There are a lot of conversations around the NFL (and by around the NFL, I mean my limited access which includes the handful of articles that I read on the NFL and ESPN websites and associated message boards) that Randy Moss and Terrell Owens are changed men. Gone is the day when Moss would walk off the field in disgust while there was still time on the clock. Even more removed is the time when Owens would selfishly fight with his quarterback on the sidelines. These two have seen the errors of their ways and have now become model players who care for the respectability of the sport. Anyone buying this?
I find this to be a slight stretch of the imagination. Instead, I would suggest that it isn’t so much that they have changed, but rather that their situations have changed. Moss’s transition from the 2-14 Oakland Raiders to a 16-0 season with the New England Patriots leaves him with little to be disgusted about. Can we really assume that he’s a different player this year, when he hasn’t had to deal with losing a single game? Similarly, at 13-2, Owens has had little to complain about. Although, if you happened to watch the games where Dallas was behind, Owens was voicing his disapproval on the sideline (not to mention his comments regarding Jessica Simpson – I know, it was just a joke).
Now don’t read anything else into this. It is in no way an attempt to downplay their teams’ success nor to demean their abilities as individuals. I think that the two of them are exceptionally talented players. Let’s just not brand them as the new personification of sportsmanship until they have had a couple of hardships to endure. With the possibility of only one of them holding the Lombardi Trophy come February 3rd, I have a feeling that the “old” versions will make an appearance at some point. Maybe then we’ll see who still spells team with an “I”.
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Tags: ESPN, NFL, Randy Moss, Terrell Owens
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