctuary.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
You guys don't belong in there.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
And I said, well, where do you think we should
talk to you? And he said out here And we
were on the field. We were just at the Tigers
dugout at the time. And I said, okay, here's the
problem with that. First of all, you come out, well
i'm talking to you, somebody else runs right by, and
(01:52):
I need them to because if you know the media,
oftentimes we can't just talk to one player. We need
to be able to talk to multiple players. I know
it gets monotonous, but it's true. And he said, well,
you can get him after batting practice. I said, I can't.
For example, I got to be at the set. So
(02:16):
you're telling me, I've got to wait for you to
come out when you want to come out, and I'm
probably going to get one, maybe two players maybe, because
a lot of times what you get is players saying
i'll get you in a little bit. I'll be out
in a minute, and then they never come out. And
I said, I understand, that's your sanctuary, that's your home.
(02:39):
Sometimes I don't even feel like I deserve to be
in there. I think the time should be more minimal
than what is allowed. But you guys come in at
different times. And I'm not saying you should all be
stamping and punching the clock at the same time, but
you come in at different times. There are certain things
that we need to try and gather to make it
(03:02):
interesting for fans. The debate then turned to, well, we
really shouldn't have to do that, and I said, okay, well,
then give some of your money back. What do you mean,
why do you think you make so much money.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
You're really good at what you do. You're elite.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
All you athletes are elite. Think about how many people
play the sport of baseball in the world, and then
how many are on the field of play, even if
you're not on the field of play. All right, think
about it for a minute. Eight hundred are playing this year?
(03:48):
Give take a few, rounding up eight hundred. Sure you
have some guys coming up, all right, maybe let's do
a thousand. That's elite, man, it's incredible. But if you
relied only on ticket sales, nobody in Chicago or Colorado
(04:08):
would be making bunch money. Nobody in the athletics organization
would make much money.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
How are you making the money?
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Oh, it's the media. The amount of money spent to
broadcast your games. That's where you make your money as
much as anything else. Endorsements, all these different things, right,
signage from in the stadium that goes to the team
that allows to pay you. But it's about the media, man.
(04:41):
I was reading something the other day Mark Murphy, who
was the former president of the Green Bay Packers, and
how much money the green Bay Packers made and how
much money the NFL. The NFL distributes a thirteen billion
per team billion as in bally Bally billion. That's what
(05:02):
they're distributing to football teams.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Hey, Marcus.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
The reason the teams are making that much money and
can distribute to players is because of those TV rights deals.
So sorry, if you have to sit down and talk
to members of the media, it's what generates interest and
continuous eyeballs, whether it be reading or listening or watching,
(05:37):
and it helps pay your bills, man, especially in this
day and age when the accessibility is at an all
time high social media, and it can be a pain
in the ass. There's no doubt trying, of course, I
would guess more. There are more people asking for and
granted credentials on a regular basis than ever before. And
(05:59):
I get it, really do. I understand everybody wants to
be part of it. There are YouTubers, there are influencers
quote end quote, there are streaming services. There's more people
gunning for those types of credentials than there ever was before.
It used to be one person from the free press,
high Kurt Sylvester, one person from the news, what's going on,
(06:21):
Mike O'Hara, maybe a couple of TV stations, a radio station.
Right now, think of all the radio stations that want
to be part of it, even music stations because they're
doing a segment on the Lions, for example. So there's
a lot of it. So it probably gets to be
a little bit much. But here's what people have to understand.
At training camp, at band camp, no, at training camp,
(06:46):
there is a podium and in the backdrop they have
somebody who is who has bought that podium, where a
player brings and what the pr folks do is that
they go around to the members of the media, who
are you looking for today, We'll see if we can
get them. If a number of people say, you know,
I'd like to talk to Marcus Davenport, okay, then the
(07:09):
PR team goes up and says, hey, Marcus, few words.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
You don't have to do it every day. Even quarterbacks
don't have to do it every day. Matthew Stafford did it.
I think it was on Wednesdays, so you had to
be there for that. And Dominican su did it on
Thursdays at a defensive tackle who did it once a week?
Otherwise you go inside the locker room and you go
(07:35):
up to a player, Hey, you got a minute? No,
not really, man, Oh okay, how about after Nope, I'm
not talking to the media today.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Okay, thanks. Is there something we did? I mean, what
is it? Golden Tate would talk all the time.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
Anyway.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
That's how it works.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Team with the Detroit Lions that has one award has
done a really good job. Even Reynolds, I know, well,
really good guy, handles himself exceptionally well, has really good
people there. He's not going up to Marcus Davenport asking
him again today. He won't ask him tomorrow, might not
ask him Saturday. Maybe maybe just a few times during
(08:21):
training camp, they're going to ask you to go up
and talk to the members of the media.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
How in the world is it.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
I just want you guys to leave me alone.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
It's interesting, isn't it? Leave me alone?
Speaker 3 (08:36):
Then? When he has three sacks in a game? How
come nobody's talking to me. I had a good game.
Players of that position are not like offensive lineman. Offensive
lineman do not care all right, My gosh, Barry Sander
rushed for two thousand yards.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Hey, Lomas, can.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
We talk to you? Yeah, I guess, I mean, if
you want to. But I go talk to Barry and
he was really good with the media.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
And he still is, you know what I mean. It's
just it bothers me. It's like, I want you all
to leave me alone. No you don't.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
You don't want to answer certain questions because you haven't
been at full strength for years and people want to
know are you going to be able to come through
and fulfill what the Lions signed you for.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
That's the thing, more than anything else,
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