Marshawn Lynch does everything in sports for the culture, and now that he has stepped into the NHL owner’s box he is keeping the same energy.
Lynch was recently on video at the facility for the Seattle Kraken doing doughnuts on a Zamboni. The move was a mix of Bay Area sideshow car culture and the unique brand of Black Boy joy that Marshawn Lynch has catapulted into the eye of the mainstream.
The team recently announced that both Lynch and recording artist Macklemore are now two minority investors in the franchise. Lynch is a former Seattle Seahawks star who helped the team win a Super Bowl.
Beast Mode Expansion Plan
“This is something I never would have imagined,” Lynch said to CNBC in a statement. “I always dreamed of playing on a professional team but owning one is something special as I look back on some of my accomplishments. I’m [going to] continue to count my blessings.”
According to reports, the NHL signed off on the deal earlier this month, and the community efforts of Lynch are what made him an ideal partner.
“For us, we didn’t need additional investors, but the thing that attracted us to these guys was their interest in community activism through this organization, and that’s a big deal,” Seattle Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke said to CNBC.
“He’s intrigued with the idea of what’s it’s like to be an owner and the business side and the financing.”
Community Activism
Lynch infuses his community activism into the new deal and will be a part of the NHL’s Hockey Is for Everyone campaign. According to their website, the program uses the game of hockey and the League’s global influence to drive positive social change and foster more inclusive communities.
Hockey Is For Everyone campaign support any teammate, coach, or fan who brings heart, energy, and passion to the rink. The program believes all hockey programs should provide a safe, positive and inclusive environment for players and families regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity or expression, disability, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status.
Lynch has created an expansive portfolio in business since he retired from the NFL for the third time after the 2019 season. He made his foray into the lucrative cannabis lifestyle market with his Dodi Blunts, which is a pre-roll with palm leaf paper.
New Projects
“Dodi has always been a part of my life,” Lynch said to Forbes in early 2021. “If I was going to have a marijuana company, I wanted to make sure I did it the right way.”
According to reports, the company’s first product is THCa diamonds-infused blunts that use an organically grown cannabis strain called Zkittlez “curated” by Lynch and his friends.
Lynch also has made significant waves with his Beast Mode Apparel, a lifestyle and clothing brand he launched in 2014. Lynch has entered a ubiquitous space within corporate advertising where his authentic Bay Area personality and culture are now considered currency.
With the NHL, like NASCAR, expanding its market towards other cultures, the unconventional personality of Marshawn Lynch is a new commodity within the sports business space.
