Fourth and Long

Published 8:02 pm Wednesday, November 3, 2010

I have in some ways been a Randy Moss supporter for much of his career. I don’t own his jersey, root for him on Sunday or visit the juice bars he owns in West Virginia. I am not a fan.

Despite his troubles which range from allegedly trying to run over a police officer to occasionally taking plays, games or season off, I have still maintained that as a Miami Dolphins fan I would love to see him play for my team.

Moss has incredible athletic ability that allows him to out run and out jump most of the population. Add to that huge hands and a freaky instinct for pulling in the ball and you see why he has been considered one of the most talented wide receivers of his generation.

My desire for him to take his talents to South Beach has come to an end, however and despite his obviously valuable skill set I hope his karma never has the opportunity to infect the Dolphin locker room.

Moss’s mouth and attitude has gotten him into more than one awkward situation around the NFL, but despite his rich history in embarrassing those who believe in him he somehow found a way to outdo himself recently.

He told the media a few months ago that he may not resign with the Patriots in the offseason. The Patriots, notorious for cutting ties with troublemakers and drama queens, quickly sent Moss packing to Minnesota.

It was not Moss’s first tenure as a Viking and many expected (myself included) that his addition to a team that was on the cusp of greatness last year might be just what they need to become an elite NFL team again. Needless to say, I was wrong.

Moss again required little time before becoming a distraction and then graduating to nuisance. His lack of desire to play for Vikings Head Coach Brad Childress seemed apparent over the last few games. This was never more obvious than when Minnesota traveled to Foxboro to take on Moss’s previous squad, New England.

Moss played flat and seemed to many more interested in catching up with his former teammates than beating them. Any questions one may have had as to where his loyalty lay were soon answered when Moss put on a love fest for his former team and coach in front of the media.

It was announced soon after to the Vikings players that Moss was no longer going to be a member of team. While many thought that his chat with the media and lack of work ethic were to blame for his dismissal it appears that Moss was waived because he was, quite frankly, a schmuck.

Dinner for many teams around the NFL is often catered by local restaurants and the Vikings are no exception. It seems when dinner was served a few days ago Moss, without tasting the food, informed everyone within shouting distance of his opinion that the food was not fit to be fed to his dog.

According to people at the scene Moss’s actions were nothing short of a spectacle and created an awkward and embarrassing moment. Moss has shown yet again that he is a prima donna and has no interest outside his own.

Talented or not I hope my Dolphins and the rest of the league decide they have had enough of his antics. Regardless…I have.

David Friedman is a long-time contributor to the Roanoke-Chowan News Herald. A Bertie High School graduate, he and his wife currently reside in Wilmington. David can be reached via e-mail at dave@gate811.net.