sdvikefan
08-28-2004, 09:57 PM
I decided to go ahead and take a shot at this writing business too.
Well Viking fans, it's that time of year again. No I'm not just talking about football season, I'm talking about "defend Randy Moss" season. Every year Viking fans look forward to seeing Randy Moss thrill us with more big plays. We get excited and brag about his accomplishments to our non Viking fan buddies who never quite share the excitement, unless Moss is on their fantasy team. In fact every year we hear the same tired arguements from those people, mainly Packer and Bear fans, about how horrible a person and how inadequate as a player Moss is.
My experience with this has been real bad. Not a single non Viking fan I know will even admit anything good about Moss. They all hate his guts. I am not bothered by people who give reasons why they think other receivers are better than Moss. Everybody disagrees about who is the
best at each position. I think there are decent arguements why Marvin Harrison is or could be better than Moss, or why Jerry Rice will always be the greatest of all time. What bothers me is the comments people make about Randy Moss himself and why they don't think he deserves to be at least considered one of the best in the game.
Year after year, Moss gets labeled with the same old criticism. He is selfish. He's childish. He has a criminal history. He pouts when he doesn't get the ball. He slacks off especially against weaker teams. He doesn't block. He puts no effort into the team. And the most common mantra, he is in fact the cancer of the team. When Moss name gets brought up in football talk among fans it's usually negative. There is a lot of disrespect for this guy outside Viking circles everywhere.
Despite all this, year after year Moss continues to put up staggering numbers and terrorize secondaries across the league. His height, speed, athleticism, and concentration enable him to do the same thing over and over again, which is to race down the field and either jump up and
grab the ball at the highest point or catch the ball in stride. Over the years I have seen him play he has made some of the most seemingly impossible catches look easy. He has been doing it now for six years. He does it almost every game he plays. And I'm sorry Moss haters, in my opinion nobody and I mean NOBODY does that better than him.
And if I were to stop there, a lot of people that don't even like Moss would probably agree. But I talk to so many people who say they would not want Randy Moss on the team they cheer for or would not want to be his coach or be a team mate of his at all. When I ask them why I get one or more of the reasons listed above.
I have several responses to this now. First of all, let's deal with the past. No one is going to deny that Moss has a very troubled history. He has said and done some stupid things over the years. He has gotten in trouble with the law several times, especially before and during his college years. He has said and done some things since being in the NFL that have made me mad as a fan. And I do think Moss is partly responsible for his poor reputation among some people.
I'm not trying to excuse that behavior, but why is it that Moss gets singled out? Most people know nothing about his background or the things he has gone through. I think it would surprise many people. Vikeman did a biography on him and has shared some of that. Besides, the behavior of many players in the NFL is less than sterling so I ask again, why pick on Moss? Even more importantly what about all the good things Randy Moss has done? What about the countless stories of fans, especially children who have been touched by some special thing Moss did for them? Where is the media coverage of that? Is it any wonder that Moss does not trust the media and rarely
speaks to them?
Second a lot of the stuff people say about his game play just isn't true. They say he doesn't block or do anything other than go deep. It makes me wonder if these people actually watch the games because I have seen him block many times. His comment that he takes plays off or plays only when he wants to play has been exaggerated to the point of stupidity. Moss is not saying anything that isn't true of every player in the league. Even during his "off game" Moss is more productive than most teams #1 receivers. Most players would probably love to have the kind of "off game" that Randy does. As for the comment that he doesn't try against weaker teams, keep in mind that Moss gets double and triple teamed probably more often than any receiver in the league. As good as he is there are times when he just can't make the kind of difference people have come to expect of him. Besides, also keep in mind he is a receiver. I think Los pointed out a while ago that a receiver is more dependant on other factors than a QB or a RB to have a good
game and that's true. He is still part of a team.
Now about Moss being the cancer of the team. It still amazes me that people refuse to acknowledge how Randy Moss has changed these last couple of seasons. Randy Moss spent last offseason and this one doing strenuous workouts to bulk up so he could explode more off the scrimmage line and get more physical with defenders. Moss has
invested thousands in a new computer system that gives him up to date information from around the NFL and helps him analyze plays. Moss reads injury reports every week. While Moss is standing on the sidelines he gives constant encouragement to the defense. While he's on the
sidelines Moss is also giving constant feedback to the coaches about the coverages he is up against and suggesting ways to beat them. In practices Moss spends time explaining the finer points of the game to Burleson, Howry and the younger guys. In the locker room Moss is widely
regarded as one of the team's leaders and someone Tice relies on.
How do I know all of these things? His team mates, his coaches, other players who know him, associates and fans who spend a lot of time around the team, and others. That would NOT be the majority of sports fans in this country. Yet these are the same people who claim Moss is a delinquent, a punk and a cancer to the team.
Well to summarize this I have two points in writing this article. First it's an encouragement to Viking fans to enjoy these times all that much more. Guys we have a football legend playing on our team right now, a rare and classy talent who will, despite all that's been said of him, go down in football history books and possibly make his way into the Hall of Fame. I know we sometimes get frustrated by the team but it's been a rare game when we didn't see something special from Randy. He has given us all some great memories and let's not take it for granted.
Second to those of you who hang around a lot of people who hate the Vikings and cite Moss as their main reason, challenge them on that. I find that most people just accept that Randy Moss is a bad seed and they know nothing other than what they hear in the media. Yet those people rarely watch Randy Moss play and I doubt any of them watch him more or follow him as closely as you and I do.
One more thought. GO VIKINGS!!!
By the way Los what kind of response do you think I'd get if I post this over on Packerchatters :D
Well Viking fans, it's that time of year again. No I'm not just talking about football season, I'm talking about "defend Randy Moss" season. Every year Viking fans look forward to seeing Randy Moss thrill us with more big plays. We get excited and brag about his accomplishments to our non Viking fan buddies who never quite share the excitement, unless Moss is on their fantasy team. In fact every year we hear the same tired arguements from those people, mainly Packer and Bear fans, about how horrible a person and how inadequate as a player Moss is.
My experience with this has been real bad. Not a single non Viking fan I know will even admit anything good about Moss. They all hate his guts. I am not bothered by people who give reasons why they think other receivers are better than Moss. Everybody disagrees about who is the
best at each position. I think there are decent arguements why Marvin Harrison is or could be better than Moss, or why Jerry Rice will always be the greatest of all time. What bothers me is the comments people make about Randy Moss himself and why they don't think he deserves to be at least considered one of the best in the game.
Year after year, Moss gets labeled with the same old criticism. He is selfish. He's childish. He has a criminal history. He pouts when he doesn't get the ball. He slacks off especially against weaker teams. He doesn't block. He puts no effort into the team. And the most common mantra, he is in fact the cancer of the team. When Moss name gets brought up in football talk among fans it's usually negative. There is a lot of disrespect for this guy outside Viking circles everywhere.
Despite all this, year after year Moss continues to put up staggering numbers and terrorize secondaries across the league. His height, speed, athleticism, and concentration enable him to do the same thing over and over again, which is to race down the field and either jump up and
grab the ball at the highest point or catch the ball in stride. Over the years I have seen him play he has made some of the most seemingly impossible catches look easy. He has been doing it now for six years. He does it almost every game he plays. And I'm sorry Moss haters, in my opinion nobody and I mean NOBODY does that better than him.
And if I were to stop there, a lot of people that don't even like Moss would probably agree. But I talk to so many people who say they would not want Randy Moss on the team they cheer for or would not want to be his coach or be a team mate of his at all. When I ask them why I get one or more of the reasons listed above.
I have several responses to this now. First of all, let's deal with the past. No one is going to deny that Moss has a very troubled history. He has said and done some stupid things over the years. He has gotten in trouble with the law several times, especially before and during his college years. He has said and done some things since being in the NFL that have made me mad as a fan. And I do think Moss is partly responsible for his poor reputation among some people.
I'm not trying to excuse that behavior, but why is it that Moss gets singled out? Most people know nothing about his background or the things he has gone through. I think it would surprise many people. Vikeman did a biography on him and has shared some of that. Besides, the behavior of many players in the NFL is less than sterling so I ask again, why pick on Moss? Even more importantly what about all the good things Randy Moss has done? What about the countless stories of fans, especially children who have been touched by some special thing Moss did for them? Where is the media coverage of that? Is it any wonder that Moss does not trust the media and rarely
speaks to them?
Second a lot of the stuff people say about his game play just isn't true. They say he doesn't block or do anything other than go deep. It makes me wonder if these people actually watch the games because I have seen him block many times. His comment that he takes plays off or plays only when he wants to play has been exaggerated to the point of stupidity. Moss is not saying anything that isn't true of every player in the league. Even during his "off game" Moss is more productive than most teams #1 receivers. Most players would probably love to have the kind of "off game" that Randy does. As for the comment that he doesn't try against weaker teams, keep in mind that Moss gets double and triple teamed probably more often than any receiver in the league. As good as he is there are times when he just can't make the kind of difference people have come to expect of him. Besides, also keep in mind he is a receiver. I think Los pointed out a while ago that a receiver is more dependant on other factors than a QB or a RB to have a good
game and that's true. He is still part of a team.
Now about Moss being the cancer of the team. It still amazes me that people refuse to acknowledge how Randy Moss has changed these last couple of seasons. Randy Moss spent last offseason and this one doing strenuous workouts to bulk up so he could explode more off the scrimmage line and get more physical with defenders. Moss has
invested thousands in a new computer system that gives him up to date information from around the NFL and helps him analyze plays. Moss reads injury reports every week. While Moss is standing on the sidelines he gives constant encouragement to the defense. While he's on the
sidelines Moss is also giving constant feedback to the coaches about the coverages he is up against and suggesting ways to beat them. In practices Moss spends time explaining the finer points of the game to Burleson, Howry and the younger guys. In the locker room Moss is widely
regarded as one of the team's leaders and someone Tice relies on.
How do I know all of these things? His team mates, his coaches, other players who know him, associates and fans who spend a lot of time around the team, and others. That would NOT be the majority of sports fans in this country. Yet these are the same people who claim Moss is a delinquent, a punk and a cancer to the team.
Well to summarize this I have two points in writing this article. First it's an encouragement to Viking fans to enjoy these times all that much more. Guys we have a football legend playing on our team right now, a rare and classy talent who will, despite all that's been said of him, go down in football history books and possibly make his way into the Hall of Fame. I know we sometimes get frustrated by the team but it's been a rare game when we didn't see something special from Randy. He has given us all some great memories and let's not take it for granted.
Second to those of you who hang around a lot of people who hate the Vikings and cite Moss as their main reason, challenge them on that. I find that most people just accept that Randy Moss is a bad seed and they know nothing other than what they hear in the media. Yet those people rarely watch Randy Moss play and I doubt any of them watch him more or follow him as closely as you and I do.
One more thought. GO VIKINGS!!!
By the way Los what kind of response do you think I'd get if I post this over on Packerchatters :D