I’ll start by stating I’ve always liked Randy Moss. Ever since I first starting hearing about him when he was at Marshall, in fact. He had a troubled background, but on the football field he was peerless. It seemed like he’d made the most of the opportunities football brought his way. He made Chad Pennington. Pennington would throw the ball as far as he could, and Moss would go get it and do the rest. When he transitioned to the NFL, he was the same way- he made Dante Culpepper. Early in his career, Favre may have been the one QB who could over throw him.
So when all the little things started accruing, I tended to blame the media and it’s penchant for digging in on star players who didn’t walk the straight and narrow. When he started getting a reputation as a locker room drag, I felt it was undeserved. Last year, when fans and the press started calling him a quitter, I figured something else was going on. Then it turns out he played with an injury through the last half of the season, I claimed vindication.
So now with today’s trade, we have all these familiar sounding rumblings. And finally, I think I have to concede that Moss is a trouble maker. Despite what I’d like to believe, I guess it’s finally time to face up to the evidence. I’m not saying he’s a bad guy. But he clearly has a ‘me-first’ attitude, and he plays a lot of games for monetary reasons that are distracting to his teammates.
I’ll still root for him. As a football talent, I continue to believe he’s the best at what he does. I hope he sets records. I’d even like to see him win a Super Bowl. But when the rumblings start up, I’ll only be able to shake my head- knowing that he’s at it again.
6 replies on “Wrong About Moss”
Don’t fret…you are giving an organization that does not want to pay a seemingly ageless again, too much credit. It is not a fault of either side, I can’t blame the Pats for not wanting to pay him what he is probably worth and I can’t blame him for wanting some contractual security going in to next year. In a game that will demandingly take everything that you have from you in return for giving you nothing, if they can, a player can never be faulted for covering his butt. The hard part is getting to the position where you can make those types of demands as a player. Randy is that type of player.
Keep in mind that if Randy were to suffer a career ending injury this season, he has no injury protection going forward, because his contract expires this year. He has got to look towards the future and if the Pats don’t see him in their plans, I applaud them for being willing to move him to somewhere that may be willing to address his future needs. It is a win/win solution to an amicably handled problem and I think both sides have been professional all the way through it.
The only thing I think you may be wrong about is that you have finally let the media, and their hunger for a bad guy in every situation, to seep into you mind a little bit. Not completely, but just enough to tentatively side with them on this issue. Don’t let them do it, the NFL is a business and this was a well handled and diplomatically executed business decision that will work for both sides. That, in my opinion, is all it is, and you don’t need to do anything but trust your own judgement on it by looking at it from a different perspective.
I’m aware of the “side” of this you’re speaking about.
I suppose where I differ is that I like to think it could have been handled differently. Perhaps that’s naive on my part. Perhaps the Pat’s left Randy with no other options but to force a trade through the “locker room” disruption card. Regardless, he’s done this at all three teams he’s been at. I suppose it’s possible that ownership is as much or more to blame for his use of these circumstances (ie unwilling to bargain in good faith, or unwilling to just step up and say “You’re not in our future plans but we’d love to get another year out of you”, whatever). But I haven’t seen any evidence and Moss hasn’t really provided any that I’m aware of.
Point being, all the evidence points at Randy, gifted as he is, as being a problem. The fact that he’s great doesn’t excuse it.
There is always a different way to handle things. The only people putting a negative spin on this story and trying to paint Randy as a locker room problem, are the media. His teammates, coaches, everyone is fine with him, but the media still brings up stories of issues with him. Seems odd…seems typical…seems like the way the media likes to paint Randy and is doing it again.
This was a business move, it has been handled well by the team and Randy and both made a decision as to what was amicable for both sides, nothing more.
Also, I find it odd that you agree with the media here, and disagree with the media in Dallas. Considering Dez’ baggage, which would cost a fortune to check compared to Randy’s, I am not so sure he deserves as much credit as you are giving him. But you are a Cowboys fan and you are not a Pats fan, so I guess in the end, perspective is key!
Either way, Randy will go into the Hall of Fame as a polarizing figure that the media has never liked and for that matter, neither have defensive coordinators. I guess, in the end, he will laugh last.
To be honest, I’m not aware of Bryant’s baggage. All I really know about him is what I put in the post. If there’s more, then I’ll adjust my opinion accordingly.
I’m surprised you jumped on me there since I haven’t “fallen” for the media narrative. As for Moss, I’ll assume you’re privy to more info than I am. My opinion has nothing to do with him being a (former) Patriot. I’m just looking at what he’s said on his own behalf and the “extra” info provided by the media. That stuff can’t all be wrong. The biggest thing, in changing my opinion, is that this has been his “pattern” since he left Minnesota the first time.
As to him being a future HOF’er, I agree.
For the record, text of this style always has a hard time conveying tone, tempo and emotion…I was antagonizing you, but definitely not jumping on you. Just a gentle ribbing, as I would do in person, in order to egg on an emotional response, if you were indeed emotionally vested in the conversation…which I seriously doubt you are…
But yes, Dez is no angel, sitting out his senior year of football only cracks the surface of his immaturity, ego, ignorance and that does not even attest to his family history. Needless to say, Randy got caught smoking pot in college, so did Obama, and he’s our fearless leader…
All said, you are right in your most recent post, the only one who comes off with a negative feeling comment on Randy is Wes, but if you see that quote in context, it does not carry as much weight as the way it is played. Wes was referring to that it was disappointing that Randy was secretly wanting to be traded, when all along he was giving speeches, leading cheers and standing up as a team leader. Wes was making the point that he did not know Randy wanted to be traded while all this was going on and that looking back, it was hard to know a guy pushing the team that way may not have wanted to be there.
If anything, that quote from Welker, when put in context, makes Randy even sound better to me, he was being a team leader, despite his unease with his situation. That sounds like maturity to me, not like a locker room cancer.
In the end, Brady’s best years were when he was able to throw the ball to the open guy. He won Super Bowls picking defenses apart and spreading the ball all over the field to anyone that wanted it (see Peyton Manning), but when a player like Moss is in the line-up, a QB can’t do that effectively. Brady HAS to look at Moss first, HAS to get him balls, HAS to force the ball downfield, so that the legit #1 will get his touches. Randy demands it, the crowd demands it, his salary demands it, and ultimately the gameplan demands it. Every great #1 has had another #2 who could stretch the field and take enough pressure off that #1 in order to free him up, occasionally…keep the defense honest. Rice and Taylor, Moss and Carter, Irvin and Harper…etc…Moss in NE did not have that guy. Wes is an underneath guy, not a stretch the field guy and not a complement to Moss. In the end, with the new collection of “bugs” that NE has, he can be more effective in his ideal style of running an offense. He can dissect and break down a defense, why waste his talent throwing deep when you don’t have to do that? With all those little guys running in all directions, he can go back to the no name core of WRs that won him three Super Bowls.
This theory, along with the inside info I have heard, along with the slanted and unsubstantiated depiction by the national media, along with the financial situation afore mentioned, along with my own constructed conspiracies, along with this toxic sludge issue, have led me to decide that this is why the Pats and Randy did what was best for everyone.
All love, no hate, it is what it is, Pats and Randy, you and me, the whole thing is just a big happy resolution. In the end, you can trust your judgement, you can go back to hating the media and all they do, and you can more wearily support Dez Bryant, because he is a turd.
Yeah- text is difficult for conveying ribbing or gentle prodding.
And other than that, I think you’ve got the last word on this one.