What's the Difference Between Moss and TO?

Randy Moss must have a damn good public relations team behind him because, for some reason, everyone loves him … even ESPN. Sure, maybe they didn’t think of the whole fake suicide move, but you can’t blame them, you’ve just got to respect TO’s people for their forward thinking. Nothing says “love me” like twenty pills and a pumped stomach. But, how can this guy be loved and respected when his past begs that you hate him? I don’t have an answer, so I’ll just continue bitching about this.

What’s the difference between Randy Moss and TO? Terrell Owens is a mix between Chad Johnson and Randy Moss, he possesses both their virtues and their vices. Owens gets killed in the media for “showing up his team;” from his endzone dances in Philadelphia to his Tour de France outfit in his Cowboys’ preseason debut … he doesn’t care about his team, only himself. That’s unlike Chad Johnson whose antics Chris Berman and Terry Bradshaw can’t wait to talk about. He just loves having a great time.

Terrell Owens is a team cancer, he can’t keep his mouth shut about McNabb’s Super Bowl performance or Jeff Garcia’s sexuality. Well, you know what TO was doing in the Super Bowl while McNabb was throwing up? He was catching 9 passes for 122 yards on a broken ankle. Do you know what he did afterwards? He had heterosexual relations.

Randy Moss doesn’t bitch in the media about his teammates, he just quits on them … it’s easier. One week in 1998 against the Redskins, Moss walked off the field as his team was still playing, times were hard and he quit. The week later he mooned Green Bay fans after a touchdown, not to get all Joe Buck on you, but you can learn a lot about Moss from those two weeks. One week he’s too embarrassed of his team to stay on the field, the next week, when things are going well, Moss wants all the attention on him. He was so upset about being in Minnesota that he insisted on being traded, so he went to the Raiders. His first year there went pretty well, over 1000 yards receiving, despite being injured. However, last year, the Raiders were the worst team in the league, and Moss had his worst season ever. He missed five games, his most ever, and when he was on the field he was a mediocre receiver, only having one game over 1000 yards. People thought he was over-the-hill, which would be fine, everyone gets worse with age, but clearly that wasn’t the case. His teammates were accusing him of not trying, but Moss explained the situation:

Maybe because I'm unhappy and I'm not too much excited about what's going on, so, my concentration and focus level tend to go down sometimes when I'm in a bad mood.

I’m a little confused, what do you actually mean Randy? “I play when I want to play.” Thanks for clearing that up.

Moss has miraculously returned to being one of the best receivers in the league. Didn’t Vince Carter quit trying for the Raptors when he wanted to be traded, becoming the most hated person in Canada and the target of criticism from everyone? Why doesn’t Moss get that? You can’t argue the fact that, no matter what, TO is ready to come Sundays (and some Mondays and Thursdays).

Why has TO been cast off as the worst teammate/person in the league when he hasn’t ever had trouble with the law? Ray Lewis fucking killed a guy, but he’s the best teammate ever; apparently he makes people better when he isn’t killing them. Pacman Jones is a hopeless gangster, who bites strippers and doesn’t stop his friends from shooting people; he’s the (second) worst person ever. He’s wrestling? How disrespectful can he get? Who does think he is trying to support his family show up the league. Moss has also had some dealings with police, he’s been arrested for possession of marijuana and, more interestingly, for trying to run over a traffic officer when he was being pulled over. “Hey, that’s just Randy being Randy.”

So, in summary, Moss is a “clubhouse cancer,” quits on his teammates, and has been in trouble with the law. Yet, though he can only be accused of one of those things, TO is universally hated while Randy Moss is being praised for his comeback. I think it’s because Owens has been discontent on all of his teams, good or bad, so it’s more obvious. When Owens is being a distraction on a Super Bowl team, it’s an atrocity, but Moss being a problem or not trying didn’t matter because it was on the worst team in the league and now he’s back. I understand why that would make Owens’ look bad, but it doesn’t explain why Moss is getting praised and is generally beloved in the country. I just don’t understand it; this whole thing would make a lot more sense if Randy was white.

(please no “straight cash homey” references in the comments … thanks)