Ex-Seahawk Marshawn Lynch helps energize ‘Men in Blazers' crowd

An hour out from the Men in Blazers Match Day Live!" broadcast on Friday morning in Seattle before the FIFA Men's World Cup match between the United States and Australia, it was unclear if fans would show up for the event that was similar to ESPN's "College GameDay."

Two big stages were set up on Pier 58, with celebrity guests, including former Seahawk Marshawn Lynch and former Sounder DeAndre Yedlin, scheduled to appear. At 7:30 a.m., there was a crowd a few rows deep in front of the main stage with others milling about inside the area.

But when Men in Blazers host Roger Bennett took the stage at 8:30 to kick off the broadcast, he stood in front of a sea of people - mostly wearing red, white and blue - who had filled the area to capacity. The cheers of more than 2,500 people standing on the pier and in the nearby area were loud. But they were a small glimpse of what was to come.

Whatever noise was expected at Seattle Stadium (what Lumen Field is being called during the World Cup) on Friday shouldn't have come as a surprise. When asked about how loud Seattle fans can get, Lynch warned people bluntly.

"They caused an earthquake already," Lynch said referencing his famous "Beast Quake" run during a Seahawks playoff game in 2011. "We just want to make sure that the building stays together. I think if they get loud enough, I think they can bring that mother down."

It was just past 9 a.m., but team USA fans responded with cheers, and a few screams. The morning of the Seattle vs. Australia match began with Lynch hyping up the waterfront crowd with his prediction that Team USA would win, and continued with a joyful display of patriotism on the Harbor Steps before the crowd marched to Seattle Stadium for the game.

Men in Blazers is a soccer media network that began as a podcast in 2010 and has grown. The group is putting on live broadcasts in 10 cities during the World Cup. CEO and host Bennett said the goal is to "bring the singularity of each city to our audience before the game with some of the biggest celebrity talent that we know and love."

There was no question who the Men in Blazers crowd favored, and the show's co-hosts for the day were in agreement. When the time came for match day predictions, all four chose the U.S.

Lynch predicted a 1-0 score; Smith and Green predicted a 3-1 win, and Bennett said the U.S. would win by "a million."

There was talk of respecting the Australians throughout the show, but also of earning respect for the U.S.

"Going over to Europe at a pretty young age, going over as an American you aren't really respected," Yedlin said. "They don't think you can play, they just think that you're fast and big and you can run hard. But I think we are at a point in all aspects now that we can dominate the game, so I am excited to see these guys today."

On the topic of being fast, when Bennett asked Lynch how he thought he would fare as a soccer player, the former running back's answer drew laughter from the crowd.

"(Soccer players) run too much," Lynch said. "I know I play running back, but I hate running, I hated running. That's why I ran straight."

Fans started to trickle out of the event toward the end of the broadcast to make their way over to the Harbor Steps, where a crowd had gathered to march to the game. The group, organized by American Outlaws, packed the steps, and then the street, as fans drummed, danced and chanted "USA, USA.

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This story was originally published June 19, 2026 at 4:50 PM.