Randy's Resurgence
The late-career explosion of the NFL's most inscrutable player
TC Fleming
Issue date: 10/2/07 Section: Sports
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The renaissance taking hold of Randy Moss fascinates me more than any other story in sports right now.
Moss has always been an enigmatic idol. He represents what most fans don't want to see in sports: the blessed athlete who lazily squanders his considerable gifts. And yet, I love Moss. It is not, however, in spite of these qualities that I love Moss-it is because of them.
Despite my disdain for the athlete too lazy to realize his full potential, I myself admit my own tendencies towards sloth. So when someone achieves great success with minimal effort, it represents for me a hope for the success of my own formula. If Moss can ascend to the highest levels of his craft by using the abilities he was born with, certainly I can get what I want without giving my all. The realities of the world around me pull this hope back down and show me that hard work must indeed be my ticket. Watching Moss defeat triple coverage by simply running past the three Jet defenders, as he did in the first week of the season, however, makes that hope glimmer just a bit more.
Further, Moss's don't-give-a-damn demeanor accentuates his greatness. His whole reputation serves to pose a question: If I do what I do without trying, and you do that by squeezing every last drop of your talent out through tireless work, what does that say about us?
Take the careers of Moss and fellow wideout Rod Smith. Smith strove tirelessly to work his way up from being an undrafted free agent to being the Broncos' all-time leader in yards from scrimmage. No fan watching him ever thought they were seeing anything but the best possible player Smith could ever be. Moss, however, "plays when he wants to play." That is not a euphemism: there have been times in the past where Randy Moss will stand in place for the entire play, just waiting for it to finish. He practices as the mood strikes him, and generally leaves the impression that what he has done is but a mere fraction of what he could do if he cared.
Moss has always been an enigmatic idol. He represents what most fans don't want to see in sports: the blessed athlete who lazily squanders his considerable gifts. And yet, I love Moss. It is not, however, in spite of these qualities that I love Moss-it is because of them.
Despite my disdain for the athlete too lazy to realize his full potential, I myself admit my own tendencies towards sloth. So when someone achieves great success with minimal effort, it represents for me a hope for the success of my own formula. If Moss can ascend to the highest levels of his craft by using the abilities he was born with, certainly I can get what I want without giving my all. The realities of the world around me pull this hope back down and show me that hard work must indeed be my ticket. Watching Moss defeat triple coverage by simply running past the three Jet defenders, as he did in the first week of the season, however, makes that hope glimmer just a bit more.
Further, Moss's don't-give-a-damn demeanor accentuates his greatness. His whole reputation serves to pose a question: If I do what I do without trying, and you do that by squeezing every last drop of your talent out through tireless work, what does that say about us?
Take the careers of Moss and fellow wideout Rod Smith. Smith strove tirelessly to work his way up from being an undrafted free agent to being the Broncos' all-time leader in yards from scrimmage. No fan watching him ever thought they were seeing anything but the best possible player Smith could ever be. Moss, however, "plays when he wants to play." That is not a euphemism: there have been times in the past where Randy Moss will stand in place for the entire play, just waiting for it to finish. He practices as the mood strikes him, and generally leaves the impression that what he has done is but a mere fraction of what he could do if he cared.
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