This thread was begging to be started after I read so many posts ripping Randy Moss. The fact is, I think he is better than the media and others make him out to be. For that reason, I want him to succeed, to do well, and to quietly show all of the critics that he is the best receiver in football today and that he should be included in the discussion of the best of all time. Here's why: 1. He has had brushes with the law. If you look at these incidents, however, you will notice that his role is a role most of us could find ourselves in from time to time. Most notably, the traffic cop. Traffic cops can be extremely demanding without being clear. It was stupid of him to drive when she sat on his hood...but then again, has anyone questioned the sense of her sitting on his hood in the first place? The fact that he is a superstar, and a superstar whom people question, made this into a huge event. 2. He is the undisputed leader of the team. In the past Moss's teammates have questioned him and outrightly criticized him. The past two years Moss has been a leader. Without fail, every player looks to Moss as the leader of the Vikings. He comes into the voluntary practices to show leadership, not because he needs it. He takes younger players under his wings and teaches them. And no one in the past two years has publicly criticized his effort, his ability to be a leader, or a football role model on the Vikings. When he talked to the rookies this past year about being in the NFL, they all proclaimed that no one had a bigger impact on them then he did. 3. He runs out of bounds or slide. Absolutely and he should on a lot of plays. Although I will say there have been some plays where I think he should take the hit, for the most part I am glad he runs out of bounds. The guy has a $110 million contract. If he gets injured for a season then the Vikings are without a huge player but still have a huge salary. By running out of bounds he is preserving himself and holding on to the football while still picking up yards. And, if you watch him, on crucial 3rd down plays he doesn't run out of bounds, he stretches, moves and does whatever is necessary to pick up the down. 4. He's not a sociable player and is not friendly to the media. This is true, he is a private man. However, it has been reported several times that Moss does more charity work than any other player on the Vikings. Unlike the other players in the league, Moss never allows cameras and has sworn the Vikings directory of community service to silence. Ok...I'm done. I'm looking forward to the responses, which I am sure will include some very negative responses.
I have some problems with Moss.... 1st, he has tremendous talent....maybe more talent than any other WR ever, but he gives a subpar effort....thats very offensive to me and to anyone who wasnt given gods gift but countinues to work hard....Im a self made man, nothing was ever handed to me and nothing has come easy, but I work hard and because of that, Im able to achieve....when I see someone who was blessed with such tremendous talents waste them on subpar effort, thats upsetting....2nd, hes not a solid citizen in the community, because hes grown up with a sence of privledge....he hit Lovely Rita(metermaid)...he was thrown out of Notre Dame and FSU(it takes a lot for Bobby Bowden to give you the boot, ask Pete Warrick)....3rd, the guy just rubs me the wrong way...there something about that cockyness....4th, hes a WR so if you want to take him out of a game, you can do it, consider that both of his TDs against the Chiefs were on blitzes(one CB blitz, one Safety blitz) where he got 1 on 1 coverage...if you bracket him, he gets frustrated and quits playing hard, because you can take away a WR, hes not worth the salary cap space he takes up....
You got to this one before I could Beef. I've always respected Randy Moss' ability because the combination speed, leaping ability, and soft hands makes him a very tough weapon to defend. He put up great numbers this year and I believe he will continue to only get better until his physical skills diminish. On the flip side, as he is high profile, he must accept the responsibilty of being a 'good' citizen and staying out of trouble. I don't think it's unreasonable to say to anyone, "Here's 100 million dollars, play a game for a living, work hard, and stay out of trouble." Is there anyone here that would say "Nah, I want to be an a-hole to the media, get in trouble with the law, and be lazy and pout when things don't go my way." So you see it's really a matter of taking responsibility for your abilities and accept your role. You're getting paid an unGodly amount of money to play a game. Respect that and do your best to be a good role model. If you don't like the situation, quit. Go play backyard ball where you can pout and whine all you want. Break the law and go to jail like everyone else. I would say overall that I'm disappointed with Randy as a person and he should be disappointed with himself. He's using his God given talent but not developing as an individual.
