Priestess (band)

# Priestess (band)

## Abstract

Priestess is a Canadian rock band formed by singer/guitarist Mikey Heppner in Montreal, Quebec in 2002. Since its inception it has featured Heppner, singer/guitarist Dan Watchorn, singer/drummer Vince Nudo, and bassist Mike Dyball. Priestess were considered one of the most important bands in the early millennial "retro rock" movement, although they denied intentionally attempting to emulate the sounds of classic rock bands such as Black Sabbath and AC/DC, whom they idolized and to whom they were frequently compared.

Priestess was established in the early 2000s after all but one of the members of punk band The Dropouts left the band. The sole remaining member, Heppner, sought new bandmates after changing the group's sound, and after a name change they released their first album, Hello Master, on independent record label Indica in 2005. Initially only released in Canada, the album was noticed and released by RCA Records internationally the following year, and the single “Lay Down” brought the band much success after being included in the popular video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. RCA disliked Prior to the Fire, the result of the group's attempt at a second album, as the label feared its progressive rock -influenced sound would not be marketable; the band subsequently left the label and the album's serially-delayed 2009 release occurred in Canada on Indica, followed by an international 2010 release on independent label Tee Pee Records.

Priestess is on hiatus and members are engaged in other projects.

## Biography

### As The Dropouts (2002 to 2004)

Mikey Heppner attended Vanier College in Montreal to major in music and find other Frank Zappa fans like himself to start a band with. He found no one suitable for the job; he described the people he met there as "all elevator jazz geeks" and became discouraged about being able to form an experimental band. Heppner discarded his experimental rock goals entirely after being inspired to form a punk rock band instead; a friend he met at Vanier named Olivier Corbeil took him to see a punk band in concert, which enthralled him so much he formed The Dropouts with Corbeil, Tim Fletcher and Dave Hamelin to partake of the same high energy he saw at that performance. The Dropouts played their first show on September 10, 2001 at the Jailhouse Rock Cafe in Montreal. Heppner wrote "really simple Ramones -type of songs" for the group while the other three members achieved gradual fame in their side project, the Stills. Heppner had no lasting ambitions for The Dropouts, who only recorded a demo, but performed dozens of live shows around Montreal until June 2002. After the Stills left for New York City in 2002 to continue on their own, Heppner felt surprised by their success.

Heppner changed his musical goals and decided to reform The Dropouts later in 2002, this time hoping for a more serious project in the vein of Tricky Woo (and their resemblance to Deep Purple and Black Sabbath). Future guitarist Dan Watchorn, who also moved to Montreal to attend college, was inactive musically when Heppner asked him to join the group. After hearing a demo of songs Heppner had been working on, Watchorn agreed to join. Mike Dyball auditioned for the band as bassist and quickly invited his friend, drummer Jonny Knowles (who was later replaced in 2003). Heppner discovered Vince Nudo when the latter played a concert with another band in the club at which Heppner worked as a disc jockey; Heppner was impressed by his performance. Recalling the performance, Heppner asked Nudo to join The Dropouts once Jonny was fired after a dozen shows. Heppner felt certain he had found all the right people for the group when their first jam session with Nudo resulted in a new song. At this point, the band was still performing as The Dropouts; they would not take on the name Priestess until October 2004. The new name was eventually chosen only based on how "heavy" it sounded, but it led to the misconception that they were trying to be a heavy metal band (a claim they have repeatedly denied), and Watchorn has explained that it also leads some concertgoers to think they are "an all-female Judas Priest cover band".

The Dropouts were signed to Montreal record label Indica Records in July 2004 and immediately began pre-production of their debut album with producer Gus van Go, planning for a spring 2005 release. Once the album pre-production was completed, and at the insistence of Indica Records, the band began looking for a new band name. The band played their last show as The Dropouts on September 30, 2004 at La Sala Rossa in Montreal, as part of the POP Montreal festival.

### Early years as Priestess (2004–2007)

Priestess debuted live only eleven days after their last show as The Dropouts, performing at Main Hall in Montreal on October 11, 2004. The band finished recording its debut album in January 2005 but it was held back from release for nearly a year. In March, Priestess played the South by Southwest festival. They then embarked on an Eastern Canadian tour with Motörhead in late April and early May. The tour took them from Ontario to Nova Scotia.

The band's debut album, Hello Master, was produced by the Stills' producer, Gus van Go, and released on October 18, 2005 on Indica Records in Canada. After its release, the group admitted to being dissatisfied with its sound; Heppner described the album rather apathetically as "just the recorded version of twelve of our songs", and as "a really weird sounding album everything is so tight and really produced". Critics took note of the album's hard rock style, sometimes to point out that it was not terribly unique; some criticized the classic rock-influenced style on Hello Master as being repetitive and stale, while others enjoyed it for that very reason. Comparisons to Black Sabbath were frequent, as were others to AC/DC and even Motörhead (even though Heppner has never been a fan of Motörhead, who ironically had taken them on tour). Hour magazine specifically pointed-out that the comparisons to Priestess' spiritual ancestors actually proved the band were trying to pay respect to their musical roots instead of claiming a unique style. Heppner was somewhat taken aback to learn of the impression critics were under; he noted that the album sounded "pretty modern" to him and the group did not consider the record to be a metal one at any point during its creation.

To promote the album, Priestess committed to a regular touring schedule which saw them frequently being selected to support more well-known acts. Motörhead took notice of Priestess and made them the opening act on several dates in Canada in 2005 before the release of Hello Master. RCA Records noticed the group and signed them in January 2006, becoming their label for all territories outside of Canada, remastering Hello Master and releasing it internationally, beginning with the United States on June 13. After the Canadian release, the group spent early 2006 supporting the Sword, Early Man and Dinosaur Jr. in North America, and spent much of the rest of the year in the US with bands such as GWAR, Nashville Pussy and Black Label Society. Their schedule continued well into 2007 as they traveled with Mastodon in the US and made their first appearance in the UK supporting Megadeth for several dates.

The single "Lay Down" was included in the video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, which elevated the band's profile drastically. Enthusiastic about the success of that game, Heppner has stated he believes Guitar Hero and such games to be perfectly valid ways of finding new music, noting that his first exposure to Black Sabbath was through the Super NES video game Rock n' Roll Racing, and Vince Nudo has given the genre credit for its potential to expose younger generations to classic rock. Another single from the album, "Talk to Her", peaked at #33 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in 2006. Priestess were voted Montreal's heaviest band by readers of the Montreal Mirror in 2006.

As their busy touring schedule left them little time to write new material, Priestess only began work on a follow-up album in the summer of 2007. Heppner began writing things that were inspired by listening to progressive rock in his youth, which he felt made the work he created too esoteric for his bandmates to enjoy. When he did show them the material he was working on, they instead loved it, and as a whole began adding minor progressive rock characteristics to their sound in an effort to challenge themselves.

### Prior to the Fire, dispute with RCA and departure for Tee Pee Records (2008–2011)

Priestess' second album, however, was constantly impeded before, during, and after recording. All throughout, RCA debated with the band over whether any of the songs were worthy of being singles that could sell the album substantially. RCA first delayed the beginning of the recording process trying to force them to write more songs, then delayed the album release by asking the same thing again, which the group refused. The production process itself was plagued with problems that prolonged it, as any producer hired before David Schiffman quit the project and after recording had begun in Los Angeles, the police forced them to change studios to avoid noise violation penalties.

Because of the disagreements, Priestess were relinquished from their contract with RCA and allowed to release the finished product, which was completed in the fall of 2008 and became Prior to the Fire, on another label —a compromise for which the band still respect RCA. Tee Pee Records, who had approached the band in their early days before they decided to sign with RCA who offered them more money, subsequently signed the group and the release finally occurred. Indica Records waited until the band had an international label before releasing Prior to the Fire, and released it in Canada on October 20, 2009, while the international release occurred early the following year. David Schiffman's more-relaxed approach to recording led to a sound for the record the band were more satisfied with; his production style was summarized as " about recording it and not fucking with it", avoiding such studio tools as click tracks or editing, resulting in a record that more closely mirrors the band's live sound than Hello Master does. They have also expressed feeling more comfortable being signed to Tee Pee than to RCA.

The album was critically well-received, though some reviewers did not view the stylistic departure from Hello Master favorably. Rock Sound compared the group to Thin Lizzy and Baroness in a positive way, but Pitchfork Media declared the album could not compare to a record such as High on Fire 's Snakes for the Divine. Other reviewers concluded the long wait between the group's two records was worth it.

In spite of delaying concert plans due to their inability to schedule recording dates, Priestess continued to tour ceaselessly after finishing the album, making a Canadian tour with Bison B.C. in November 2008, and touring the US again in the spring of 2009 with GWAR and Cattle Decapitation. Following its release, the group performed with such acts as Early Man, High on Fire and new labelmates Naam in North America, and Bigelf in Europe and the UK. A music video for "Lady Killer" was released on February 4, 2010.

### Attempted third album and hiatus (2012)

Priestess had planned to embark on a tour of Europe in the spring of 2012, including a concert at the Roadburn Festival in the Netherlands. Without explanation, these plans were cancelled. They had been working on and would have released a new album by that time, but no announcement has been made regarding a third Priestess album since then.

On September 3, 2012, after a long period of silence (which he attributed to issues for all the band members he was not at liberty to discuss), Heppner posted to the band's Facebook page via his own account to explain that the band lacked confidence in the material being recorded for their third album, and elected to simply "let it happen naturally". As of late 2012, the band are on hiatus, and members have engaged in side projects during the downtime. Heppner has formed garage rock outfit UBT (formerly Uncle Bad Touch), and during a feature on UBT, Planet S Magazine noted the "rumoured demise" of Priestess. Vince Nudo became the drummer for Kurt Vile 's backing band, the Violators, and has also formed Frères Lumières, a film-scoring group, with bandmate Dan Watchorn. Mike Dyball has been playing bass guitar for metal band WetMetal.

## Musical style

"We just consider ourselves a rock band. Every band is different and we play rock our way. I guess it kind of dwells into heavy metal territory from time to time but I wouldn't go into a room full of 'metalheads' and say, 'Hey, this is my Priestess record, we're a heavy metal band!'"

--Mikey Heppner, 2007

Priestess are frequently cited as a classic rock revivalist act, using such rock 'n' roll staples as guitar solos, and are often compared to legendary acts such as Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple. Heppner denies that they are actively emulating the sound of the likes of such bands on purpose, arguing that they simply play what they want to play, and that such comparisons are only incidental.

The band have been variously labeled as hard rock, heavy metal, and even stoner rock, although the band do not try to define their style; Heppner once commented that "all labels beyond rock are useless to," and also pointed out in 2005 that Cream were considered metal for their time, concluding that "in this ancient way, metal." Other bands that have influenced the group were also referred to as heavy metal in bygone decades. Watchorn only describes the band as hard rock, and argues that calling their music "metal" only limits the band's creative freedom. Drummer Vince Nudo has said that since the songs are not written to be "heavy", he does not understand the direct metal association. The band have opined that they are perhaps not "heavy" enough for heavy metal fans while they are too "heavy" for fans of softer rock, and have also denied that the music scene of Montreal has in any way defined, shaped, or helped them find their sound; Heppner once said, "We might as well be from anywhere," and the band are close friends with fellow Montreal acts. The band's name itself has been part of the confusion; Heppner, speaking English during an interview with Canadian French-language newspaper La Presse, stated that Priestess was "just this heavy name" and the reporter wrote, "parce que ça sonne metal" (which translates to "because it sounds metal").

Hello Master was intentionally written to be simple in terms of the music, while Prior to the Fire was meant to be somewhat more complex on purpose without being too different from Hello Master. The stylistic shift was attributed to the band's desire to create something more challenging for themselves. Their debut album also features twin harmonized guitar solos, something long considered to have gone out of style in rock music. Heppner largely wrote the first album himself and had the others' help in arranging it, but the second one featured much more writing input from his bandmates.

### Influences

The group admire classic rock mainstays such as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and AC/DC. Nirvana was an early inspiration for Heppner, whose earliest repertoire was entirely made of Nirvana songs. Watchorn says the Melvins are his favorite band, and also enjoys folk and country music.

Heppner prefers the Beatles, while Watchorn has stated that he likes the Stones better. Bassist Mike Dyball is known to enjoy Bruce Springsteen and the Cult, and Nudo admires John Bonham, David Bowie, and Thin Lizzy. Heppner has also cited Dinosaur Jr., with whom the group toured in 2006, as "a band that have worshipped since were teenagers," along with thrash metal group Metallica as a personal favorite.

Groups who championed the progressive rock movement of the 1970s have also impacted the group; in addition to the Beatles, Heppner cites Pink Floyd, Yes, Jethro Tull, Genesis, King Crimson and Frank Zappa as his favorite inspirations, the latter being his favorite artist in general. On the band's second studio album, Prior to the Fire, they drew from more progressive rock influences, with more complex music and more obscure lyrical themes; Heppner, who had listened to these artists throughout his youth (while his bandmates did not), had been writing new material with them as his inspiration, but was embarrassed about the new musical direction at first, as he was not sure how his bandmates would react. Consequently, he did not show them the material he was writing for a time, and when he did, their reaction was the opposite of what he was expecting.

### Songwriting and lyrics

Lyrical themes range from typical rock 'n' roll themes to film and television characters. Favorite movies inspired certain lyrics from Hello Master, and were also the subject of many songs on Prior to the Fire, along with anime; for example, "Murphy's Law" was a tribute of Heppner's to RoboCop, his favorite film, while "Sideways Attack" was inspired by Lone Wolf and Cub. Because of his preferred lyrical focus, Heppner does not claim to be an "amazing" lyricist.

Hello Master contains grim lyrics that refer to death and murder; in particular, "Lay Down" is about a man who murders his wife, while "Two Kids" relates the discovery and investigation of the dead bodies of two children. Prior to the Fire continued that lyrical tradition with "Lady Killer", in which someone promises to avenge the murder of a loved one.

Regarding the apparent theme of violence in the band's work, Heppner argues that such a theme is a logical side effect of writing heavier material, noting that he does not write violent lyrics for the sake of writing violent lyrics.

## Members

- Mikey Heppner – lead vocals, lead guitar (2002–present)

- Dan Watchorn – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2002–present)

- Mike Dyball – bass guitar (2002–present)

- Vince Nudo – drums, percussion, backing vocals (2003–present)

## Discography

### Singles

- "Talk to Her" (2006)

- "I Am the Night, Colour Me Black" (2007)

- "Lady Killer" (2010)


2024 Go Bowling at The Glen

# 2024 Go Bowling at The Glen

## Abstract

The 2024 Go Bowling at The Glen is an upcoming NASCAR Cup Series race that will be held on September 15, 2024, at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York. Contested over 90 laps on the 2.45-mile (3.94 km) road course, it will be the 28th race of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season, the second of the 2024 NASCAR playoffs, and the second race of the Round of 16.

## Report

### Background

Watkins Glen International (nicknamed "The Glen") is an automobile race track located in Watkins Glen, New York at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. It was long known around the world as the home of the Formula One United States Grand Prix, which it hosted for twenty consecutive years (1961–1980), but the site has been home to road racing of nearly every class, including the World Sportscar Championship, Trans-Am, Can-Am, NASCAR Cup Series, the International Motor Sports Association and the IndyCar Series.

Initially, public roads in the village were used for the race course. In 1956 a permanent circuit for the race was built. In 1968 the race was extended to six hours, becoming the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen. The circuit's current layout has more or less been the same since 1971, although a chicane was installed at the uphill Esses in 1975 to slow cars through these corners, where there was a fatality during practice at the 1973 United States Grand Prix. The chicane was removed in 1985, but another chicane called the "Inner Loop" was installed in 1992 after J.D. McDuffie's fatal accident during the previous year's NASCAR Winston Cup event.

The circuit is known as the Mecca of North American road racing and is a very popular venue among fans and drivers. The facility is currently owned by NASCAR.

#### Entry list

- (R) denotes rookie driver.

- (P) denotes playoff driver.

- (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.

## Practice

Tyler Reddick was the fastest in the practice session with a time of 1:12.018 seconds and a speed of 122.469 mph (197.095 km/h).

## Qualifying

Ross Chastain scored the pole for the race with a time of 1:12.130 and a speed of 122.279 mph (196.789 km/h).

## Race

### Race results

#### Stage results

Stage One Laps: 20

Stage Two Laps: 20

### Final Stage results

Stage Three Laps: 50

## Media

### Television

USA covered the race on the television side. as part of a Radio style Broadcast for the race. Leigh Diffey and Steve Letarte called the race from the broadcast booth. MRN broadcaster Mike Bagley called the race from the Esses, Dillon Welch had the call from Turn 5 to Turn 9, and Jeff Burton called the race from Turn 10 & 11. Kim Coon, Parker Kligerman and Marty Snider handled the pit road duties from pit lane.

### Radio

Motor Racing Network had the radio call for the race, which will also be simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Alex Hayden, Jeff Striegle, and former crew chief Todd Gordon covered the action when the field raced down the front straightaway. Dave Moody called the race when the field raced thru the esses. Kyle Rickey wcovered the action when the field raced thru the inner loop and turn 5 and Jason Toy covered the action in turn 6 & 7. Steve Post, Brienne Pedigo, Chris Wilner & Jacklyn Drake called the action from the pits for MRN.


Yelena Godina

# Yelena Godina

## Abstract

Yelena Mikhailovna Godina (Russian: Елена Михайловна Година) (born 17 September 1977) is a Russian volleyball player, who was a member of the national team that won the gold medal at 2006 Volleyball World Championship in Japan and the silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. She also competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta and the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, as well as the 2004 FIVB World Grand Prix.

## Honours

- 1998 World Championship – 3rd place

- 1999 World Cup – 2nd place

- 2000 Olympic Games – 2nd place

- 2002 World Championship – 3rd place

- 2006 World Championship – 1st place

- 2008 Olympic Games – 6th place

## Individual awards

- 1999 FIVB World Grand Prix "Best blocker"

- 2006 World Championship "Best server"


Branislav Novaković

# Branislav Novaković

## Abstract

Branislav Novaković (Serbian Cyrillic: Бранислав Новаковић; born 14 December 1958) is a Serbian football manager and former player.

## Playing career

Novaković came through the youth system of Vojvodina, making his Yugoslav First League debut in the 1977–78 season. He amassed over 150 appearances in the top flight, before the club suffered relegation to the Yugoslav Second League in 1986. Later on, Novaković played for Vrbas in the Yugoslav Inter-Republic League.

## Managerial career

In late 2004, Novaković briefly served as manager of Železnik, having previously been assistant to Mile Tomić.


Puerto Ricans in the Vietnam War

# Puerto Ricans in the Vietnam War

## Abstract

Commencing with World War I, Puerto Ricans and people of Puerto Rican descent have participated as members of the United States Armed Forces in every conflict in which the United States has been involved. Accordingly, thousands of Puerto Ricans served in the Armed Forces of the United States during the Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War. Hundreds of them died, either killed in action (KIA) or while prisoners of war (POW). The Vietnam War started as a Cold War, and escalated into a military conflict that spread to Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1959 to April 30, 1975.

Puerto Ricans served in different positions throughout the military as commanders, fighter pilots and common foot soldiers. Many of them distinguished themselves in combat and were awarded the highest honors conferred by the military. Five were awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest United States military decoration; Six were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC), the second-highest military decoration of the United States Army; and three received the Navy Cross, the second-highest medal that can be awarded by the U.S. Navy. The Navy Cross is awarded to members of the U.S. Navy or U.S. Marine Corps for heroism or distinguished service.

## Brief summary of Puerto Rican military service in the United States Military

Commencing with World War I, Puerto Ricans and people of Puerto Rican descent have participated as members of the United States Armed Forces in every conflict in which the United States has been involved.

One of the consequences of the Spanish–American War was that Puerto Rico was annexed by the United States in accordance to the terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1898, ratified on December 10, 1898. Puerto Ricans became U.S. citizens as a result of the 1917 Jones–Shafroth Act. The timing of the Jones Act was intentional—it enabled the United States to forcibly conscript Puerto Ricans into the U.S. military, and rapidly deploy them to the trenches of the European front.

Puerto Ricans who resided in the island were immediately assigned to the "Porto Rico Provisional Regiment of Infantry," organized on June 30, 1901, and served in World War I. Those who resided in the mainland United States served in regular units of one of the United States military: the United States Marine Corps, Army or the Navy. The Porto Rico Regiment was renamed the 65th Infantry Regiment under the Reorganization Act of June 4, 1920 and went on to serve in World War II and the Korean War, as the only segregated Army unit, where its members distinguished themselves in combat. On July 25, 1952, the Constitution of Puerto Rico was proclaimed by Gov. Luis Muñoz Marín and the island, which continues to be an unincorporated territory of the United States, adopted the name of Estado Libre Asociado ("Free Associated State"). Despite this "free association," the Puerto Rican government and military remained under complete U.S. jurisdiction. The 65th Infantry was deactivated in 1956, however the Department of the Army was persuaded to transfer the 65th Infantry from the regular Army to the Puerto Rico National Guard. Since then Puerto Ricans have served in regular integrated units of the military.

## The Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was fought between communist North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of South Vietnam, supported by the United States and other nations. The United States entered the war to prevent a communist takeover of South Vietnam as part of their wider strategy of containment. Military advisors arrived beginning in 1950. U.S. involvement escalated in the early 1960s and combat units were deployed beginning in 1965.

During the Vietnam War, an estimated 48,000 Puerto Ricans served in the four branches of the armed forces. Notable Puerto Ricans who served in the United States Navy in Vietnam were:

Admiral Horacio Rivero, Jr., the first Puerto Rican four-star Admiral in the United States Navy, oversaw the day-to-day work of the Navy as the Vice Chief of Naval Operations. He was a strong supporter of a "brown-water navy," or riverine force, on the rivers of South Vietnam.

Lieutenant Diego E. Hernández, who retired from the Navy with the rank of Vice Admiral, flew two combat tours in Vietnam during the war. He also served as Aide and Flag Lieutenant to Commander, Carrier Division 14.

Notable Puerto Ricans who served in the United States Air Force in Vietnam were:

Major General Salvador E. Felices held various positions within the military. In June 1968, he was named commander of the 306th Bombardment Wing. He flew 39 B-52 bombing missions over North Vietnam.

Brigadier General Antonio Maldonado, who in 1967 became the youngest pilot and Aircraft Commander of a B-52 Stratofortress nuclear bomber, was assigned in January 1971 to the 432nd Tactical Fighter Reconnaissance Wing, Udon Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand. His active participation in the war included 183 air combat missions over North and South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, logging more than 400 combat flying hours in the F-4C Phantom.

Brigadier General Antonio J. Ramos, the first Hispanic to serve as commander, Air Force Security Assistance Center, Air Force Materiel Command, and dual-hatted as Assistant to the Commander for International Affairs, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command. In November 1971, Ramos, who was then a lieutenant, was assigned to the 310th Tactical Airlift Squadron, Phan Rang Air Base and Tan Son Nhut Air Base, South Vietnam. In August 1972, was transferred to U-Tapao Royal Thai Naval Airfield in Thailand where he was the Base Operations Officer until November 1972.

Brigadier General José M. Portela, as a first lieutenant, was sent to South Vietnam and participated in numerous combat missions.

Brigadier General Ruben A. Cubero was a captain when sent to South Vietnam in May 1969. He was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, 19th Tactical Air Support Squadron, Tay Ninh West, where he flew an OV-10 and served as a forward air controller. In November 1969, he was reassigned to the 19th Tactical Air Support Squadron, at Bien Hoa Air Base.

Colonel Héctor Andrés Negroni, the first Puerto Rican graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, was a captain when he participated in combat missions during the war and accumulated over 600 combat hours. During his tour he served in the 553rd Reconnaissance Squadron stationed in Korat, Thailand and as Chief of Combat Operation in the 7th Airborne Command and Control Squadron in Udon, Thailand.

## The Medal of Honor

Five Puerto Ricans were awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest United States military decoration for heroism. All five were members of the United States Army and their awards were posthumous:

Captain Humbert Roque "Rocky" Versace was a United States Army officer of Puerto Rican – Italian descent began his first tour of duty in the South Vietnam as an intelligence advisor. Versace was captured during his second tour and taken to a prison deep in the jungle along with two other Americans, Lieutenant Nick Rowe and Sergeant Dan Pitzer. He tried to escape four times, but failed in his attempts. The Viet Cong separated Versace from the other prisoners. The last time the prisoners heard his voice, he was loudly singing " God Bless America ". On September 26, 1965, North Vietnam's "Liberation Radio" announced the execution of Captain Humbert Roque Versace. Versace's remains have never been recovered. On July 8, 2002, in a ceremony in the White House East Room, Versace was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by President George W. Bush for his heroism, the first time an Army POW had been awarded the nation's highest honor for actions in captivity.

Captain Eurípides Rubio was a member of H&H Co., 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division, RVN. On November 8, 1966, Rubio's company came under attack from the North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN); leaving the safety of his post, Rubio received two serious wounds as he braved the intense enemy fire to distribute ammunition, re-establish positions and render aid to the wounded. Despite his pain, he assumed command when a rifle company commander was medically evacuated. He was then wounded a third time as he tried to move amongst his men to encourage them to fight with renewed effort.

While aiding the evacuation of wounded personnel, he noted that a U.S. smoke grenade, which was intended to mark the PAVN's position for an air strike, had fallen dangerously close to friendly lines — he ran to move the grenade, but was immediately struck to his knees by enemy fire. Despite his wounds, Rubio managed to collect the grenade and run through enemy fire to within 20 meters of the enemy position and throw the by-then already smoking grenade into the enemy before he fell for the final time. Using the now-repositioned grenade as a marker, friendly air strikes were directed to destroy the hostile positions.

PFC Carlos James Lozada was assigned to Co. A, 2nd Battalion, 503 Infantry, 173rd Airborne Brigade. On November 20, 1967, at Dak To, Lozada spotted a PAVN company rapidly approaching his outpost. He alerted his comrades and opened fire with a machine gun, killing at least twenty enemy soldiers and disrupting their initial attack. He realized that if he abandoned his position there would be nothing to hold back the surging North Vietnamese soldiers and that his entire company withdrawal would be jeopardized - as a result he told his comrades to move to the back and that he would supply cover for them. He continued to deliver a heavy and accurate volume of suppressive fire against the enemy until he was mortally wounded and had to be carried during the withdrawal.

Specialist Four Héctor Santiago-Colón, on June 28, 1968, members of Santiago-Colon's Company B of the 5th Battalion, 7th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division were engaged in combat at Quảng Trị Province. A PAVN soldier lobbed a hand grenade into Santiago-Colon's foxhole. Realizing that there was no time to throw out the grenade, he tucked it in to his stomach and turning away from his comrades, absorbed the full impact of the blast, sacrificing his life to save his fellow soldiers from certain death.

Staff Sergeant Felix M. Conde-Falcon was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously in a special ceremony held in the White House on March 18, 2014, for his courageous actions while serving as an acting Platoon Leader in Company D, 1st Battalion, 505th Infantry Regiment, 3d Brigade, 82d Airborne Division during combat operations against an armed enemy in Ap Tan Hoa, Republic of Vietnam on April 4, 1969.

## The Navy Cross

Three Puerto Ricans were awarded the Navy Cross, the second highest medal that can be awarded by the U.S. Navy and are awarded to members of the U.S. Navy or U.S. Marine Corps for heroism or distinguished service. All were members of the United States Marine Corps:

Corporal Angel Mendez (1946–1967) volunteered to join the Marine Corps after graduating from high school. He was assigned to Company F, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division on March 16, 1967, and conducting a search and destroy mission with his company when his company came under attack from a Viet Cong battalion. Half of a platoon was pinned down under enemy fire and Mendez, volunteered to lead a squad to assist the pinned-down Marines in returning to friendly lines with their two dead and two seriously wounded. Mendez exposed himself and opened fire on the enemy. His platoon commander, Lieutenant Ronald D. Castille was seriously wounded and he fell, unable to move. Mendez shielded him with his body as he applied a dressing to the wound; he picked up Castille and started to carry him to friendly lines, which were more than seventy-five meters away. Mendez was hit in the shoulder, yet he continued to shield his lieutenant with his own body until he was mortally wounded. Mendez was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross and promoted to sergeant. For saving the life of his platoon commander, Castille, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer recommended in 2003 that Mendez' award be upgraded to Medal of Honor.

Lance Corporal José L. Rivera, born in Ciales, Puerto Rico, was a member of Company L, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Reinforced), Fleet Marine Force. His parents moved from Puerto Rico to the United States and settled in Waukegan, Illinois. When the enemy forces threw a granade at his podition, he covered it with his helmet and smothered the explosion with his own body, thereby saving the lives of his comrades.

Corporal Miguel Rivera-Sotomayor, born in Philadelphia, Pa. to Puerto Rican parents, belonged to Company F, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines, 3rd Marine Division. Rivera-Sotomayor silenced enemy machine guns and allowed his platoon to move from its pinned down position to establish an effective base of fire against the enemy.

## The Distinguished Service Cross

Seven Puerto Ricans were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC), the second highest military decoration of the United States Army, five of the awards were posthumous. Actions which merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree to be above those required for all other U.S. combat decorations but not meeting the criteria for the Medal of Honor. The recipients were:

Sergeant Eddie E Chervony (died May 5, 1968) was born in Hormigueros, Puerto Rico. He was a member of Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, 77th Field Artillery, 1st Cavalry Division. On separate trips, he evacuated five seriously wounded across one hundred meters of open terrain to a place of safety. When carrying a sixth man to the friendly lines he was cut off by enemy force and was attacked with grenades and satchel charges. While protecting his wounded companion from the satchel charge by covering him with his own body, he received a mortal wound.

Staff Sergeant Efraín Figueroa-Meléndez (died March 5, 1969) was born in Cataño, Puerto Rico. He was a member of Company D, 3d Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division. On three occasions Staff Sergeant Figueroa-Meléndez purposely drew communist volleys on himself to permit his men to draw back to protected positions.

Spc4 Fruto James Oquendo (died May 6, 1969) of Puerto Rican descent, was born in New York City. Oquendo served with Company C, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division. He was mortally wounded while defending his area during a hand-to-hand struggle.

Sergeant First Class Wilfredo Pagan-Lozada (died February 9, 1967) born in New York City to Puerto Rican parents, Pagan-Lozada served with Company D, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. At the cost of his life, Pagan-Lozada, charged through enemy fire to save an officers life.

First Sergeant Ramiro Ramirez was a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2d Brigade, 1st Infantry Division. Despite being wounded Ramirez pulled one of his man to the safety of a bomb crater and refused aid until all others had been treated. Receiving word that another man had been severely wounded, he volunteered to rescue him and was hit in the arm and chest as he left the crater.

Private First Class Reinaldo Rodríguez (died January 15, 1971) was born in Guanica, Puerto Rico. He belonged to Company C, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 2d Brigade, 25th Infantry Division. Rodriguez provided cover fire for his comrades maintaining suppressive fire upon the adversary until he was wounded a third time. Although evacuated immediately to the rear medical facilities, he succumbed to his wounds.

Corporal Aristides Sosa (died March 2, 1968) was born in Puerto Rico. His parents moved to New York City in 1947 when he was one year old. In 1967, he received a draft notice while attending Baruch College of Business Administration. He was drafted into the Army and served in Company A, 65th Engineer Battalion, 25th Infantry Division. On March 2, 1968, Sosa rolled on top of a grenade to save another soldier from its blast and was mortally wounded by the exploding grenade.

### The most decorated soldier

Jorge Otero Barreto was born in the town of Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, the son of Eloy Otero-Bruno and Crispina Barreto-Torres. His father named him "Jorge", Spanish for George, after George Washington whom Otero-Bruno admired. He joined the Army, which he chose over medical school in Spain. After his basic training, he continued to train with the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

From 1961 to 1970, Otero Barreto served five tours in Southeast Asia, starting as an advisor who helped train South Vietnamese troops. Barreto served in various military units during his military career, specifically the 101st Airborne Division, the 25th Infantry Division, the 82nd Airborne Division and the 173rd Airborne Brigade. He participated in 200 combat missions and was wounded five times.

Otero Barreto was awarded 38 military decorations. Among his decorations are 2 Silver Stars, 5 Bronze Stars with Valor, 4 Army Commendation Medals, 5 Purple Hearts and 5 Air Medals. Otero Barreto has been called "the most decorated Puerto Rican veteran."

## Missing in Action

A total of 18 Puerto Ricans were listed as Missing in Action (MIA). This number does not include those who resided in the United States mainland, only those who resided in Puerto Rico. PFC. Humberto Acosta-Rosario is the only one whose body has never been recovered and is currently still listed as MIA.

PFC Humberto Acosta-Rosario was born and raised in the city of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, which is located in the western coast of Puerto Rico. He joined the Army after graduating from high school. He was a member of Company B, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry (Mechanized); 25th Infantry Division. On August 22, 1968, Acosta-Rosario accompanied some members of his unit during a reconnaissance mission. His unit was attacked by PAVN regulars in the vicinity of Bến Củi Rubber Plantation, east of Tay Ninh City, Tay Ninh Province. His unit, Company B, was forced to withdraw from the battlefield under heavy enemy attack. The unit regrouped and discovered that Acosta-Rosario and another machine gunner, PFC Philip T. DeLorenzo, Jr., were missing. Acosta-Rosario's platoon sergeant stated that he believed Acosta-Rosario had been hit by enemy fire prior to the unit's withdrawal.

The PAVN forces were driven back after artillery fire and helicopter gunships were called in and Company B returned to its original position. An extensive ground search was conducted by members of Company B for the two missing soldiers. The only body recovered was that of DeLorenzo, along with the two M60 machine guns. A search by two battalions who were brought in to sweep the area of only enemy activity did not produce Acosta-Rosario's body and he was officially listed as MIA.

Friendly forces captured documents from the PAVN 7th Infantry Division dated August 23, 1968. The documents were analyzed by U.S. intelligence agencies. The reports documented that Acosta-Rosario was in fact captured by PAVN forces. However, the U.S. military chose not to upgrade his status to Prisoner of War.

Acosta-Rosario's name was listed in the United States Government 's "Last Known Alive" list. This list, which was released by the U.S. Government in April 1991, includes missing Americans whom the U.S. believed might have survived their initial loss incident. In March 1978, Acosta-Rosario was declared dead/body not recovered based on a presumptive finding of death.

Acosta-Rosario was posthumously promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant. His name is on panel 47W, line 030 of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. and he is also list in El Monumento de la Recordación located in San Juan, Puerto Rico. There is a headstone with his name inscribed Plot: MB 0 6 of the Puerto Rico National Cemetery in Bayamón, Puerto Rico.

PFC. Jose Ramon Sanchez born in Brooklyn, NY was assigned to Company D, 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, 3rd Marine Division. On June 6, 1968, his unit was participating in Operation Robin in the rugged jungle covered mountains southwest of Khe Sanh, Quảng Trị Province. After Landing Zone Loon had been attacked by a PAVN force earlier that day Company D was being extracted by a CH-46A Sea Knight helicopter. As the helicopter gained altitude, it was hit by ground fire causing it to crash onto an east–west mountain ridgeline, roll down to the bottom of the hill and burst into flames. Within an hour and a half, a search and recovery team was inserted into the crash site. Of the 13 of the 23 Marines aboard who were killed, four were reported as MIA/KIA, besides Sanchez the other three were L/Cpls LaPlant, Palacios and Harper. Various attempts to recover the bodies of the four were made to no avail.

In 2006, a team began excavating the site and recovered human remains and non-biological material evidence including La Plant's identification tag. While at the site, a Vietnamese citizen turned over to the team human remains that he claimed to have found amid the wreckage. In 2007, another team completed the excavation and recovered additional human remains, life support material and aircraft wreckage. On November 5, 2008, The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced that the remains of four U.S. servicemen, including Sanchez, were identified. The remains of the four men share a single casket along with a box engraved with their names which was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.

## Racial tensions of the 1960s

The Vietnam War coincided with the protests of the Civil Rights Movement during the 1960s America. Minority groups, such as Hispanics were discriminated at home, but also within the U.S. armed forces. According to a study made in 1990, by the Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, and New York State Psychiatric Institute; called the National Survey of the Vietnam Generation (NSVG), Hispanics, among them Puerto Ricans, were younger than both Black and White majority veterans when they went to Vietnam. Hispanics experienced more prejudice and discrimination in Vietnam than Blacks. Minority groups would often band together with those of their own racial or ethnic backgrounds. One such group was "Puerto Rican Power in Unity" which eventually became "Latin Power in Unity." The objective of this group was to unite all the Hispanic Marines regardless of their national background, as a brotherhood. Together they shared their cultures and demanded to be treated equally as their Black and White counterparts in the military.

## Cultural Representations

On September 22, 2015, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) documentary. " On Two Fronts: Latinos & Vietnam " by producer Mylène Moreno of Souvenir Pictures, Inc., aired nationwide on PBS and is part of PBS Stories of Service. Former Marine Lance Corporal Tony Santiago narrated the Puerto Rican experience during both the home-front and the battle grounds during the Vietnam War.

Many songs were released by Puerto Ricans about the Vietnam War experience, with the Vietnam War Song Project identifying 30+ titles. This topic has been largely ignored in the cultural scholarship of the Vietnam War.

## Aftermath

On April 23, 1975, President Gerald Ford gave a televised speech declaring an end to the Vietnam War. During the Vietnam War, an estimated 48,000 Puerto Ricans served in the four branches of the armed forces. Some sources state that a total of 345 Puerto Ricans who resided in the island died in combat, however according to a report by the Department of Defense, titled "Number of Puerto Ricans serving in the U.S. Armed Forces during National Emergencies" the total number of Puerto Ricans who died was 455 and that were wounded was 3,775. Because of lack of separate documentation, the total number of Puerto Ricans who lived in the mainland United States and perished is unknown. At the time, Puerto Ricans were not tabulated separately, but were generally included in the general white population census count. Separate statistics were kept for African Americans and Asian Americans. The names of those who perished are inscribed in both the Vietnam Veterans Memorial located in Washington, D.C. and in El Monumento de la Recordación (The Wall of Remembrance) located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

According to a study made by the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health and the Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, Puerto Rican Vietnam veterans, have a higher risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and experience more severe PTSD symptoms than non-Hispanic white Vietnam veterans. However, despite the hardships suffered by the experiences of war, many went on to live normal everyday lives. Among the Puerto Ricans who served in Vietnam and held important presidential administrative positions in the Administration of President George W. Bush were Major General William A. Navas Jr., who was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and was named Assistant Secretary of the Navy on June 6, 2001 and Dr. Richard Carmona, a former Green Beret who was awarded two Purple Hearts and was appointed Surgeon General in March 2002.


Marshawn Lynch

# Marshawn Lynch

## Abstract

Marshawn Terrell Lynch (born April 22, 1986) is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. Nicknamed " Beast Mode ", he spent the majority of his career with the Seattle Seahawks. Lynch grew up in Oakland, California, and played college football for the nearby California Golden Bears, earning first-team All-American honors and becoming the school's second all-time career rusher. He was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2007 NFL draft and played three full seasons before joining Seattle during the 2010 season.

Playing for the Seahawks from 2010 to 2015, Lynch was voted to four consecutive Pro Bowls, made one first-team All-Pro selection, and twice led the league in rushing touchdowns. He also helped the team win their first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XLVIII. His Beast Quake touchdown during the 2010–11 NFL playoffs, which saw him rush for 67 yards while breaking nine tackles, is considered one of the greatest runs in NFL history. Lynch retired in 2015 following an injury-plagued year, but returned to the NFL in 2017 to play for the Oakland Raiders, his hometown team. After two seasons, Lynch retired a second time until he reunited with the Seahawks in 2019 for their last regular season game and playoff run. Since retiring for a third and final time, he has co-owned the Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League (NHL), Beasts of Fan Controlled Football (FCF) and the Bay Area Panthers of the Indoor Football League (IFL).

## Early life

Lynch grew up in Oakland, California, with three older siblings. He was raised by his mother, Delisa, who once held a 200-meter track record at Oakland Technical High School. Lynch started playing youth football in Oakland at a young age.

## Education

Lynch attended and graduated from the same high school as his mother, Oakland Technical High School, from 2000 to 2004.

He attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he majored in social welfare and played for the Golden Bears football team from 2004 to 2006.

In 2020, he received an honorary degree from Princeton University after he was invited to be the Class of 2020 speaker.

## High school career

At Oakland Tech, Lynch was a four-sport star for the Bulldogs football, basketball, track, and wrestling teams. In his 2003 season, Lynch amassed 1,722 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns in only eight regular season games and an additional 375 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in two postseason games. He was voted a PrepStar and SuperPrep All-American and was also voted the San Francisco East Bay Player of the Year. In basketball, he played on the Oakland Tech's team alongside future Cal star Leon Powe. Lynch helped lead his team to the state semi-finals. As an athlete in the Bay Area, Lynch befriended and often played against film director and writer Ryan Coogler; who also grew up in the same part of Oakland as Lynch.

In addition to football, Lynch excelled in track and field, where he competed mainly as a sprinter, but also in jumping events. He recorded a personal-best time of 10.94 seconds in the 100-meter dash as a senior, while also posting top-leaps of 1.94 meters (6 ft, 4 in) in the high jump and 6.38 meters (20 ft, 10 in) in the long jump.

Lynch was a versatile athlete on the football field. He played defensive back, quarterback, wide receiver, and linebacker in high school. The Rivals.com recruiting network had him ranked #2 in the nation at running back behind Adrian Peterson.

## College career

### 2004 season

As a true freshman in 2004, Lynch was the primary backup to senior J. J. Arrington. In his collegiate debut against Air Force in the regular season opener, he had seven carries for 92 yards and a touchdown in the 56–14 victory. On November 13, in the 42–12 victory over Washington, he had nine carries for 121 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns to go along with a 29-yard touchdown reception. One week later, against Stanford, Lynch had 122 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. In addition, he threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Burl Toler in the 41–6 victory. Overall, Lynch carried the ball 71 times for 628 yards with eight rushing touchdowns and 147 yards on 19 receptions and two receiving touchdowns in his freshman season.

### 2005 season

In 2005, Arrington had graduated and Lynch became the starting running back. Lynch wore jersey No. 24 his freshman year but switched to No. 10, his high school number. This switch placed him in sequence with his cousins Virdell Larkins, who wore No. 9, and Robert Jordan, who wore No. 11. Lynch and his cousins were teammates at Cal. Lynch started off the season strong with 24 carries for 147 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the 41–3 victory over Sacramento State. Almost a month later, on October 1, he had 107 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in a 28–0 victory over Arizona. The next week, he had 135 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the 47–40 loss to UCLA. On October 22, against Washington State, he had 160 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the 42–38 loss. In the next game, a 27–20 loss to Oregon, he had 189 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. In the regular season finale against the Stanford Cardinal, he had 123 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the 27–3 victory. In the 2005 Las Vegas Bowl, Lynch ran for 194 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries and was named MVP against BYU. Even though he missed two games due to a hand and finger injury, he still amassed 1,246 rushing yards with 10 rushing touchdowns on 196 carries and 125 receiving yards on 15 receptions. He finished fifth in the Pac-10 in rushing yards and sixth in rushing touchdowns.

### 2006 season

In the 2006 preseason, Lynch earned a spot on the watchlist for the Maxwell Award, was named 8th best player in the nation by Sports Illustrated, and earned several preseason All-American accolades. In the spring, he joined the Cal Track & Field team, and he competed in the 60-meter dash, recording a personal-best time of 6.98 seconds at the 2006 MPSF Championships.

On July 22, 2006, the Cal football program officially launched the campaign for Lynch to win the 2006 Heisman Trophy with the opening of the website Marshawn10.com, featuring Lynch's highlights from 2004 to 2006.

In the second game of the season, against Minnesota, Lynch had 139 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the 42–17 victory. In the next game against Portland State, he finished with 112 rushing yards and a touchdown in the 42–16 victory. In the following game against Arizona State, he had 17 carries for 124 yards in the 49–21 victory. In the next game, against Oregon State, he posted his fourth consecutive 100-yard game with 106 yards and a touchdown in the 41–13 victory. After a 50-yard performance in the 45–24 victory over the Oregon Ducks, he had 152 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the 21–3 victory over Washington State. In the next game against Washington, he had another stellar game with 150 rushing yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning overtime touchdown, in the 31–24 victory. He later called the run his favorite career highlight, after which Lynch spontaneously drove around the football field in an injury cart, pretending to ghost ride. Lynch was named to the 2006 All-Pac-10 team First-team for his performance in the 2006 season. Lynch was also named the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year in 2006 and an AFCA (Coaches') All-America in 2006.

In his final game for Cal, Lynch ran for 111 yards and two touchdowns in the 45–10 victory over Texas A&M in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl on December 28, 2006. He shared the Co-Offensive Player of the Game award with teammate, quarterback Nate Longshore. He finished his final season with Golden Bears with a Pac-10 leading 1,356 rushing yards, 11 rushing touchdowns, 34 receptions, 328 receiving yards, and four receiving touchdowns.

Lynch holds the Cal school record for most 100-yard rushing games with 17.

On January 2, 2007, Lynch announced he would forgo his senior season and enter the 2007 NFL draft.

## Professional career

### Buffalo Bills

#### 2007 season

On April 28, 2007, Lynch was selected by the Buffalo Bills with the 12th overall pick in the first round of the NFL draft, the second running back taken. He agreed with the Bills to a six-year, $18.935 million contract. The deal included a $3 million signing bonus and contained $10.285 million in total guarantees.

Lynch entered the NFL as the starter at running back for the Bills. In his first career regular season game on September 9, he gained 90 yards on 19 carries and scored his first touchdown in a 14–15 loss to the Denver Broncos. His breakout game came on November 4 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Lynch's success on the ground was instrumental in keeping the touted Cincinnati offense on the sidelines, as he rushed 29 times for 153 yards, including a 56-yard touchdown run. Lynch also completed a touchdown pass to tight end Robert Royal, the first touchdown pass completed by a Bills non-quarterback since running back Joe Cribbs in 1981.

Lynch injured his ankle the following week against the Miami Dolphins and missed the next three games. He returned to play on December 9 for the Bills' second game against the Miami Dolphins that season, rushing for 107 yards and fumbling for the first time in his NFL career. The game marked the first time the Bills' offense produced two 100-yard rushers since 1996, as Fred Jackson also rushed for 115 yards. Lynch went over the 1,000-yard rushing mark on December 23 against the New York Giants, scoring a touchdown in the 21–38 loss, which resulted in the Giants clinching a playoff berth. This made Lynch the fourth Bills rookie to break the 1,000-yard mark, and the first since Greg Bell in 1984. He closed out the regular season with 105 rushing yards and 22 receiving yards against the Philadelphia Eagles. He finished a successful rookie season with 1,115 total rushing yards and seven touchdowns. He was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team for the 2007 season.

Lynch was expected to be more involved in Buffalo's passing game in 2008, his second season as a professional. The Bills' new offensive coordinator Turk Schonert had stated a number of times that he anticipated Lynch "being in on third down a lot more" this season, citing Lynch's inexperience as a reason he was not very involved in the 2007 season.

#### 2008 season

Lynch started the 2008 season with four rushing touchdowns in his first three games against the Seattle Seahawks, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Oakland Raiders. He was held to a season low of 16 yards rushing in a Week 9 matchup against the New York Jets on November 2. He did not break 100 yards rushing in a game until November 17 on a Monday Night Football matchup against the Cleveland Browns, when he rushed for 119. The game also marked his first receiving touchdown. Two weeks later on November 30, Lynch posted a season-high 134 rushing yards against the San Francisco 49ers. Lynch went over the 1,000-yard mark for the season on December 14 in a rematch against the Jets when he rushed for 127 yards. He was able to stay healthy until injuring his shoulder in the second half of a Bills victory on December 21 against the Denver Broncos, during which he rushed for his eighth touchdown of the season. The injury kept him out of the Bills' season finale against the New England Patriots. Lynch finished the 2008 season with 1,036 yards rushing and eight rushing touchdowns. He posted 300 receiving yards on 47 receptions, including a receiving touchdown, compared to 184 yards on 18 receptions for the 2007 season. Lynch was selected to his first Pro Bowl, replacing injured Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson. This made him the first Bills running back to head to the Pro Bowl since Travis Henry in 2002. Lynch was initially the first alternate.

#### 2009 season

Following his guilty plea on misdemeanor weapons charges during the 2009 off-season, Lynch met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for a disciplinary hearing. Lynch had been arrested in Culver City, California, for having a gun in his backpack in the trunk of a car he was occupying, a crime in California. On April 9, the NFL announced that Lynch would be suspended for the Bills' first three games for violations of the NFL's personal conduct policy. Lynch appealed the league's suspension on May 14 in an attempt to have it reduced or nullified, only to have it upheld by Goodell later on August 3. When interviewed on the topic, Lynch has said that he was not surprised when the suspension was upheld and that he loves playing too much and will try to keep himself out of situations in which there is a risk of being suspended.

Lynch played his first game of the 2009 season against the Miami Dolphins and played the rest of the season. Beginning November 29, he was replaced as the Bills' starting running back by Fred Jackson, who had the first 1,000-yard rushing season of his career. Lynch finished the season with 450 yards on 120 carries with two rushing touchdowns and did not break 100 rushing yards in a single game for the first time in his career.

#### 2010 season

Lynch suffered an ankle sprain in the Bills' preseason opener against the Washington Redskins and was expected to be out for three to four weeks. He started three games for the Bills before being traded to the Seattle Seahawks on October 5 for two draft picks, a fourth-round pick in the 2011 NFL draft and a conditional pick in the 2012 NFL draft, which would become a fifth-round pick.

### Seattle Seahawks (first stint)

#### 2010 season

Lynch then reunited with former Cal roommate and fellow running back Justin Forsett, a seventh-round draft pick of the Seahawks in 2008. Lynch scored his first touchdown of the season and with the Seahawks on October 17 on a 1-yard run against the Chicago Bears. On December 5, he scored three touchdowns against the Carolina Panthers. Lynch had 202 carries for 737 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns during the 2010 season.

In his first career playoff game, against the New Orleans Saints on January 8, 2011, Lynch had a 67-yard touchdown run in which he broke nine tackles and with one arm threw Saints cornerback Tracy Porter to the ground. This run has become known locally in Seattle as the " Beast Quake ". The play gets its name from Marshawn Lynch's nickname, "Beast Mode", and the fact that, during and after the play, movement from fans jumping in celebration was so intense that it registered on a seismograph 100 yards from the stadium. In the Divisional Round against the Chicago Bears, he was limited to four carries for two yards in the 35–24 loss.

#### 2011 season

Lynch started 15 games in 2011, missing only one regular season game, on November 23 due to back problems. Lynch rushed for 1,204 yards and 12 touchdowns, both career bests and posting his first 1,000-yard season since 2008. On December 1, against the Philadelphia Eagles, he was observed receiving Skittles from a trainer to celebrate his touchdown. Fans later threw Skittles onto the field after Lynch scored.

On November 6, against the Dallas Cowboys, Lynch had 135 rushing yards and a touchdown. On December 1, he had his best rushing game of the season with 148 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns against the Philadelphia Eagles. On December 18, he set the franchise record for consecutive games with a touchdown by scoring in his tenth straight game. The previous record of nine was set by Shaun Alexander in 2005. Lynch would reach 11 consecutive games scoring a touchdown before the streak ended against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 17. Lynch led the NFL in rushing yards over the final nine weeks of the season. On January 24, 2012, Lynch was added to the NFC Pro Bowl roster to replace San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore. He was ranked 94th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2012.

On March 4, 2012, Lynch signed a four-year, $31 million contract with the Seahawks.

#### 2012 season

In the second game of the 2012 season, Lynch had 122 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the 27–7 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. On September 30, against the St. Louis Rams, he had 118 rushing yards and touchdown in the 19–13 loss. In Weeks 7–10, he posted four consecutive games with at least 100 rushing yards and three consecutive games with a rushing touchdown. In Week 14, in a 58–0 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, he had 128 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. In the next game, a 50–17 victory over the Buffalo Bills, he had 113 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. In the penultimate game of the regular season, he had 111 rushing yards and a touchdown in a 42–13 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. The Seahawks finished with an 11–5 record and made the playoffs in the 2012 season. In the Wild Card Round against the Washington Redskins, he finished with 132 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the 24–14 victory. In the Divisional Round against the Atlanta Falcons, he had 46 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, and 37 receiving yards in the 30–28 loss.

Overall, Lynch started all 16 regular season games, as well as the two playoff games the Seahawks were in. He accumulated 1,590 yards rushing on 315 attempts. He scored 11 touchdowns, his longest being a 77-yard touchdown run. He averaged 19.7 attempts per game and 99.4 yards per game, and over the course of the season, Lynch had an average of 5.05 yards per carry. He fumbled 4 times, and lost two of them. Lynch was named as a First-team All-Pro and was elected into the 2013 Pro Bowl as a reserve. He was ranked as 24th best player in the league among his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2013.

#### 2013 season

In Week 2 of the 2013 season against the San Francisco 49ers, Lynch had 98 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the 29–3 victory. In a 34–28 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on October 6, he had 102 rushing yards. On November 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he had 125 rushing yards in the 27–24 victory. He followed that up with 145 rushing yards and a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons. In the next game against the Minnesota Vikings, he added two more rushing touchdowns and a receiving touchdown. Overall, he was a significant contributor for the Seahawks in the 2013 season, rushing for 1,257 yards and 12 touchdowns, and recording three 100-yard games. He tied with Jamaal Charles for the league lead in rushing touchdowns. The Seattle Seahawks finished with a 13–3 record and earned a first-round bye in the playoffs. In the Divisional Round against the New Orleans Saints, he had 140 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the 23–15 victory. In the NFC Championship against the San Francisco 49ers, he had 109 rushing yards and a touchdown in the 23–17 victory. He was voted to the Pro Bowl for the third straight year, but had to decline the appearance due to his participation in Super Bowl XLVIII. He ended up rushing for 39 yards on 15 carries during that game, including a one-yard rushing touchdown, resulting in the team's first Super Bowl victory by defeating the Denver Broncos 43–8. He was ranked 14th on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2014.

#### 2014 season

On July 24, 2014, former Seahawks fullback and good friend Michael Robinson announced on NFL Network 's Inside Training Camp, that Lynch would hold out of Training Camp while he waited for a restructured contract from the Seahawks. Lynch and the Seahawks quickly agreed to new terms for the season, and Lynch served as the starting running back for the team, ahead of backups Robert Turbin and Christine Michael.

In the 2014 season opener, Lynch had 110 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in a 36–16 victory over the Green Bay Packers. During Week 3 against the Denver Broncos, he completed the first overtime drive by rushing for a touchdown, giving the Seahawks a 26–20 victory over Denver in a Super Bowl rematch. On November 2, against the Oakland Raiders, he had 67 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, and 76 receiving yards. In the next game against the New York Giants, he had a stellar performance with 140 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns in the 38–17 victory. He scored 24 total points in the game, which was tied with Jonas Gray for the most by any player in a single game in the 2014 season. He continued his successful string of games with 124 rushing yards against the Kansas City Chiefs in a loss the following week.

Lynch had a career-long 79-yard touchdown run against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 16, similar to his "Beast Quake" 67-yard scoring run in the 2011 Wild Card Round against the New Orleans Saints. Four days later, Lynch was fined $11,050 by the NFL for his celebration of the score; falling back while extending the ball behind his head and grabbing his crotch. The league considered his celebration an "obscene gesture" to constitute unsportsmanlike conduct. Lynch shared the league lead in rushing touchdowns for the second consecutive season, this time sharing with DeMarco Murray.

The Seahawks finished with a 12–4 record and earned a first round bye. He was named to the Pro Bowl for the fifth time in his career. In the Divisional Round against the Carolina Panthers, he had 59 rushing yards in the 31–17 victory. He contributed heavily to a late comeback in the NFC Championship against the Green Bay Packers in a rematch of the season-opener, catching a 26-yard pass to set up one touchdown and later scoring a touchdown of his own on a 24-yard run. The Seahawks won 28–22 in overtime after trailing 19–7 with less than four minutes remaining in the game. His 157 rushing yards in the game were a career postseason high for Lynch, as were his 183 total yards from scrimmage.

Lynch made headlines at Super Bowl XLIX Media Day on January 27, 2015, when he held a five-minute press conference, only answering "I'm just here so I won't get fined" to every question. He has a history of unwillingness to talk to the media.

In Super Bowl XLIX, where the Seahawks lost 28–24 to the New England Patriots, Lynch had 24 carries for 102 yards and a touchdown, plus a catch for 31 yards. Late in the fourth quarter on a potential game-winning drive, Lynch ran the ball from the five yard line but was tackled by Dont'a Hightower at the one-yard line. On the next offensive play of the game, the Seahawks chose to pass the ball at the one-yard line instead of running it with Lynch, and Russell Wilson's pass was intercepted by Malcolm Butler. Lynch was visibly upset by the decision and left the Seahawks locker room without addressing the media. He stated in a later interview with Conan O'Brien that he was "expecting the ball" prior to the play. He was ranked ninth by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2015.

#### 2015 season

On March 6, 2015, the Seahawks and Lynch agreed to a 2-year, $24 million contract extension. Lynch struggled to pile up yardage early in the season but starred in Week 7 in a 20–3 win over the rival San Francisco 49ers, against whom he racked up 122 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries. Midway through the 2015 season, Lynch needed to have sports hernia surgery. Lynch's backup, undrafted rookie Thomas Rawls, had a 209-yard game against the 49ers in Week 11.

Ahead of the Seahawks Wild Card Round matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, Lynch was anticipated to make his return, but decided to stay behind in Seattle, stating that he felt that he could not play. Seattle went on to win, 10–9. Lynch made his return from injury against the Carolina Panthers in the Divisional Round, carrying only six times for 20 yards, and caught two passes for 15 yards in the 31–24 loss.

### Initial retirement

On February 7, 2016, the day of Super Bowl 50, Lynch announced his retirement via Twitter by posting a picture of his football cleats hanging from a telephone wire. He subsequently became a mentor to the current college football players at Cal.

After his retirement, rumors circulated about Lynch returning to the NFL. In early April 2017, after sitting out the 2016 season, it was reported Lynch had agreed to terms with his hometown Oakland Raiders and that the Seahawks, who retained his rights even after retirement, would trade him. Lynch said he was inspired to come out of retirement by the team's impending move to Las Vegas saying that he wanted children currently growing up in Oakland to be able to see a home-grown football star play for the Raiders before the team is gone.

### Oakland Raiders

On April 26, 2017, Lynch officially passed his physical and was traded to the Oakland Raiders along with Seattle's sixth-round draft pick for Oakland's fifth-round selection in the 2018 NFL draft. Lynch signed a two-year, $9 million contract with a maximum of $16.5 million; it had a $2 million bonus for 1,000 rushing yards for the season.

#### 2017 season

In the Raiders' regular season opener on the road against the Tennessee Titans, Lynch finished with 18 carries for 76 rushing yards along with one reception for 16 yards in a 26–16 win. On September 14, Lynch was fined $12,000 for doing an obscene gesture. In Week 2 against the New York Jets, he had his first touchdown as a Raider, which was a two-yard rush in the second quarter, in the 45–20 victory. During Thursday Night Football against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week Seven, Lynch was ejected for running onto the field and shoving an official following a hit by Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters on Raiders quarterback Derek Carr. The next day, the NFL suspended Lynch for one game. Lynch attempted to appeal, but the suspension was upheld. During Sunday Night Football against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 15, Lynch confronted officials about Derek Carr not scoring while a fumble and touchback occurred; on December 21, Lynch was fined $24,309.

During the regular season finale, in a loss against the Los Angeles Chargers, Lynch became the 31st player in NFL history to rush for over 10,000 rushing yards. Overall, in the 2017 season, he finished with 207 carries for 891 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns to go along with 20 receptions for 151 receiving yards.

#### 2018 season

Lynch returned to the Raiders' backfield for the 2018 season opener under new head coach Jon Gruden. He recorded a rushing touchdown in the first three games of the season against the Los Angeles Rams, Denver Broncos, and Miami Dolphins, all losses for the Raiders. In Week 4, he recorded 20 carries for 130 rushing yards in the 45–42 overtime victory over the Cleveland Browns. On October 22, Lynch was placed on injured reserve with a groin injury. Overall, he finished the 2018 season with 90 carries for 376 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns in six games. After the 2018 season, Lynch's plans were to not play football again and retire.

### Seattle Seahawks (second stint)

Lynch returned to the NFL during the final week of the 2019 regular season, signing with the Seahawks alongside former teammate Robert Turbin on December 23, 2019, after Seattle lost three running backs to injury. Lynch made his debut with the Seahawks in Week 17 against the San Francisco 49ers on NBC Sunday Night Football. During the game, Lynch rushed 12 times for 34 yards and a touchdown in the 26–21 loss. After his touchdown, fans threw skittles onto the field. During the Seahawks' 17–9 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs, Lynch broke a tackle to score a five-yard, first half touchdown. In the Divisional Round against the Green Bay Packers, Lynch rushed 12 times for 26 yards and two touchdowns during the 28–23 loss.

With his three additional playoff touchdowns in the 2019–20 NFL playoffs, Lynch moved into fourth place on the all-time postseason rushing touchdowns list. He is tied with Terrell Davis and John Riggins with 12.

During a postgame interview on January 12, 2020, Lynch was asked if he'll return for the Seahawks in the 2020 NFL season. "I mean, shoot," he responded, "We'll see what's happening." In media ahead of the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll was also asked about Lynch returning and said "We'll see. You never know." Lynch was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame All-2010s Team.

In a December 2020 interview with Conan O'Brien, Lynch said that teams have expressed interest in signing him and that he is willing to sign with a team that is a Super Bowl contender.

## NFL career statistics

### Seahawks franchise records

- Most rushing attempts (playoff career): 211

- Most rushing attempts (playoff season): 65 (2013)

- Most rushing yards (playoff career): 970

- Most rushing yards (playoff season): 318 (2014)

- Most rushing yards per attempt (minimum ten carries) (playoff game): 6.89 (January 8, 2011, against the New Orleans Saints)

- Most rushing touchdowns (game): 4 (November 9, 2014, against the New York Giants; tied with Curt Warner and Shaun Alexander – 3×)

- Most rushing touchdowns (playoff career): 12

- Most rushing touchdowns (playoff season): 4 (2013)

- Most rushing yards per game (playoff season): 106 (2014)

- Most total touchdowns (playoff career): 12

- Most total touchdowns (playoff season): 4 (2013)

- Most yards from scrimmage (playoff career): 1,122

- Most yards from scrimmage (playoff season): 381 (2014)

- Most yards from scrimmage (playoff game): 183 (January 18, 2015, against the Green Bay Packers)

- Most all purpose yards (playoff career): 1,122

- Most all purpose yards (playoff season): 381 (2014)

- Most 100+ yard rushing games (playoffs): 6

- Most games with at least one touchdown scored (playoffs): 7

## Beast Mode

The nickname "Beast Mode" became a popular way to refer to Lynch and his style of play. While the term was in use since 1996 with the debut of the animated Transformers series Beast Wars, Lynch claims it developed as his nickname because one of his childhood coaches would refer to him as a beast.

Lynch has since developed the nickname into his Beast Mode brand, which includes an apparel line, retail store, and at least one partnership with international brands. The first Beast Mode store opened in Oakland, California on February 7, 2016, during Super Bowl 50. On April 8, 2015, rapper Ludacris released the video for his single "Beast Mode," named after Lynch, who appears in the video. Ludacris mimics Lynch's interview at the Super Bowl media day by saying "I'm just here so I won't get fined" to reporters before Lynch comes in and adds "You know why we here". Lynch makes a cameo in the video game Call of Duty: Black Ops III. He also appeared in the fourth episode of the sixth season of Tanked where they created a special fish tank for "BeastMode" first aired June 19, 2015. He is featured in the game Predator: Hunting Grounds as the playable character "Dante 'Beast Mode' Jefferson".

Lynch was approached by former Pro BMX rider Todd Lyons, who noticed that Lynch rode his BMX products. Lyons, acting as the current brand manager for SE Bikes BMX company, partnered with Marshawn to create a Beast Mode Ripper: an adult-sized BMX bike with customized Beast Mode branding as a 2018 SE Bicycle.

On September 19, 2017, Lynch launched his own ad-supported Beast Mobile cellphone service that allows subscribers to pay their phone bill by engaging in ads and offers.

## Indoor football teams

In November 2018, Lynch and Richard Sherman were announced as the first two team owners in a proposed Fan Controlled Football League, a concept based on Project Fanchise 's use of a mobile app for fans to call plays for the team that they had initiated with the Salt Lake Screaming Eagles of the Indoor Football League (IFL) a year earlier. The league was delayed and eventually played its first game, rebranded as just Fan Controlled Football (FCF), in February 2021 with Lynch as one of three owners of a team called the Beasts. Lynch dressed for the game, but decided not to play.

In 2019, Lynch was also announced as co-owner of the Oakland Panthers of the Indoor Football League (IFL) alongside Roy Choi, who also owns the IFL's Cedar Rapids River Kings and San Diego Strike Force. Introduced to Choi by his brother Davonte Sapp-Lynch who plays in the IFL, Lynch saw the indoor football team as a way to keep professional football in Oakland after the departure of the Raiders for Las Vegas. Davonte Sapp-Lynch was one of the first players the Panthers signed. The Panthers were to start playing in the 2020 season, but it was cancelled after the opening week due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Panthers also went dormant for the 2021 season.

## NFLPA Brand Chief Ambassador

In October 2021, Lynch was named the first NFLPA brand chief ambassador.

## Personal life

Lynch has several relatives who have also played professional football. His cousins are wide receiver Robert Jordan, who played alongside Lynch at Cal from 2004 to 2006, journeyman quarterback Josh Johnson, and quarterback JaMarcus Russell. Lynch's uncle, Lorenzo Lynch, had an eleven-year career in the NFL.

While in Buffalo, Lynch embraced the Buffalo community, in stark contrast to former Bills running back Willis McGahee, as noted in an interview with ESPN's Kenny Mayne. In the video interview, which has become an internet sensation, Lynch talks about his love of Applebee's and his teammates joke that he loves chain restaurants. Lynch is also known for his frequent community involvement. In 2013, he was featured in Red Bull's campaign "Athletes Give Back" when he put together a successful food drive for his hometown. During his first stint in Seattle, Lynch once gave his backpack to junior teammate Doug Baldwin after Baldwin had inquired where he got it from. When the Seahawks defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr's father died, Lynch was the only member of the organization who went to console him at the airport. In 2014, he found a lost wallet outside Seattle at a gas station. Lynch went to the address to return it.

Lynch frequently ate Skittles during games, a habit that started when he was in high school. After Lynch was shown eating the candy during a nationally televised game on December 5, 2011, Mars offered him a two-year supply of Skittles and a custom dispenser for his locker. On December 30, 2011, he was fined $10,000 for wearing cleats featuring a Skittles pattern. On January 28, 2014, an official deal with Skittles was announced. The agreement stated that in addition to personal compensation, $10,000 would be donated to his Fam First Foundation for each touchdown he scored in Super Bowl XLVIII.

Lynch also has an affinity for purchasing grills, saying he has been wearing the gold jewelry since his junior year in high school. After the 2011 season, Lynch purchased a customized Seahawks grill in time for the 2012 season.

Lynch is an entrepreneur in the cannabis industry, launching a line of cannabis products in 2021 under the brand name Dodi Blunts. The company distributes blunts to dispensaries throughout the Bay Area, with a portion of the proceeds going to Last Prisoner Project, a drug policy reform group. Lynch says he has been a long-time consumer of cannabis and that it helped him deal with pain during his football career.

In April 2021, Lynch joined the ownership group of the Oakland Roots SC of the USL Championship. In the same month, he also joined the PFL as a brand ambassador and investor. On April 18, 2022, the Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League announced that Lynch had joined its ownership group.

In November 2021, Lynch was revealed as an investor in PORTL Inc., the holoportation startup, as part of its $12M Series A round. Other investors included Tim Draper, Quavo of Migos, Albert Pujols, Breanna Stewart, and Luke Walton.

Lynch started his own charitable foundation called the Fam1st Family Foundation in 2006 to give back to his hometown of Oakland, California.

### Legal troubles

In June 2008, Lynch pled guilty to a hit and run charge and had his driver's license revoked. Lynch was driving his 2008 Porsche Cayenne at 3:30 a.m. through Buffalo's bar district when he struck a woman in the street and failed to stop. When questioned, Lynch stated, "I didn't know my car had hit anyone or anything."

The California Highway Patrol arrested Lynch for driving under the influence (DUI) on July 14, 2012, after he was observed driving erratically. He was reported to have registered a blood-alcohol level of 0.10 on a breathalyzer at the Alameda County Sheriff's Office North County Jail in Oakland. He was incarcerated hours before hosting a youth football camp. A motion to dismiss the case was denied in November 2013, but in December the trial date was pushed back until after the NFL season. Lynch's attorney, Ivan Golde, accused the police of bending the truth and changing stories to try to convict Lynch. The case was settled in February 2014 when Lynch pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of reckless driving. Lynch received two years of probation and a $1,033 fine, and had to attend drivers' safety classes, but did not have his license suspended.

On August 9, 2022, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers arrested Lynch on suspicion of DUI near the Las Vegas Strip. The police report stated that Lynch was found asleep in a parked car that had noticeable damage. Lynch was charged with driving under the influence, as well as three other crimes. He posted bail of $3,381 and was released. Lynch's lawyers disputed the charges.

### Press interviews

Lynch is known for being reluctant to talk to the media. He was fined $50,000 by the NFL for refusing to talk to the media throughout the 2013 NFL season, which inspired fans of the Seattle Seahawks to fundraise that amount. However, the fine was subsequently pulled back in an agreement that he would be fined another $50,000 if he broke the same rule, after which he donated the money raised by Seahawks fans to pay his fine to charity. Lynch was fined $100,000 on November 19, 2014, for once again refusing to speak to the media. A few days later, after the Seahawks' win over Arizona, he answered nearly every question from reporters with "Yeah". On December 21, 2014, after the second Seahawks–Cardinals game, he answered nearly every question from reporters with some version of "Thanks for asking" or "I appreciate you asking." The only people to get an "extended interview" were Deion Sanders, former teammate turned analyst Michael Robinson, and Michael Silver, in which they discovered his reluctance came from his upbringing and the fact that he felt that he was "forced to do something". On January 27, 2015, during Super Bowl Media Day in Glendale, Arizona, Lynch continued the trend of declining to give detailed media interviews by showing up for five minutes, and answering every question with some variation of "I'm just here so I won't get fined," and the following day "You know why I'm here."

### In popular culture

Four days before Super Bowl XLIX, Lynch appeared in a guest segment on Conan, playing a head-to-head game of the then-unreleased Mortal Kombat X against prospective Super Bowl opponent tight end Rob Gronkowski. Contrary to his media appearances earlier that week, Lynch appeared upbeat and loquacious, discussing his fondness of Mario Kart and explaining his touchdown celebration moves. The video went viral, was widely covered in media, and gathered about 8 million views before the Super Bowl. Lynch re-appeared on the show prior to Super Bowl LI along with Gronkowski, Tom Brady, LeGarrette Blount, and Dwight Freeney playing the game For Honor.

Lynch appeared as himself, in an episode of Brooklyn 99 in 2017. In the episode The Fugitive, Lynch is an eyewitness to a convict escape. The show references his reluctance to talk to the press during his NFL days, and Detective Rosa Diaz says of Lynch, "There are some vaults you just can't open." Lynch goes on to talk nonstop to the team.

The 2019 documentary film Marshawn Lynch: A History explores the roots of Lynch's reticence.

Lynch appeared as himself alongside Will Arnett in an episode of Murderville, a comedic murder-mystery streaming television series released by Netflix in February 2022. Within the episode, Lynch improvises alongside Arnett and attempts to solve a fictional murder mystery.

Lynch appeared on The Great American Baking Show in 2022.

Lynch played a high school teacher in the 2023 teen comedy Bottoms. In December 2023, Lynch appeared on Lego Masters second installment of its "Celebrity Holiday Bricktacular", teaming up with contestant Dave Guedes.

On May 13, 2024, Lynch appeared on Ian 's "Figure It Out" music video.


Rachel's Vineyard

# Rachel's Vineyard

## Abstract

Rachel's Vineyard is an American organization offering weekend retreats for women who have had abortions and for others, including men, who believe that they have been hurt by abortion. It is named after Rachel in the Bible, who weeps "for her lost children".

Rachel's Vineyard is funded by Priests for Life and has a broadly Roman Catholic ethos with a Catholic Mass celebrated as an integral part of the retreat, but also runs non-denominational retreats for non-Catholics.

## History

In 1996, Theresa Karminski Burke started one of the first therapeutic support groups for women who had had abortions. Later, she founded Rachel’s Vineyard, together with her husband, Kevin Burke. Burke's Rachel's Vineyard: A Psychological and Spiritual Journey for Post Abortion Healing (written with Barbara Cullen) was published in 1994 as a support group model for counselors helping women with post abortion grief. Four Rachel's Vineyard retreats were conducted in 1995 and by the end of 2002 over 130 had been held. In 2003, Rachel’s Vineyard was reorganised and became a ministry of Priests for Life, with Frank Pavone as the Pastoral Director. A retreat is generally designed for about a dozen clients and a priest and a licensed therapist are typically present.

In June 2002, Burke and David Reardon published a book titled Forbidden Grief, a review of Burke's experience in counseling women for abortion-related emotional problems.

In 2003, Bernadette Goulding founded the Irish chapter of Rachel's Vineyard, and in 2011 founded Women Hurt, a similar organisation, with less focus on Catholicism.

As of 2014, Rachel's Vineyard held over 1,000 retreats annually, in 48 U.S. states and 70 countries.

Rachel's Vineyard retreats are hosted by church based ministries, counseling outreach programs, Project Rachel offices, Respect Life groups, and crisis pregnancy centers. They are offered in both Catholic and interdenominational settings.


Dansi railway station

# Dansi railway station

## Abstract

Dansi railway station is a railway station on Santragachi–Amta branch line of South Eastern Railway section of the Kharagpur railway division. It is situated beside Katlia-Nibra National Highway 6 Connector Road at Dansi, Salap in Howrah district in the Indian state of West Bengal.

## History

Howrah to Amta narrow-gauge track was built in 1897 in British India. This route was the part of the Martin's Light Railways which was closed in 1971. Howrah–Amta new broad-gauge line, including the Bargachia–Champadanga branch line was re constructed and opened in 2002–2004.


Soyuz MS-26

# Soyuz MS-26

## Abstract

Soyuz MS-26, Russian production No. 757 and identified by NASA as Soyuz 72S, is a Russian crewed Soyuz spaceflight launched from Site 31/6 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome on 11 September 2024 to the International Space Station. The mission transported three crew members, Roscosmos cosmonauts Aleksey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner, along with NASA astronaut Donald Pettit.

When the spacecraft crossed the Karman line shortly after launch, there were a record 19 people in outer space: the three astronauts on the MS-26 mission, three more on China's Tiangong space station, four people on the SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission, and nine more on board the International Space Station.

## Crew