Is Randy Moss the G.O.A.T?

The greatest of all time, or G.O.A.T, is one of my favorite conversations to have. I have many opinions on a variety of positions and sports and I love the debate them. It is debated for every sport and every position. The greatest QB of all time, the greatest 3B of all time, or the greatest 100M sprinter of all time (which I care less about, but would be happy to get into that discussion). Of course, this writing is stemming from Randy Moss' comments yesterday that he believes he is the "greatest receiver of all time."

Some people are blown away by these comments and think he is an arrogant jerk for saying that. What was he supposed to say? What people don't understand is to even be mentioned in the same conversation as the greatest of all time at a position, the player has to believe they really are. Randy Moss has done plenty in his career to make those statements. This isn't Freddie Mitchell talking. Moss' numbers are incredible and he believes in himself and what he has accomplished. NFL analyst and hall of fame running back Marshall Faulk, who is considered one of the "nice guy" personalities in football, was interviewed yesterday in regards to Moss' comments and he agrees with me saying, "You know what? I feel like I'm the greatest running back of all time. I don't understand. What is he supposed to say?" Faulk later added "That's a big part of what makes them great." When referring to the greatest of all time and their confidence and swagger.

I have no issue with Randy Moss' comments. In fact, I'm guessing very few people watched his entire press conference. He was terrific. He was honest, he was polite, he was funny, and he was charismatic. In fact, Greg Rosenthal of NFL.com wrote an article this morning that was titled, "Randy Moss the big winner at Super Bowl Media Day." All people will see or hear about is likely that statement that he is the greatest receiver of all time and get offended because he is a jerk for making the statement. Interesting enough, Jerry Rice then responds to the statements Moss made by saying he himself is the "greatest of all time." I'm guessing if you asked Michael Irvin, Cris Carter, and Lance Alworth they would all say the same thing.

Another piece to all of this that makes it so interesting is the fact that Moss actually went on to explain why he thought he was the G.O.A.T. at his position. Moss talked about how he changed the game and changed how defenses had to cover him. It's true. Moss did change the game more then any other wide receiver in history. The NFL had never seen a wide receiver like Moss. A "freak" athlete that ran a 4.25 40 yard dash and could out jump a trio of defensive backs and come down with the catch. Former Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden once said in reference to Moss' athleticism "He was as good as Deion Sanders. Deion's my measuring stick for athletic ability, and this kid was a bigger Deion."

Also, think about this for a second. Here is a list of some of the QB's that Moss has had through his career: Daunte Culpepper, Brad Johnson, Kerry Collins, Andrew Walter, Matt Cassel, Todd Bauman, Jeff George, Aaron Brooks, Alex Smith, and Randall Cunningham, just to name a few. Of course he had Tom Brady for roughly three seasons and can you imagine if he had Brady for several more? Rice's numbers would likely be smashed at this point in Moss' career. The majority of his career he has had below average NFL QB's to work with. Jerry Rice had 2 of the 5 greatest QB's of all time in Joe Montana and Steve Young throwing him the football the majority of his career. Rice played 20 NFL seasons and 13 of those seasons he had a QB that was a pro-bowler. Rice played with QB's that won 5 MVP awards, that is right, 5. Rice was also part of 3 super bowl winning teams. His supporting cast was terrific.

Then there is the head coach, which is rarely talked about in this Moss vs Rice debate. Rice played the majority of his career under Bill Walsh and George Seifert, two of the greatest offensive minded head coaches of all time. Walsh is the founder of the west coast offense that Rice thrived in. Moss on the other hand, spent the majority of his career under Dennis Green, Mike Tice, Norv Turner and Art Shell. Shouldn't that be considered when comparing Rice and Moss as the G.O.A.T?

Here is what is interesting. I actually believe Jerry Rice is the greatest of all time. He was amazing. I loved watching him. Even with all of the support around him, he made plays that few ever could after he got the ball. He showed up on the biggest of stages and performed. However; I do agree with Moss that he did change the wide receiver position in the NFL, more then any wide receiver in history. Moss revolutionized the wide receiver position and how defenses had to cover him. There is even the term "Mossing" when a wide receiver goes up and comes down with a ball with defenders around them. Jerry Rice's numbers are incredible, but Moss' are pretty incredible as well. Is it really that far off to consider Moss when talking about the greatest wide receiver of all time? I don't think so. Josh Alper of NBC's pro football talk sums it up best, "There haven't been many football players (all positions) that have been able to take over games by themselves the way Moss did when he was at his best." Bottom line, Randy Moss' statements yesterday were a part of what makes him great and he needs to be considered in the debate of the greatest wide receiver in the history of the NFL.

Supporting Lance Armstrong

I have always supported Lance Armstrong. It has been tough at times, but I believed in him. Lance was someone I looked up to. I admired his determination, his will, his work ethic, his resilience, his winning mentality. Yes, I knew his flaws. I knew he was arrogant. I knew he was cocky. I knew those things and I didn't care. From one cancer survivor to another, I admired him. He left cancer in his past and leaped forward becoming the best athlete he had ever been. In many ways he was actually a better athlete, he was a better cyclist. That always amazed me.

That's what I wanted to do as well. His book, "It's Not About the Bike" was one of the most influential books I've ever read. I read it when I was in and out of radiation and chemotherapy treatments for cancer. Lance was also in the midst of winning his 3rd Tour de France at that time. It inspired me to aim high once I was finished with treatments. I know other cancer patients felt the same way towards Lance. It's a bond that was, and still is, strong for me. It may be somewhat imaginary, but it’s real to me.

So when I watched the interview last night, I was unsure how I would feel. I was nervous for him. I continued to root for him to have good answers. I was surprised at how disappointed I felt as the interview went along. I felt so many emotions, good and bad. I didn’t know how to feel. I work with many high school student-athletes and have the privilege to help mentor them to become better people. How can I possibly support someone that disregarded so many people? That’s not what high character people do. Everything I believed in with Lance Armstrong was a sham.

It was, partially. His Tour De France titles, his denial of performance enhancing drugs, his cycling career, that part of Lance Armstrong was. As he talked through his interview, I started to realize how flawed he is. He stated it several times himself. What he did was awful. His defiant approach to being clean was arrogant and unquestionably wrong. No excuses.

After all of that, I’m still rooting for Lance Armstrong. I’m giving him a second chance to prove me right. I believe in people and I believe in forgiveness. Even with athletes who are held to a higher standard of living because of their influence. What Lance Armstrong has done with the Livestrong foundation trumps everything for me. He has to truly care about people to work relentlessly for a cure even after he is considered cured. He is no longer fighting for himself, he is fighting for others. He has been the single most impactful person in history when it comes to fighting for a cure for cancer. You can’t fake that.  After all, actions speak louder than words.  Since the inception of the Livestrong foundation, the non-profit organization has raised $470 million. They provide support in cancer education, funding treatments for less fortunate, building awareness of rare cancers, leading the way in advocacy with our government, among many other causes. Lance has led that the way the entire time, until he recently stepped down in light of the recent events.

Lance Armstrong knows comeback stories better than anyone.  I’m rooting for Lance to grow from this experience by learning from his mistakes and becoming a better man. I'm hoping some day he can lead the way again for Livestrong. I think Lance is learning that his ability to impact lives is not about the bike. It never has been.