Gov. Gavin Newsom understands the value of connections to the famous — and the wealthy.

Now he's looking to form an alliance with “Beast Mode.”

Newsom will host a weekly podcast alongside former NFL star and disruptive running back Marshawn “Beast Mode” Lynch and his agent. Doug HendricksonIt premiered on July 15th,Political activities.”

The podcast is being promoted on the iHeartRadio platform as an “unexpected collaboration” with hosts described as “Gavin Newsom, who you've never heard of before, and Marshawn Lynch, who you definitely expected.”

Despite the title, Lynch said on short notice that the podcast will not cover politics.

“It's about bridging the gap,” Lynch said. “We have to sit down, get to a round table and work it out. I have to understand your position, but you have to understand his position.”

“Your political activism might be a little bit different, you know? You do your political activism in a different way. We bring together people from all walks of life, from all walks of life, to find out what's going on.”

What was it that drew a former NFL player who rushed for 10,413 yards and 85 touchdowns in 12 seasons, a man whose on-field exploits were often overshadowed by his quirky, funny, and vulgar personality, and who may or may not have presidential ambitions, to the Democratic governor of the nation's largest state?

More specifically, Who The person who connected them was Hendrickson, the NFL's chief agent. Wasserman He represents Lynch and has been a friend of Newsom's since the 1990s.

Both Newsome and Lynch are Bay Area natives, having grown up in Oakland and attended UC Berkeley, but Lynch, the running back, became a star in Seattle, rushing for 6,381 yards and 58 touchdowns over seven years with the Seahawks and helping them win the Super Bowl in 2014.

Lynch, nicknamed “Beast Mode” for his ferocious running style, retired after the 2015 season but returned with the Raiders in 2017, saying on Twitter that he had “a lot of fun in Seattle… but I'm actually from Oakland.”

He had a strong season in 2017, but injuries limited his time playing the next two years before he retired for good after the 2019 season.

Lynch is known for his quirky and humorous comments, but he is also active in social and charitable causes. After the 2010 Haiti earthquake that killed 300,000 people, he traveled to the country with Seahawks teammates Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett to help build homes and schools.

Around the same time, he helped start the Fam 1st Family Foundation. Website The group says it “instills core family values ​​of loyalty and leadership to impact the lives of Oakland's disenfranchised youth.” Lynch serves as vice president.

This is not Newsom's first time hosting a media show: As lieutenant governor, he hosted a short-lived weekly program on San Francisco's Current TV, “The Gavin Newsom Show,” which featured interviews with celebrities and business leaders, particularly in the burgeoning tech industry.