Randy Moss Retires

an-also · Post by **an-also** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 10:56 pm

Donגt buy into Mossג retirement talk
Jason Cole

I might believe that Randy Moss(notes) is retiring, except I know this is the move of someone behaving like a petulant child.

Over the past five days, Moss has been told by not one, but two teams that they preferred someone else over him. In both cases, it was someone Moss thought he was better than. When the New England Patriots traded for Chad Ochocinco(notes) and the New York Jets signed Plaxico Burress(notes), Moss decided to take his Hall-of-Fame talent and go home.

Never mind that plenty of teams around the league think Moss has something left in the tank and could be helpful to their cause, they werenגt the right teams for Moss. He either wanted to go back to the Patriots ג a proposition that one source close to Moss said was still alive last week ג or go to New York, where he could play for coach Rex Ryan and make a last push for some post-career marketing dollars. A Patriots deal has always seemed like a creation of Mossג imagination, as if his dissing of the owner and his laconic play were suddenly going to be forgiven.

The rumor of Moss to the Jets, however, seemed to have legs, fed by Ryanגs willingness to embrace rogue characters. For the first few days of free agency, Moss sat quietly as the Jets signed wideout Santonio Holmes(notes) and flirted with star cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha(notes). Sure, those guys were big-ticket items, but when the Jets signed Burress, Moss went into serious malfunction. Yeah, he may not have played well last year, but Burress hadnגt played at all in two years. You couldnגt even justify age as a difference. Moss is only six months older than Burress.

The problem is that Moss is no longer the guy who can toss napalm around a locker room and still play on Sunday. His talent doesnגt outweigh the drama anymore. Both the Patriots and Minnesota Vikings told Moss that last season. He ended up playing out the string with Tennessee, reduced to a footnote as Vince Youngגs(notes) career imploded.

This offseason, agent Joel Segal tried to spread the gospel that Moss was working out harder than ever to prove he still had plenty left in the tank. Yet, less than a week into free agency, Moss גhas weighed his options and considered the offers and has decided to retire,ג as Segal said Monday.

Sure, and I have weighed my options and decided that I should be in Peopleגs 50 Most Beautiful this year.

In three weeks, when Moss gets bored and annoyed that nobody is all that broken up about his retirement, heגll return. Thatגs my bet, although I hope Iגm wrong. I hope Moss really tells the NFL to shove it and disappears from public view, not even coming up for air when he gets voted into the Hall of Fame.

I say that not because I find Moss annoying. Quite the contrary, for when Moss is playing well he is one of the greatest shows in the history of the game, a legacy worth preserving. Hereגs a stat few people pay much attention to: In 11 of Mossג first 12 seasons, he had at least one catch of 60 yards or longer. In the one season (2006) he didnגt, he had a 51-yard long. Jerry Rice did that in nine of his first 10 years. Bob Hayes, the original deep threat, did it in six of his first seven. Don Hutson did that six times in 11 years. Lance Alworth did it in each of his first nine seasons, then never again.

Ochocinco? Five times in 10 years. Burress? Three times in nine.

The point: Moss is the greatest deep threat in the history of the game and itגs not even close. Longtime NFL cornerback Al Harris(notes) once laughed about what kind of routes Moss used to run.

גRandy doesnגt run any routes, he either runs deep or he runs a crossing pattern,ג Harris said. גWhat Randy does is try to lull you to sleep. Heגll run at different speeds sometimes to make you think heגs part of the play or not part of the play. Then, when he thinks he has you, he just runs past you.ג

Of course, a lot of people missed that fact, believing that Moss was a malingerer. Thatגs a misinterpretation. Sure, Moss was difficult to deal with at times. He quit on the Oakland Raiders when he got tired of coach Norv Turnerגs weakness in the face of Al Davis. He was a jerk in two spots last year and basically ended up wasting a year of his career.

But for most of his 13 seasons, Moss was one of those rare guys who was simply better than everybody else. He was a freak, a physical marvel. If not a miracle catch by David Tyree(notes) in Super Bowl XLII, Moss would have helped New England go undefeated. Instead of railing against him as a malcontent, we would be talking about whoגs going into the Hall with him.

Instead, Moss is now a caricature, a guy who isnגt worth the annoyance at this point. As much as heגd like you to believe heגs going out on his own terms, heגs not. Furthermore, heגs probably not going out at all.

Just give it a few weeks.

capable_keL · Post by **capable_keL** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 11:09 pm

moss will be the new favre. the next playoff team to have a star WR shoot himself in the leg will sign moss

VideoKilledThe · Post by **VideoKilledThe** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 11:11 pm

The most talented receiver to ever play, greatest deep threat ever, best pass catcher ever. But still not the GOAT receiver, still Rice.

I don't believe Randy is going to stay retired, if he does it really would be a shame to end his career with such a dud. Even in all his shenanigans he deserves better.

an-also · Post by **an-also** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 11:24 pm

VideoKilledThe wrote:Even in all his shenanigans he deserves better.

He brought it all on himself. I don't see why he deserves anything better.

VideoKilledThe · Post by **VideoKilledThe** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 11:34 pm

an-also wrote:
VideoKilledThe wrote:Even in all his shenanigans he deserves better.
He brought it all on himself. I don't see why he deserves anything better.

Spoken like a true Packer fan.

I have always had a soft spot in my heart for Moss, one of my all-time favorite players. I don't want to see the 2nd greatest WR ever shunned and shamed into retirement.

We live in a society/world where people are given a pass for what would otherwise be unacceptable behavior because they are extraordinarily talented, I'm willing to give Randy that pass again to see him play football for 1 more year. Why does he deserve better? Because he can make plays that no one else in the history of the game could make.

eternalreflection · Post by **eternalreflection** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 11:37 pm

an-also wrote:
VideoKilledThe wrote:Even in all his shenanigans he deserves better.
He brought it all on himself. I don't see why he deserves anything better.

noone should lose their job for calling Childress an idiot

capable_keL · Post by **capable_keL** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 11:46 pm

even though that's not what happened it's hilarious

blastmaster · Post by **blastmaster** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 11:48 pm

Tinucci's ftw

jamrage · Post by **jamrage** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 12:09 am

Trub320 · Post by **Trub320** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 1:42 am

The one time I can agree that Moss quit was last year with the patriots. Sure he took plays off throughout the years but having scored 150 tds so what. First year in Oakland he had 1,000 and 10 tds with an alcoholic as his QB. Next year the best QB on the team was Ronald curry. Fitzergerald had less than 800 yards last year. Did he quit? No, you can only do so much with the QB you have and not even rice would have done anything with those bums Oakland had. Moss has made players. Culpepper, welker, cassell, etc, the list goes on.

PopeyeJones · Post by **PopeyeJones** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 3:04 am

Trub320 wrote:The one time I can agree that Moss quit was last year with the patriots. Sure he took plays off throughout the years but having scored 150 tds so what. First year in Oakland he had 1,000 and 10 tds with an alcoholic as his QB. Next year the best QB on the team was Ronald curry. Fitzergerald had less than 800 yards last year. Did he quit? No, you can only do so much with the QB you have and not even rice would have done anything with those bums Oakland had. Moss has made players. Culpepper, welker, cassell, etc, the list goes on.

ing my fucking ass off at Moss not quitting on the Raiders. The most talented WR of all time quit so fucking hard that he got traded for a fourth round pick and then promptly turned around and had 1,500 yards and 23 fucking touchdowns. Get the fuck outta here with that not quitting on the Raiders shit.

One of the reasons I like Moss is because he quit on the fucking Raiders. Saying he didn't is preposterous.

jamrage · Post by **jamrage** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 3:47 am

PopeyeJones wrote: ing my fucking ass off at Moss not quitting on the Raiders. The most talented WR of all time quit so fucking hard that he got traded for a fourth round pick and then promptly turned around and had 1,500 yards and 23 fucking touchdowns. Get the fuck outta here with that not quitting on the Raiders shit.

VideoKilledThe · Post by **VideoKilledThe** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 8:40 am

Trub320 wrote: Fitzergerald had less than 800 yards last year. Did he quit?

Fitz had 1137 yards on 90 recs last year. His 6 tds were a disappointment.

Gregg Popabitch · Post by **Gregg Popabitch** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 8:58 am

eternalreflection wrote:
Gregg Popabitch wrote:Moss had the talent but his reluctance to go over the middle is what held him back from GOAT status.
meh, he wasn't an all around receiver but that doesn't mean he can't be GOAT, Rice's absurd longevity is what puts him over the top, the peaks are similar

so you agree with me.

DLG · Post by **DLG** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 9:37 am

lol at patriots fan still being visibly umad after almost four years.

an-also · Post by **an-also** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 10:26 am

lol @ moss not quitting on the raiders.

YouTube · Post by **Philaflava** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 12:08 pm

The Eagles made a contract offer to Randy Moss after the receiver filed his official retirement papers with the league, according to the Boston Herald.
The Eagles just won't stop. Moss' filing of his retirement papers isn't significant as he can unretire any time he wants. If he is truly intrigued by the Eagles' offer, there's a good chance it will still happen. And based on the way veterans are flocking to Philly to play with Mike Vick, we would no longer be surprised.

Jayou Ayen · Post by **Jayou Ayen** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 6:32 am

Mauce being a faggot precludes him from being included in the discussion for GOAT.

39

Gregg Popabitch · Post by **Gregg Popabitch** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 10:43 am

DLG wrote:lol at patriots fan still being visibly umad after almost four years.

You'd be mad too if your favorite team was the best team of all time but couldn't properly lay claim to it because the better team wont that day.

Digs Darklighter · Post by **Digs Darklighter** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 7:16 pm

Philaflava wrote:
The Eagles made a contract offer to Randy Moss after the receiver filed his official retirement papers with the league, according to the Boston Herald.
The Eagles just won't stop. Moss' filing of his retirement papers isn't significant as he can unretire any time he wants. If he is truly intrigued by the Eagles' offer, there's a good chance it will still happen. And based on the way veterans are flocking to Philly to play with Mike Vick, we would no longer be surprised.

moss was spoted having lunch today at capitol grille in center city philadelphia

capable_keL · Post by **capable_keL** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 7:25 pm

YouTube · Post by **Philaflava** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 8:04 pm

Digs Darklighter wrote:
Philaflava wrote:
The Eagles made a contract offer to Randy Moss after the receiver filed his official retirement papers with the league, according to the Boston Herald.
The Eagles just won't stop. Moss' filing of his retirement papers isn't significant as he can unretire any time he wants. If he is truly intrigued by the Eagles' offer, there's a good chance it will still happen. And based on the way veterans are flocking to Philly to play with Mike Vick, we would no longer be surprised.
moss was spoted having lunch today at capitol grille in center city philadelphia

Starting to worry about Maclin.

Digs Darklighter · Post by **Digs Darklighter** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 8:06 pm

lympnoma*, mono...20 pounds lost...not a good look

YouTube · Post by **Philaflava** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 8:18 pm

If what you say is true about Moss, you can pretty much bank on a 1 year deal now. I'm pretty sure Lurie, Banner and Roseman are having too much fun. Lurie pretty much gave them his checkbook and said go wild. Didn't they sell out their games already? Eagles = new Phillies.

Digs Darklighter · Post by **Digs Darklighter** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 8:41 pm

they sold out in 3 minutes...but thats been going on for a minute now...

YouTube · Post by **Philaflava** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 8:44 pm

I'd imagine they're going to be the hottest ticket this year. Probably have every network wanting to show them. Let's not even get started of apparal. Lurie is banking regardless of the record. I say trade for Osi if you can too.

YouTube · Post by **Philaflava** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 8:49 pm

Randy Moss has been spotted in Philadelphia meeting with representatives from the Philadelphia Eagles at the Capitol Grill tonight according to Howard Eskin of WIP 610. According to reports, the Eagles have been very aggressive in signing Moss despite him filing his retirement papers with the NFL this week, but with Maclin recovering from an undisclosed illness and Desean Jackson still holding out Moss maybe the big name they need to keep the momentum in tact. Insiders predict The Moss signing within a week.

Digs Darklighter · Post by **Digs Darklighter** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 8:50 pm

giants wont do it, just like the redskings cb'd us with fat albert...i love how everyone is going to hate the eagles even more than they already did...but dont be mad that they handled their cap better than most other teams and were able to set themselves up to sign a couple good players...but according to McWaab, we still have out problems

ThaJim2 · Post by **ThaJim2** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 8:51 pm

That really sucks about Maclin who was really turning into the best WR in the game. I hope him the best and that his is something temporary.

YouTube · Post by **Philaflava** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 8:53 pm

I love how it took him 13 years to finally open up his mouth and speak his true feelings. He seems real bitter these days. I've always liked him but he's really become the bitch everyone labeled him as despite his awesome years in green.