So Long Randy, Again--It's Not Us, It's You
by Skol Girl on Nov 2, 2010 11:05 PM CDT
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This season, what the Vikings lack in wins, they make up for with drama. Yes, just when it seems that the season can't get any stranger, Vikings fans get the football equivalent of Joaquin Phoenix's bizarre, bearded appearance on Letterman. And this latest one is a doozy.
Four games after signing Randy Moss the Minnesota Vikings have waived him-adios amigo and don't let the door hit you on the way out. For their troubles the Vikings have lost a draft pick, three additional games, and, if the comments are any indication, the love of the fan base.
Join me after the jump for more and some appropriate mood music while we look at what went wrong with Randy Moss and the Minnesota Vikings...this time.
Sad considering the Moss/Vikings reunion had such promise. Randy Moss, one of the most incredible football talents ever, returning to where it all started so he could catch passes from Brett Favre-the Vikings' season would be saved and it would be glorious. This didn't appear to be a stretch because a deep threat seemed to be the missing piece that would get things rolling.
But after four games with the Vikings, the best you can say about the Randy Moss experiment is that the results were mixed. In his brief tenure with the 2010 Minnesota Vikings, Randy Moss had 13 catches for 174 yards and two touchdowns. Moss' presence on the field also returned a kind of balance to the offense, enabling Percy Harvin to return to the middle of the field where he's been so effective. However, despite being with the organization that he supposedly felt residual fondness for because they drafted him in 1998, and despite getting to work with a quarterback he said he had wanted to work with, fans witnessed Moss, once again, giving up on plays and being a temperamental diva. Most recently, after drawing a pass interference penalty during the fourth quarter of Sunday's game at New England, Moss pulled up short and stopped running the route. The pass, that looked like it would have been a touchdown if Moss had continued to run the route, landed just out of his reach.
Following the New England game Moss had a strange, rambling press conference that was seen by many as the catalyst for Coach Brad Childress deciding to waive him. However, from some of the stories leaking out about Moss' behavior at Winter Park, and from seeing that his habit of giving up on plays was still alive and kicking, it may be that the press conference, and Moss' informing the team that he wouldn't fly back from Foxboro with them, may have simply been the final straws.
On a team that's winning, Randy Moss' deep threat is icing on the cake. And Moss probably thought that's what he was getting when he signed with the Vikings in the beginning of October. At that time the Vikings were 1-2, a record that, though not ideal for a team with Super Bowl aspirations, was hardly insurmountable. Four games later, the Vikings have gone 1-3 with Moss. As good as Moss can be on a winning team, his history shows that he can quickly become a toxic anathema on a losing team-for as much as it makes me cringe and wish I could spin this any other way, at 2-5, the Vikings are a losing team and Moss did not look happy.
Randy Moss is a rare talent. He has the kind of legendary ability that most wide receivers would give their left testicle to have. But, either by choice, aptitude, or nature, he does not do well with a losing team. If you want someone who will rally the troops to play for pride even when the game is lost, or to hold it together when things look bad, Moss probably isn't your guy.
And that is a real shame, because with Brett Favre battered and facing an NFL investigation, it would mean a lot to the team to have someone like Moss step up.
Considering that the Vikings are putting up with Brett Favre for another season, you'd think that dealing with Randy Moss would be a cinch. Favre, after all, has enjoyed a different set of rules from the rest of the rank and file players, so what should make his brand of diva so much more tolerable than Randy's? Well, for all his diva-esque antics, and they are legion, try to think of a time when Favre gave up on a play or didn't take the credit for poor play upon himself. How many examples are there of Favre not taking practice, film study, and games seriously? I'm trying but I can't think of any.
A lot has been made of Coach Brad Childress deciding he'd had enough of Randy Moss, but here's something that I think bears noting that I haven't heard anyone else mention yet. Childress is not a guy to admit to mistakes (i.e. Tavaris Jackson situation), so it makes me wonder how bad, how very critical and toxic he appears to have thought things were with Moss that he would essentially say, "My bad" and cut Moss lose in the middle of the season. If Childress didn't think things were critical he could have just waited until the end of the year and made sure that the Vikings didn't offer Moss a new contract. That's been Childress' method with other players he didn't want on the team. So for Childress to suggest that Moss is such a detriment that he has to be released immediately even though it means admitting to making a mistake...well, that should say something.
If fans want to criticize Brad Childress, and we know they do, then criticize him for bringing Randy Moss back to Minnesota in the first place and raising our hopes that this season wouldn't end in tears. It isn't like Moss is new to the league or that his long history of bad behavior was a well-kept secret. Randy Moss is the same as he was when he first showed up in the NFL in 1998. If you doubt that, just read his history of jail time (okay, that was before the NFL) and fines. Even the most basic due-diligence would suggest that Randy Moss, though an amazing talent, was being dumped by the Patriots for a reason and the Vikings would be wise to avoid getting tangled up with him.
But, they didn't avoid Moss. Instead they jumped at the deal and now they're attempting to jump out of it. I don't know what is going to happen next, but, the way things are going, it'll probably be snakes on the team plane.
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soooo many references here
And I caught a good number of them, things I probably shouldn’t get (seriously, do I see a /b/ reference up there).
Regardless, good write-up from a rather middle of the road viewpoint. Vikings fans already embittered at Childress see this as the reason to get rid of him—and it truly is. Between the gross underachievements of the team thus far as well as the mismanagement and the efforts to trade Moss, damn his personality, only to cut him for exactly that later down the line, his special treatment of Favre, and a number of other reasons that the list really goes on, Brad Childress obviously has no right to be an NFL head coach. He shouldn’t even be handling players if he can’t handle criticism to his (lack of) leadership or gameplanning ability.
But was Moss the pure victim entirely undeserving his treatment? From everything that’s crawled out of the woodwork, hardly. I can understand Moss giving due respect and gushing his feelings for his old team. Considering what he’s done for that team and how long he’s spent with them, you’d grow attached too, wouldn’t you? Moss is the only one capable of saying these emotions those. In this NFL age where PR is everything because you don’t know if you could end up working for that team you want to bash someday, the ability to show respect and love for that ex-team is something I kind of value in Moss. But he’s honest. He says what’s on his mind. He has ideas and they’re not being taken seriously. He’s a veteran—he’s been around a damn long time with this game and when he knows what his old team is doing because he’s viewed it in the first person for multiple games and he’s not taken seriously, then that team doesn’t care to win. Any bit of information necessary to win? And it’s not being utilized?
But that anecdote about the mom and pop restaurant catering, that was completely asshole-ish. I can’t excuse that regardless. There’s a respect that I can give him for showing emotion for a team, something I don’t see out of players anymore, but I can’t excuse that honesty for grumbling over something he disliked when that restaurant doesn’t have to do that.
Regardless, this is Moss. It is who he is. Good write-up, nonetheless, on a story where once again neither side is innocent.
Thanks
I don’t mind that Moss gave love to his former team after the Patriots game. Like you said, it’s only natural and you never know where you’ll end up. But, he had also just recently said that he didn’t feel appreciated by the Patriots and that’s part of what led to him coming to the Vikings. Moss’ Patriots love-fest is fine, but he didn’t say anything about his current teammates and that comes across like a slap in the face right on the heels of all the good stuff he said about the Patriots.
Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.
- Paul Gauguin
I dunno, if T.O. started spouting something about the good days with the Bills or something, I don't think I'd care.
It’s not like the Bengals are deserving praise at the moment anyway.
the restraunt
If another player had done that, or something other disgusting thing like sending lude pictures or something like that it would not have been leaked to the press from the VIKES. Only because BC wanted to get rid of Moss for calling out the king with no clothes did this come out so fans would not be so mad. Because Brad knew the owner and prehaps the personnel manager would not agree with him he acted alone. Yes I guess his contract may give him the authority but I hope he has angered his employer enough to have them waive BC. Brad Childress has constantly shown himself as man with no class as he ditches players he cuts, needlessly ridicules QB Jeff George who wanted a tryout. So far as fan friendly he is the anti-TICE. For once I applauded Brad for bringing in Moss knowing that he was a risk but also to solve his WR problems. But he could not handle it. He could not figure out how to use Moss, just like he really has not figured out how to use many of the players. Players do not improve under him or his staff. Rice got better cause he got help from Carter in the summer. Harvin got better with BF. Can you think of one player (other than the linebackers) who has come here and actually gotten better than what he was. before he came. This head coach and staff do not do their job well which is why none of them have advanced up the coaching chain. Moss called a spade a spade and now he is gone. A good coach and a QB could have this club going in the right direction in no time. Have not heard much from Zygi. He must ever be fuming or making a lot of phone calls.setting up interviews
I have to agree with you on everything you said and would like to add this.
The reason the catering incident came out is because they needed to spin this whole thing.
It’s not like the caterers were not getting paid (probably pretty handsomely, too). It’s not like Moss turned the table over or destroyed anything.
Had he been incorporated into the offensive scheme from the start he would have been a happy camper and there would have been no problems. Guess where that leads us back to. Chilly.
I am a diehard Viking fan, but I find myself rooting for enough losses the rest of this season, that Zygi will have no choice but to send that idiot of a head coach, and I know that is an offense to idiots to link him to them, out the door. Hopefully it will happen sooner than that so I can start rooting for my team again.
My point was that Moss still wasn't blameless.
But is Chilly so much more the culprit here? Oh hell yes.
Mixed bag of bad.
Sure Childress is the culprit for bringing Moss back to Minnesota. Even the most clueless HR person could have foreseen problems with that situation. And sure, Childress’ handling of waiving Moss had all the finesse of performing brain surgery with a hacksaw, but I do give him credit for admitting that Moss wasn’t working out and ending it. Like I said, when you factor in Childress chronic inability to admit to making mistakes, the fact that he was willing to cut Moss is nothing short of miraculous.
Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.
- Paul Gauguin
Chilly got it right this time!
You don’t wait the entire season to find out you’ve madea huge mistake and Moss won’t be back the next year. Moss is a classless albiet very talented man-child. The catering incident isn’t a spin as much is it’s an indicative incident that revealed the man, Moss is. As far as being part of the scheme, I’m sure after paying for him they were desperately trying to get him into the book but that takes time. If it was a matter of just say “Go Long” in a Doug Flutie-esk moment that’s one thing but learning offenses take awhile. Favre also really hasn’t been afforded great pass protection this year so it’s not been easy for him to getthose long Brady type heaves to Moss… (provided he even has the arm anymore). Chilly is not a great coach (there aren’t many) he also doesn’t have the balls or hardline that Belichick has… We need to get Rice back as a number one priority and keep Brett managing games like he did in Foxboro. It is not as complicated as every single person tries to make it.
Childress knew this wasn't going to win him popularity points.
It isn’t like Childress didn’t know that cutting Moss from the team would cause a major fan backlash or attack his credibility in the locker room. And yet he cut Moss anyway because he thought it was the right move for the team. Agree with Childress or disagree, that takes some balls. If Moss was a detriment to the team, then it is better to drop the hammer sooner rather than later.
Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.
- Paul Gauguin
Absolutely right, SKOL GIRL.
Childress, as lame as he can be, I believe has the ability to be tough in certain situations. Has he been tough with Favre? Not really, but he went and essentially dug Brett back out of the graveyard in Mississippi… begged him to come. When you do that, you’re essentially sending a message to this quarterback that he’s got carte blanche with this team and it’s his to command. The Moss decision, beginning and end, was a much easier thing to execute. When is Rice back already? JEEZ! Wide receivers are an odd bunch…. they are considered the glitz and rockstars of the team but having the ego mixed with the talent doesn’t prove anything i.e. the Batman and Robin experiment in Cincy… “Oh Chad and T.O. are going to put up massive numbers this year…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz”
Heart and soul wins games… heart and soul makes catches when you need them
Changing my mind
I have visited this site for several years and enjoy hearing from other Vikings fans. I have never posted before, but feel as if I have to get something off my chest. The Randy Moss debacle hurts, but is par for the course for Childress run Vikings. I thought like many others that Randy would be happier playing with Farve and try to please everyone by working hard to win. Now the vintage Moss jersey I so enjoyed pulling out of the closet means just a little less to me than it did four weeks ago. Memories of Randys glory days with the vikes are now tainted with lockeroom outbursts and selfish attitudes. Enough said- Randys gone from Minnesota and soon from my fantasy roster.
Now for a few thoughts of mine:
(1) I like the idea of a more competent, mobile T-Jack getting a chance to show us what he has learned from sitting behind Farve. Not many share my optimism, but I think he may surprise some giving the chance. I also think that our record may be better right now had the QB that took the lion share of reps started. This being said, I think Farve is a ironman and we may never know…
(2) If I know what play is going to be called each down, could it be that a defensive coordinator can too?
(3) Is the only good play Toby Gerhardt can execute a screen or pass? i was much more excited when we drafted him? Is anyone else missing Darius Reynaud?
I am still not convinced Childress is the best option for head coach after having several years to prove himself to me. He needs to find better ways of keeping playmakers on the field and gameplan according to their strengths. Too often I am let down by his stubborn, predictable playcalling. example- running off RT in short yardage… please put some new plays in Chilly!
I still am hoping The Vikes pull it together and make a run for the playoffs… The purple flag still flies from my home in the heart of Packer Nation… All is not lost with the amount of talent on our roster- GO VIKES!
Someday...Vikings win a superbowl!
Good Post
I too was excited to see us draft Toby Gerhardt this year. His college ball looked good and it was a pleasant suprise to see us move up to get him. But he hasn’t impressed much. He looks slow and indecisive. Hopefully that will get better as he develops as a professional.
My biggest beef with Childress is exactly what you have pointed out. His decision making on what personnel is on the field at critical times is bewildering. To this day I cannot figure out why Childress has Gerhardt on the field for that final few plays at Lambeau two weeks ago. Adrian Peterson is the best back in the NFL, you can’t tell me he wouldn’t help as an outlet once Favre escaped the three man rush. (no blitz pickup to worry about) You also can’t tell me that AP doesn’t make it into the endzone on the play before half in New England that Favre tossed to Gerhardt and created that 4th and 1 scenario. Peterson most definately would have muscled that in there, Toby got stuffed.
This is why Childress is inadequate. He’s so stubborn in his system that he has blinders on when it comes to the talent that surrounds him. Peterson has blitz pickup issues, oh well. That shouldn’t confine him to the sideline when the game is on the line. Childress had Moss, yet couldn’t design any offensive scheme to even force the ball to him. He’s one of the most frustrating coaches I’ve ever watched.
Umm the Toby I see
has progressed and has progressed enough to be put in on more 3rd downs than AP. You can’t overload someone like AP because the way he runs he’s liable to get hurt, and you can’t take that risk for EVERY down in a game.
☠★☪My dream, is to see the Minnesota Vi♛s win a superbowl. USA- the land were dreams come true. ☀ ツ This is our ۩۩house۩
by UnBannedVikingholic on Nov 3, 2010 2:05 PM CDT up reply actions
Even though Peterson says he never gets tired...
Sometimes the coaches have to spell him for his own good. Despite his slow start, Gerhart is showing improvement and, if that can help keep Peterson healthy, we need it.
Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.
- Paul Gauguin
I understand....
I’m not asking for Peterson to touch the ball every play. Gerhardt will become better as time goes on. My point was that part of efficient coaching is knowing when to spell your players. I would much rather see Peterson carry less in the middle of quarters than at the end of the half or end of the game. Peterson is the greatest asset the Vikings possess. We need to use him wisely.
by favre2percy on Nov 3, 2010 6:16 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
Actually that does make me feel better
I couldn’t believe we’d traded him when noone else on the team had taken punt returns all pre-season (i.e. noone who didn’t end up on the season-ending IR).
REYNAUD HATER!!!!!!!!
OK, sorry, I SWEAR I’m going to stop using that joke now.
The thing about Reynaud’s performance with the Giants is that the Giants’ special teams, on the whole, is NOTHING compared to our. I still think it was a mistake to release him, and I think he would be doing quite better if he were still with us.
Good points-especially #2
I don’t know about Darius. He was unproven as a WR and RB thus one dimensional (under Chilly) Neverrtheless, Harvin can do what he does and is an every down player
More screens to Toby
Likeyou said- there was more guessing as to what we did on the offense our HS team I worked for. Isit there the entire 1st half picking plays and nailing 90% of them. Then it seems something happen(too late) Someone shakes things up. Who? Favre, Bevell or Chilly?
by CitrusFLViking on Nov 3, 2010 1:03 PM CDT up reply actions
Flying a Purple Flag in Packerland
Is either very brave or very crazy :) I hope that the next time Vikings meet the Packers that our team fares better.
While I’m not a big fan of T-Jack because I think he lacks the mental toughness to make it in the NFL, I thought he did a great job on Sunday of stepping in and getting the job done. Maybe he really has grown being behind Favre on the depth chart. It would be nice if the Vikings had some games like last year where they can let Jackson play because the game is already in hand.
As for Toby Gerhart, I wouldn’t totally give up hope for him. He’s transitioning and some players do that a lot faster than others. Not everyone is going to be the rookie sensations that Adrian Peterson and Percy Harvin were, but that doesn’t mean they won’t come around. Look at Sidney Rice, until he broke out last year people kept saying he was a draft bust.
Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.
- Paul Gauguin
Cheeseheads also like...
That I fly two Vikings window flags from my truck on Sundays… although it was more fun last year when we swept them!
With Toby I have patience to let him develop into a solid RB, but with the game in the final minutes I want AP in there 10 out of 10 times!
Someday...Vikings win a superbowl!
by MadisonViking on Nov 3, 2010 6:24 PM CDT up reply actions
I still have the fond memory (from 26 days ago) of getting the news of Randy Moss coming back to purple.
How happy were we that day and where are we today!
I'm with you.
For as much as Randy Moss is like nitroglycerin and has to be handled with extreme care, I thought that it could still work. Favre and Moss had always wanted to play together and, with a combination like that, it seemed like the Vikings would start winning. They didn’t. And Moss did what Moss always does. I think it is the giddy hope all of Vikings nation had that makes this anticlimax so much worse.
Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.
- Paul Gauguin
Favre is an easy going Southern boy... I really don't think it would have worked out with Moss.
There’s only room for one huge ego and Favre (although I love him) has it.
And...
For all his faults, Favre really loves football and plays it with his heart and soul. Part of the reason he’s throwing picks is because he’s trying to desperately to make something happen.
Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.
- Paul Gauguin
Wow, a compliment and you're literate.
I may have to name firstborn children after you :)
Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.
- Paul Gauguin
I had still hoped, all along, that if anyone could control Moss, it would be Favre. I mean, the way those two acted about being together at last was like the teary eyed end of a love movie. And Favre has the veteran-ness (old age) and experience that would make even the older WR listen. AND- perhaps most importantly- Favre has the ability to help Moss make the huge plays.
But alas.
I know...
It just seemed like it should work.
Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.
- Paul Gauguin
Ditto.
But that was last week, I for one am done with the whole Mossy Mess.
Looking forward to if Harvin can practice and (fingers crossed) Rice showing some near future readiness…
Someday...Vikings win a superbowl!
by MadisonViking on Nov 3, 2010 9:40 PM CDT up reply actions
Trying to contain the excitement,
But the idea of Sidney Rice being back in practice makes me want to dance. I know, I know he won’t be up to speed for awhile, but a fan can hope. As for Harvin, that looks dicey at the moment. I read that he didn’t practice yesterday and is still hobbling. I hope he gets better soon.
Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.
- Paul Gauguin
Pal...
You have NO idea how much it hurts to put my 1998 Purple #84 back in the closet so soon. And here I thought I’d dodged a bullet by not just using it to wash my car. Sigh…
Even if he ended up being a prick in the locker room, it’s still heartbreaking to have ended like this!
Still like it because Puma made a better jersey but...
AP jersey will never come off again this year!!!
…unless I feel the need to wear #26 for a game or two- Winfield is most underated CB ever.
Someday...Vikings win a superbowl!
by MadisonViking on Nov 3, 2010 9:44 PM CDT up reply actions
Mighty Mouse
That’s what Winfield makes me think of because, despite being short and not bulky, he tackles like a much bigger guy. It’s a rare thing for Winfield to not put a solid tackle on an opposing player and bring the guy down all by his lonesome.
Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.
- Paul Gauguin
One person we haven't heard from is Brett...
I wonder what his level of support will be. He has the power to bring together or divide the team.
Someday...Vikings win a superbowl!
I was wondering that too.
So far we’ve had radio silence from Brett Favre and I can’t help wondering what that means. Clearly, cutting a wide receiver from a team that desperately needs a wide receiver is a strange move, possibly even a desperate move. I can’t help wondering if Moss didn’t start taking swipes at Favre.
Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.
- Paul Gauguin
Brett said all the right things
Meaning … he said nothing, really, one way or the other, he toed the center line in this dispute.
If it’s true that his main playmaker, Percy, is unhappy what went down, that is probably a very wise way to handle it.
Favre admitted he was “a little bit shocked” when Childress told the team but added, “in this league, you should never be surprised by anything.”
Favre said he wasn’t consulted before the Vikings traded for Moss and he wasn’t consulted when they decided to release him. Favre said he saw Moss’ outburst on Friday in the locker room when he criticized the food that had been brought in by a local restaurant but he said he did not want to get into what happened.
Asked whether he saw anything from Moss that led him to believe this wouldn’t work, Favre said: "I never played with Randy. I don’t want to get into all the what ifs, whys. You watch Randy over the years, Randy is Randy. There are probably certain routes that he doesn’t run as well, but there’s one in particular that you’re scared of. That in itself, aside from [Jets cornerback Antonio] Cromartie this year, he got double-coverage every time. That takes another guy out of the box. I understand that. So, did he hustle on every play?
“I don’t know if Randy has ever hustled on every play. That’s just Randy. But he knows what his value is. He figures, ‘Heck, two guys follow me everywhere I go.’ Cromartie did a great job against him, challenged him one on one, but eventually we got a big one. That’s why teams don’t do that. They may watch and say, ‘He’s jogging, jogging, jogging.’ Boom! 70-yard touchdown. That one definitely got us a spark that night.
"I never practiced with Randy before. I never played with Randy before, so I don’t know what it was like in practice with him in the past, locker room and all that stuff. But I thought it was worth a try. I was surprised by the decision to let him go. But you know what? Nothing should surprise you in this league. There’s a lot of here-today, gone-tomorrow."
Why didnt Moss Care??? MMMMMM
Because Brad Childress is a fuckin idiot! Can you blame Moss???? I dont! Does anyone watch this Moron on sundays? Did anyone watch the Packers game?? Did anyone see him not Challenge a clear NO touchdown? Did anyone watch him as he downed the clock out with the BEST deep threat in Nfl History and the Best Rb in the Nfl?? Moss could barley get out of Bed to go work for this Douch Bag! The guy cant even get along with a 41 year old Hall of Fame QB that 100% got him his extension! Chilly is the worst Vikings Coach EVER! The reason his record has improved is beacuse of the OPEN CHECKBOOK Zygi has handed him and the 5-6-7 all pro’s this team has and AP! We win the SuperBowl last year with any other coach! I have been calling for his head for 3 years and I wont watch this team again untill he’s gone! Why didnt Dummy think he didnt have to replace Chester Taylor? Did he not watch Maduie last year? Did he not remember how bad the online was? Why did Birk leave?? Oh yea they didnt get along! Why did Sharper leave??? Poor Chilly will never coach in the NFL AGAIN and he knows it! Peace out!
by Fantasy Master on Nov 3, 2010 1:32 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Where's your sense of personal accountability?
Yes, Chilly’s a bad coach. We’ve already established that. And for the record, he too should be fired.
But regardless of all that, it doesn’t give Moss one sliver of a right to do any of the things he did. He is a grown man and should be held accountable of his own actions.
Amen!!!
I agree with everything you just said. I am tired of people just accepting lame excuses, like the food incident, as justification for Chilly’s stupidity. The man can’t game plan, he can’t make adjustments, and he can’t handle a locker room. Pretty much every quality that one looks for in a head coach Childress is found lacking in. I am with you, I am done watching this team until Childress is shown the door.
Clueless is an AWFUL coach
And I realize that Mike Tomlin was hired to be the Steelers head coach based on his experience as DC for the Vikes, but if Zygi hired him as HC instead of Clueless, we’d be the reigning Super Bowl champions and who knows? Maybe we’d have won in ’08 as well, maybe.
Please USC. Keep Lane Kiffin.
Excuse
Sure, everyone can see that Childress isn’t an elite coach, but, supposedly, these players are professionals. Randy Moss is paid millions to catch the damn ball and do what his team needs him to do to win. If he’s not going to get the job done just because he doesn’t like Childress, he doesn’t belong on the team. Brett Favre doesn’t like Childress either and he goes out there and tries to win games. Matt Birk didn’t get along with Childress but he did his job anyway and then signed with another team. For Moss to get some kind of blanket excuse from the fans for not playing just because he didn’t like the coach is an insult to all the other players on the Vikings roster who do their jobs regardless of how they feel about Childress.
Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.
- Paul Gauguin
by Skol Girl on Nov 3, 2010 2:06 PM CDT up reply actions 4 recs
You got a bad attitude
Great post !!!! I have called for Chilis firing for the last 3 years too,and halfway through last season the Wilfs gave him an ext. I was flabbergasted although we were winning.I had observed too many moronic things from him to justify his being rewarded for basically being a gridiron idiot.What a shame to assemble such a star studded cast only to have the director of a high school musical remain allowed to try to run it!We wouldnt have gotten as far as we did last year had it not been for Favre snubbing his nose at Chilis selection of play calls and having the balls to keep doing it.We won in spite of him. Now he is killing us and will continue to do so until he is given a one way ticket outta town.It is a shame no football knowledge owner who gave Chili his checkbook and the right to run this team as he sees fit(apparently) cannot make the decision to shitcan this mans ass A.S.A P.He needs to do this now even if we win today!! Even if we run the table,hasnt this moron proven he is not capable of winning big games?I personally am looking forward to Arizona handing Chili and my beloved Vikings their entire ass today.Maybe this will speed this well needed desision up!!!!
+1000000
To expand on Chilly’s ineptness.
On 4 and goal from the 1 why would you take Moss and Harvin out and line up in a tight formation and make it 9 against 11 and then hand it to Peterson!!!!!?
If you line up like that you have to run play action!!!! Adrian has no room to run like that and you only have 9 to block 11. The defense is keying on the run and have the advantage!!!
Intelligent football would be to put Harvin and moss out wide to each side, show like you are going to pass and spread the defense out to give Peterson some space to find a hole and use his strength!!!!
Don’t you think New England was relieved to see two of the most explosive players in the NFL on the sideline in a crucial 4th and one play!!!!!!
actually
I thought the same thing, too. But the only angle of the play we had was the one provided by the TV. When you look at the play from the other end zone, Adrian had two big, GIGANTIC holes to go through. He apparently didn’t see them. He just followed Tahi, got stood up, and tackled.
PA had a frame by frame of this on his web site. Unfortunately, he doesn’t provide archives and it is now gone.
Nevertheless, that play was clearly 100% on Adrian Peterson. The offensive line did a great job of blowing open holes. The play call was brilliant. Peterson just chose the wrong lane.
Of course, the next question is, how do you get to 4th and goal? Why haven’t the Vikings scored already by then. I can’t remember the sequence leading up to that.
The bottom line is that the play calling has mostly been brilliant. If Favre had done what he is supposed to, even considering his limited mobility and arm strength this year, this team would have several more wins. If Peterson ever finally learns patience he will become truly great.
Our coaches are not to blame for the 2-5 record. The players have performed like walking stiffs. They need to wake up and start fighting.
by medicineball on Nov 3, 2010 6:42 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
I agree the players have a lot of responsability
but in the same vein coaches are supposed to make their players play like they should play.. Wow how many times can I say play in one sentence? Seriously though I’ve played a lot of team sports and have seen a lot of coaches, the good ones bring a group of people together to make them a team. They understand the nuances of each player and realize that strengths and weaknesses together can make a team stronger. Poor coaches get a bunch of people to play on the same field hoping that the team will some how magically happen.
Childress is sadly lacking leadership skills, people skills and the ability to trust himself to make the correct decisions. I could go over his faults ad nauseum, but I don’t have the time and I"m sure you don’t want to read em.
It's a lot easier to love the Vikings when they win...
Childress is hardly the only coach that could not get Randy Moss to play. In fact every NFL coach he has ever had, has ultimately failed. It looked like Belichek was the exception to that, but it turned out to be temporary, ultimately even he had to throw in the towel on him, after enduring months of bizarre crap from Randy this year.
Remember the stories about him supposedly making fun of Brady for his hair & other uber-weird things in his last days in NE? Well, I suspect they are all true. Randy was unhappy and frustrated, and when Randy is unhappy, he appears to be the kind of guy who goes WAY out of his way to make everyone around him miserable too, doing whatever it takes no matter how bizarre. You know, like declaring food inedible without even tasting it first.
Moss's play...and again
NCAA records
Division 1-A
Most games with a touchdown reception in a season – 12 (1997 – tied with Larry Fitzgerald in 2003)
Division 1-AA – Regular season
Most games with a touchdown reception in a season – 11 (1996)
Most consecutive games with a touchdown reception in a season – 11 (1996)
Most receiving yards gained by a freshman in a season – 1073 (1996)
Most touchdown receptions caught by a freshman in a season – 19 (1996 – record for all NCAA divisions)
Division 1-AA – Playoffs
Most touchdown receptions in a single game – 4 (vs. Montana, Dec. 21, 1996)
Most yards receiving in a single game – 288 (vs. Delaware, Nov. 30, 1996)
Most touchdown receptions in a tournament – 9 (4 games in 1996)
Most yards receiving in a tournament – 636 (4 games in 1996)
NFL records
Most touchdown receptions in a season – 23 (2007)
Most touchdown receptions by a rookie in a season – 17 (1998)
Most seasons with 17 or more touchdown receptions – 3 (1998, 2003, 2007)
Most seasons with 16 or more touchdown receptions – 3 (1998, 2003, 2007)
Most seasons with 11 or more touchdown receptions – 8 – tied with Jerry Rice
Most seasons with 10 or more touchdown receptions – 9 – tied with Jerry Rice
Most games in a season with at least 2 touchdown receptions – 8 (2007)
Only player to have 1,600 receiving yards and 16 receiving touchdowns in a season (2003)
Most yards receiving in a Pro Bowl game – 212 (2000)
Most touchdowns scored in first 10 games with a new team – 16 (2007)
Most 1,200+ yard receiving seasons to start a career – 6 (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003)
Moss has averaged at least one receiving touchdown per game played in four different seasons: 1998 (17 TDs in 16 games), 2003 (17 in 16), 2004 (13 in 13), and 2007 (23 in 16)73
At the end of the 2008 season, Moss averaged 12.3 receiving TDs per season
Four 100+ yard games in his first four games with a new team in 2007
Youngest player in NFL history to record his 100th receiving touchdown – (29 years and 235 days)
Youngest player in NFL history to record his 120th receiving touchdown – (30 years, 313 days)
Fastest player to reach 5,000 career receiving yards – 59 games (broke record of 61 games by Jerry Rice)
Highest career yards per catch average for any player with 900+ receptions – 15.6 yards per reception
Youngest player to have 3 touchdown receptions in a game (21 years, 286 days)
@}-----You've been Touched-----{@
Bradys hair is ridiculous.
Who is Brady to tell Randy to shave his beard to look more professional? I would’ve told Tom he looks like a girl as well.
hahahhahaahhahahahahahahahahahahahahah
Play calling Brillians, I just shit my pants I laughed so hard! I wont waste my time as I have a clean up on my hands now! HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA
by Fantasy Master on Nov 3, 2010 10:37 AM CDT up reply actions
Maybe let Brett drive us down
then let Tjax take over and have the option of an extra paor of legs?
Tj scares me for a whole game but he sure looked goal line hungry last game
by CitrusFLViking on Nov 3, 2010 1:09 PM CDT up reply actions
I had a similar feeling – our goal line plays seemed too obvious, and I don’t see AD running over a DT or a 3-4 DE the way he can a linebacker or corner. I like the idea of setting up in a 3 or 4 receiver set (or audible out to them) to have less bodies jamming the goal-line. You’d have to option to throw it at someone like Kleinsasser, or even use Peterson on a delay. I thought Belicheck’s challenge was right so I consider us slightly lucky to have been given the TD we got from one of the short yardage plays.
That said, I have no idea what TJ would be like for a whole game these days. IF he has learned to make better readers of defensive schemes sitting behind Favre, I think he’d be a good QB for us (until we can get a proper elite QB), but I have no way of knowing what his current capabilities are. That 2-minute drill was bizarre, but I don’t know how much of that was play-calling.
by ViolentSilence on Nov 3, 2010 1:56 PM CDT up reply actions
Really? A QB platoon?
Jeezuz, our recievers are already having enough time getting on the same page with their QB! Let’s make it harder for them! Alright!
Another nice post Skol Girl.
I like the fact that you take a day or two to digest developments before expressing yourself. It enables you to reason things through and reach a sound pragmatic perspective, while still retaining all your emotion as a fan. I agree with everything you’ve said.
Like most of us I have also finally reached the conclusion that our head coach needs to be replaced, and the sooner the better. The man is just so hell-bent on appearing to be in control that he can’t help himself. Even if we come out this week firing on all cylinders and hand the Cardinals their ass for 4 quarters, it will only be a matter of time before he over-thinks and grossly misjudges a game situation, reminding his team of the ultimate futility of his leadership.
I am honestly a bit torn heading into this game. We need a win more than anything, and I suspect that this entire fiasco could help to fuel a more inspired effort from our players. If that does happen, I hope that Zygi doesn’t interpret the effort as a rallying of support for Chilly. If we lose at home I think Chilly gets the boot, but as a fan I can’t possibly root for a loss, not at this point.
Perhaps more than ever we need a leader, how can Zygi not see such an obvious void?
It was way more fun to rant and rave.
Well for a day or two…
It's a lot easier to love the Vikings when they win...
Thanks Jshore :)
For all the improvement that the Vikings have shown in their record during the Childress years, it doesn’t look like he can take them to the next level—winning championships. For that, he will probably lose his job after this season. But, if Moss was being a toxic asshole and it was affecting the team, then, popular or not (and we know it wasn’t), Childress made the right call. Honestly, unless you’re in Winterpark every day, then anything we have to say about how Moss was on the team is just speculation.
Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.
- Paul Gauguin
My feeling...
… about the improvements in the Childress era have been more to do with his ability to assess personnel than anything else (though maybe not having to play the AFC East has helped).
My feeling is he’ll be a great GM for a different franchise. I wouldn’t mind if we moved him to the front office instead of firing him and letting Frazier run the team affairs but I think he’d view that as a demotion and would quit instead anyway
by ViolentSilence on Nov 3, 2010 2:29 PM CDT up reply actions
Never thought of that.
But it is true that Childress primary deficits are not in evaluating talent, but in managing it. You might just be onto something, put Frazier in as head coach and have Childress work in the office. Very interesting take.
Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.
- Paul Gauguin
my shirts...
Sadly, now what do I do with my old-school 84 jersey? This sucks! I rocked it ever since ’98, and even without Randy, I wore it in tribute to that glorious season! Now… it… just… is…. poisoned.
---
Uff-da!
worse..
…i just got my BRAND NEW moss jersey (from ecseller.com, btw, a pretty good site for new and throwback jersseys at good prices!)
..oh well, maybe now it will become a rare, discontinued item in a few years worth as much as a favre falcons jersey ?!?
"the following statement is true:
the preceding statement was false" - george carlin
by BranFavrenton on Nov 3, 2010 9:32 AM CDT up reply actions
yeah, sucks...
but I fear your hopes and dreams of a collectible are about as likely as Moss signing with the Vikings this week… :(
---
Uff-da!
I sell jerseys
the folks here have loved them. Write if you want to order
by CitrusFLViking on Nov 3, 2010 1:14 PM CDT up reply actions
Not as Bad as the Herschal Walker Trade.....
That is, the Vikings didn’t mortgage their entire future for Randy Moss. They just traded a good third round pick for a crappy 7th round pick, and a boatload of money. That’s the net effect, if you factor out the demoralization of the team, and the fanbase, and the Ls. So it’s not as bad the Walker trade… but it may rank as the #2 worst trade decision.
Oh, and another thing. It’s revealed that Brad Childress is a victim of the Peter Principle. The Vikings seem to be good at applying it, since they did it to Chilly’s predecessor too. It’s not the Ws and Ls that reveals that Childress has performed so well that he’s been promoted beyond his ability, it’s the performance of the team itself.
Being the Head Coach entails a lot more than just introducing a play book or adding a variety of cool plays. He has an offensive coordinator to do his play calling, even if he does have input there as well.
No, the Head Coach sets the tone for the entire organization. To his credit, Brad Childress has brought the Vikings some amazing draft picks, and even more importantly, he’s reformed the squad from a bunch of gangsta wanna-be’s to a group of upstanding, decent men that you want to introduce your kids to.
But the Head Coach is also responsible for turning a group of individuals into a team. And in that department, Brad Childress is proving to be a miserable failure. You bring in top talent and throw them together, you’re going to get a degree of performance, but it can only take you so far. About as far as running into a team of nobodies who have a real Head Coach that’s taught them to play as a team.
It’s the same lesson that the Romans taught the Barbarians time and time again. A bunch of professionals working as a team will take down a hoard of of screaming, glory-hunting, individualists every single time.
This debacle reveals that Childress was incapable of exerting enough leadership and strength to control Randy Moss. Or even, should Moss be ungovernable (which is not the case, as proved by Belichik), then have the conjones to impose an effective discipline. And if he couldn’t do either of those things, then exercise the good judgement to find another way to deal with the situation which didn’t turn the Moss acquisition into a dead loss.
But Childress couldn’t manage any of those things.
At the very latest, barring a Super Bowl victory, when the season is over, it’s time to waive Brad Childress.
Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!
SKOL!
And nothing ever will be.......
and yes, it’s still too early.
Oh, DCPurple
I just might have a crush on you. Logically expressing an opinion and backing it up with examples—where have you been all my life?
Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.
- Paul Gauguin
I think we're all ignoring the real issue...
…has anyone here actually eaten food at/from Tinucci’s? I mean what if the food really is crap? Just curious.
Is it possible that Randy just got food poisoning?
I wonder if the food was actually good ‘game preparation’ food. Burgers and other heavy cholesterol things are fine in moderation, but right on top of a big game? I don’t know enough about sports nutrition (or indeed what was served) to judge, but I know a lot of soccer teams tend not to eat that kind of thing in the days leading up to a big game.
It might have tasted fine, but was it the right time to have an event like that?
by ViolentSilence on Nov 3, 2010 2:33 PM CDT up reply actions
Randy actually did not even taste the food. He just came with a couple feet of it & then started screaming that.
I tell you, the man is ill, or has some kind of social disorder, or else was taking some drugs.
Yeah, Moss is kind of football's version of Jekyll and Hyde.
One minute he’s all smiles and hugging Sid Hartman, then next he’s ranting about something.
Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.
- Paul Gauguin
if you want to hear Tinucci interview
http://richeisen.nfl.com/?module=HP_headlines
Link to Eisen interviewing Tinucci (he comments on Favre’s reaction to Moss behavior BTW)
As I posted elsewhere I think Randy may be bipolar. He probably should be on meds. I wasn’t around during the Randy glory days, the first time I laid eyes on him was his first presser in Minn. My initial reaction…dude is certifiable. Very sad…he can be so brilliant.
This is not a defense of Childress BTW.
There's a thought.
Randy Moss bipolar? Hmmm, that would explain a lot. Because it is true, when Moss wants to be, he can be warm and gracious, but flip the switch and suddenly he’s mescalin man.
Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.
- Paul Gauguin
Hah.
I wondered the same thing about a possible bi-polar diagnosis… within the span of a month he went from whining about the Pats to saying he was in love with them.
What about Wilf?
While I want to make clear I am not a fan of either Chilly or Moss and feel both should be let go, I thought it strange that no one is bothering to question what Zygi’s role in all of this is.
Is it possible that perhaps Brad never wanted Moss on the team in the first place and management just pulled rank and made the trade anyways to appease a restless fan base (and it definitely appeased us)? Then, as soon as he saw the chance Brad used the opportunity to release what he never really wanted anyways, thus the reason he never spoke to management about it?
Now, if this is true, it makes Chilly inept for entirely different reasons (you should probably do whats favorable to your boss). But if it is true, it kinda sheds a whole other way of looking at the situation.
Interesting...
Yeah, that could put a whole new twist on Childress’ decision to waive Moss.
Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.
- Paul Gauguin
I and many others have wondered aloud here about Zygi actually. It’s just that there is nothing more to say, no info.
Brad Childress is definitely in control of personnel here, there is no doubt. Zygi forcing this on Childress does not fit Zygi’s MO at all. Sorry, that is a really far-fetched, baseless theory IMO
Except...
Childress didn’t seem to be in charge of making that trade in the first place. Granted, Wilf has the common sense intelligence to let the coaches and managers handle 99.9% of all matters- which is smart, even when Chilly’s the head coach. Wilf’s a superfan and, with the way he’s handled this team even in the negative stadium environment that exists right now, we’re lucky to have him as an owner. But Wilf also keeps his hand out of most of the actual ‘how to win a game and run a locker room’ things.
That said- he DID hire Childress all on his own, which was odd. Most owners, except for the ‘saavy vet’ owners, so to speak, hire someone else to hire the coach- someone who has experience in such things.
It’s entirely possible that Wilf, still stinging over the McCombs trade of Moss, pulled a trigger here. After all, he IS still trying to rally Vikings fans to support his new stadium deal, something that’s been dead in the water for a RIDICULOUSLY long time. Putting together a Super Bowl caliber team, and going all out on that, was a wonderful move- but probably still with the main goal of “if we win a Super Bowl, we will get a new stadium”. When that started going to pot- sorta-, he might have gone ‘rogue’, so to speak.
why couldn't chilly at least have *tried* to talk sense into him FIRST??
imagine if moss was on the lombardi-led packers of the 60’s, or even the cowher-led steelers.. what do you think vince/bill would have done with moss? likely they would have bitch-slapped him verbally to let them know who’s boss..maybe even sit him a game/fine him..
..but what chilly did just seems to me to be a combination of ineptness and egomania.
i think another thing worth pointing out, but lost in the noise, is that randy has had first-hand recent exposure to both bellichick and chilly, and is in a unique position to COMPARE their coaching styles/abilities.. he went about it all wrong, but he CLEARLY saw that chilly is lame and belly is hall-of-fame… nuff said.
also if moss was that “toxic” to the team, wouldn’t more of his teammates have agreed with the move?
as much as i want to get past this and convince myself chlly knows best.. i just see too many glaring inconsistencies with the stories and just plain inability to lead properly, that i still have to say…
chilly…
must….
GO!!
"the following statement is true:
the preceding statement was false" - george carlin
Ode to Bellichick
A lot is made of Bellichick’s ability to handle Randy Moss. Clearly, he was able to stick it out a hell of a lot longer than Childress was able to. However, Randy Moss had one of his patented press conference performances after the first Patriots game of the season where he went on a rant about how unappreciated he felt with the Patriots because they weren’t working on a new contract for him. Do you really think it is a coincidence that just two games later he was traded to the Vikings?
Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.
- Paul Gauguin
Or...
…. Did he see value in getting a good pick for him knowing he wouldn’t be around next season anyway?. With a playbook transitioning away from needing a Moss-type player, why not take a shot at picking up something that could help for a few seasons down the line?
Not sure if you follow the EPL, but Arsene Wenger the Arsenal manager has been doing this for years, letting high valued veteran players go and using the money to improve the clubs infrastructure and taking the chance to bring younger developing players in to the first team. They’re one of the very few EPL clubs that is a good business and will have a very bright future once they’ve finished paying off their stadium and it’s similar to the way the Pats let vets go but have remained one of the elite teams in teh NFL
by ViolentSilence on Nov 3, 2010 2:40 PM CDT up reply actions
Give it up
I’ve tried to say the same thing to all the people who say Belichek could handle Moss, but points like these just seem to go in one ear & out the other
Bellichick
handled Moss because they were winning games. I could handle Moss if I had a team winning games.
To much credit
I don’t think this article points out the fact that Childress still cut the BEST down field reciver in the NFL. I think it doesn’t show that Childress and company seemingly REFUSED to use him. i.e. put him in motion. It just sickens me we hardly used the guy.
This is what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps!
Well, he had more yards here in 4 games this year
than he did in 4 games at NE this year.
So we were using him more than Belichick.
by loldotcom on Nov 3, 2010 9:33 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
meh
That may be true, but I really feel as though Childress does not know how to use the weapons we have on offense. Randy Moss, All day, Percy Harvin, Favre, Shank.. and in a few weeks (hopefully) we get Rice back.
Come on. that is seriously STACKED. and we STILL find a way to lose. We should be blowing the opposition out of the water.
This is what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps!
**
sorry, had on offense.. no longer the Mooner
This is what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps!
Church bells?
I seem to remember something about hearing bells ringing now that 84 is back….
Please keep the incompetent coach that is Childress.
Signed the rest of the NFL.
True enough.
I wonder if St. Mary’s Basilica in Minneapolis will toll out the bells for this Vikings season?
Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.
- Paul Gauguin
If fans want to criticize Brad Childress, and we know they do, then criticize him for bringing Randy Moss back to Minnesota in the first place and raising our hopes that this season wouldn’t end in tears.
That one’s on Zygi, not Childress.
"We have a right to be proud, for in our veins flows the blood of many brave races who fought as the lion fights for lordship. Here, in the whirlpool of European races, the Ugric tribe bore down from Iceland the fighting spirit which Thor and Odin gave them, which their Berserkers displayed to such fell intent on the seaboards of Europe, ay, and of Asia and Africa too, till the peoples thought that the werewolves themselves had come."
-from Bram Stoker's Dracula
And Childress had no say in signing Moss?
Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.
- Paul Gauguin
Reports suggest it was spearheaded by Wilf
And since he writes the checks, I’m sure he was gonna get Moss either way.
"We have a right to be proud, for in our veins flows the blood of many brave races who fought as the lion fights for lordship. Here, in the whirlpool of European races, the Ugric tribe bore down from Iceland the fighting spirit which Thor and Odin gave them, which their Berserkers displayed to such fell intent on the seaboards of Europe, ay, and of Asia and Africa too, till the peoples thought that the werewolves themselves had come."
-from Bram Stoker's Dracula
Why aren't we suspending Moss rather than waiving him?
I seem to recall Philly (with Childress?) suspended Terrell Owens for his behavior with McNabb and others. Why don’t we just suspend Moss for conduct detrimental to the team? We might even have a shot (possibly) of not having to pay him during his suspension. And at a minimum, it keeps him from playing which make his last four half-ass effort games the image teams will have in mind when they are thinking of signing Randy to a two-year contract next year. If there’s a lock out next year, I wouldn’t be surprised if after a suspension, Moss had to play for the league minimum again. Didn’t he do that with the Patriots the first year?
+1
I’ve been saying this to friends recently too. Moss is been behaving badly, OK, I get it. But releasing him? To go to another team? That just seems risky. Bench him, suspend him- do something that keeps him out of the NFL all together.
Would they still have to have him on the 53-man roster if they did that?
Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.
- Paul Gauguin
by Skol Girl on Nov 3, 2010 9:04 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Yes. Only 45 are active for each game
But it also would mean that we’d have to pay him. Now that he’s been waived, Tennessee is on the hook for his salary.
"We have a right to be proud, for in our veins flows the blood of many brave races who fought as the lion fights for lordship. Here, in the whirlpool of European races, the Ugric tribe bore down from Iceland the fighting spirit which Thor and Odin gave them, which their Berserkers displayed to such fell intent on the seaboards of Europe, ay, and of Asia and Africa too, till the peoples thought that the werewolves themselves had come."
-from Bram Stoker's Dracula
No doubt
"We have a right to be proud, for in our veins flows the blood of many brave races who fought as the lion fights for lordship. Here, in the whirlpool of European races, the Ugric tribe bore down from Iceland the fighting spirit which Thor and Odin gave them, which their Berserkers displayed to such fell intent on the seaboards of Europe, ay, and of Asia and Africa too, till the peoples thought that the werewolves themselves had come."
-from Bram Stoker's Dracula
Brad Childress
I haven’t posted here before, but the goings-on have just become too much. I thought I would put my five cent psychoanalysis of the coach in the record.
I would diagnose Childress, with my psychology 101 background, as a passive aggressive personality with an inferiority complex. He ceded control to Favre when he showed up last year at the airstrip to pick him up. It made him look like a supplicant. Ever since, he’s been trying to regain control, and hasn’t been able to do it. It was amplified this year when he sent the three players down to Mississippi to beg (yes, that’s the right word) him to return. If Favre and the team had any respect for him before that, it was gone then.
He seethes when Favre refuses to follow his game plan, and lashes out at him for looking left instead of right on the interception. With Randy Moss, it’s his insecurity. Moss essentially called him out as a poseur, telling the world out loud what the Vikings players have thought, and Favre has hinted at — Childress doesn’t know what he’s doing when it comes to coaching the team or developing a game plan.
Childress’ ego was damaged, that’s why Moss had to go. The fact that Moss effusively praised Bill Belichick while trashing the Vikings game plan says it all. And let’s not forget, this is not the first time that Childress has gotten rid of a receiver who called out any shortcomings. Don’t forget Marcus Robinson being released on Christmas with one game to go in the season.
The sin that Randy Moss is guilty of is saying out loud what everybody in the locker room was thinking. It doesn’t make him a good guy, a good teammate or someone you want on the team. But it doesn’t make him wrong. I think Favre and Moss are right to criticize Childress’s game plan, and a lack of adjustments to what the other team is doing. Brad just doesn’t want everybody else knowing.
You may be very right in your analysis of Childress
He is stubborn and, if you really want to delve, probably still feels inferior to Andy Reid. But, Moss is guilty of more than just saying that Childress didn’t use his insights to plan for the game with the Patriots. Regardless how how Moss might personally feel about the coach, he’s a professional paid millions of dollars to play. Moss personal feelings about the coach were affecting his performance on the field.
Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.
- Paul Gauguin
hatred for Childress is blinding people to one simple fact.
This guy is a bad actor.
From Notre Dame, to Florida State, to Minnesota, to Oakland, to New England, back to Minnesota. It never works out for him. (ok, maybe it worked at Marshall) But, the reason is obvious.
Which begs a question. How many of you would remarry your ex? And if you were so foolish(because you were blinded by lust?), how many of you would be surprised when it ended in tears… for the 2nd time?
by ohplease on Nov 3, 2010 11:11 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Yep.
Getting involved with Randy Moss and then being surprised because he’s acting like a jerk again is like getting involved with a toxic ex and then being surprised that things aren’t working. Moss has an established pattern of this kind of behavior. He pulls himself together and says good stuff at the start, but that only lasts until something sets him off and he feels unappreciated or disrespected and then he lets the crazy out—just like he’s done since high school.
Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.
- Paul Gauguin
It's Wednesday already...time to move on
I agree Chilly should go, but it’s not going to happen – yet. My question is who is filling the roster spot? I haven’t heard a thing.
Hank Baskett baby. hahahaha.. I don’t even want to think about it. I sure hope the keep Percy in the slot, it is where he thrives.. Lord knows Berrian cant catch a damn ball to save his life.
This is what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps!
Well...
Either that or bring back TROY WILLIAMSON!!!! hahahaha, honestly, I have no idea. Camrillo needs to start stepping up and getting involved though
This is what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps!
Oh Please
You guys need to wake up and stop making excuses for Childress.. Hey in the press conference did’t Chilly say he had no regrets with having moss on the team… Then all of a sudden out of the blue we get this lame story about the food incident… I understand we are fans and want to believe and have faith in the coaching staff .. but please .. why did it take so long for this story to come out .. Why because its pure B.S. oh i believe the incident happened but it is not the reason chilly got rid of moss .. The Reason that moss is gone is because of Childress’s ego .. If he could it would have been Brett Farve that was cut .. Anyone that has the nerve to disagree or say anything he dont like has to go .. Childress believes he is the team owner.. And in a way he is because Ziggy Wilf is a very weak owner that has no clue about the game of football.. And Childress is totally taking advantage of him .. This team is doomed as long as Childress is the coach .. And if the Wilf family don’t wake up soon the team will be playing in LA… And god knows non of us what that to happen .. And for the record i have been a Vikings fan my entire life .. I go all the way back to Joe Kapp, Francis X Tarkenton and Chuck Forman era (When we had a real coach Bud Grant)… Yes I cried thru 4 count them 4 superbowl loses and the almost perfect season that ended with the Championship game loss to Atlanta (I’m stil not over the loss last year….. So I am no fair weather fan… I will be a Viking Fan for life.. But i honestly hope we dont win another game this season (this breaks my heart to say) but something has to happen to make the owners of this team wake up and realize childress is a monster and is destroying this great team …
by VikinginCalifornia on Nov 3, 2010 11:22 AM CDT reply actions
LA
well then the Wolfe says goodbye, sells the team, and off to LA they go.
This is what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps!
Who's The Owner ???
Is Childress the owner or is Ziggy the owner …. Even a drunk can see Childress have no respect for the Owners of this team .. He make the decisions he want to make without even letting his bosses know .. Why because he will get his way no matter what .. Ziggy need to sell this team and go back to his comic strip
by VikinginCalifornia on Nov 3, 2010 12:38 PM CDT up reply actions
DONT SELL!!!
Honestly, I don’t care how bad this team is, I have no idea what I would do if I couldn’t go to football games at the dome anymore. Deep depression would set in.
This is what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps!
Sell
But stay In Minnesota ..
Ex players and coaches like allen page, and bud grant fran tarkenton should get together with some investors and buy the team and save us from these clowns ..
by VikinginCalifornia on Nov 3, 2010 1:44 PM CDT up reply actions
childress
Chilly knew what he was doing or even was expected to do when they brought moss here. If they didn’t it is another feather in the imcompotent hat.
Either way you don’t give away a 3rd for a 7th and pay a huge contract just because he doesn’t like some restaurants food. We all know this is just one of those stories to let chilly point to why he did what he did but it again points to the inability to manage his own players, especially one who has been in a system as good as new england. Granted he may have acted poorly but you find other ways to discipine your players, how did he not learn this from philly with TO???
He blanently fucked the team giving away our 3rd for what? We now are out a 3rd for someone who isn’t on our team anymore, someone please post moss stats from the 4 games because they got to be the most overpaid for stats for the cost of a 3rd.
How can wilf not see how terrible this guy is?
by FSUViking on Nov 3, 2010 11:52 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
His stats are better than
Berrian’s stats in the whole season.
Better than Moss’s own stats in his first four at New England w/ Brady this year.
and his stats made Harvin’s stats better as well.
But I mean, he was hurting the team. Rite?
Moss
The food catering incident sounds like more than just a behavior problem. Apparently he was screaming, uh about food, a seemingly swell layout of food. With a mental case, you don’t know what they are going to do next. The mental hospitals are full of these people.
This ugly situation cost a 3rd round pick. Ugh.
i just dont know
why didnt they bench him for that? and why was his behavior seemingly otherwise fine and his relationship with teammates seemed to be fine?
A thought on the caterer incident
The alleged episode with the caterer is one that is said to have happened in front of the entire team and was directed at an outsider. If that story is true, and it hasn’t been refuted yet, then one of the strangest elements in the outburst is that it seemed so out of proportion to the situation. Seriously, if you don’t like the food, don’t eat it—no one was making Moss eat.
It’s possible that there are other incidents but that they didn’t happen in front of so many people—but as fans without access to Winterpark we don’t know. We can debate a lot of stuff and say that Moss was released solely because he “complained” about the food, but we didn’t spend time with Moss in team meetings or practices. It’s easy for fans to point to this story and say that the Vikings are overreacting and that they cut Moss just because he didn’t like what was being served in the cafeteria, but I haven’t heard this incident used as the reason why Moss was waived. I’ve only heard it used as an example of why some of his Vikings teammates weren’t sorry to see him go.
Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.
- Paul Gauguin
LOL
The only mental case on this team is Childress..
by VikinginCalifornia on Nov 3, 2010 12:13 PM CDT reply actions
just throwing this out there...
NFL’s Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse.
The first offense is generally not publicized, and the player is placed into a counseling program by the NFL. A second offense results in a four-game suspension. The third offense to the NFL’s substance abuse policy results in a one-year ban.
but...
“The first offense is generally not publicized…”
This has happened to Randy before, allegedly.
Shoot
Considering Randy Moss’ history of behavior toward people when he’s upset, that caterer is just lucky that Moss didn’t come after him with his car.
Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.
- Paul Gauguin
It's interesting what Favre isn't saying.
For as much as he wanted to have Moss on the team, he isn’t really expressing regret that Moss is gone or raving about what a good teammate Moss was—that just seems interesting to me. From what I’ve read Favre has said the move surprised him, but that in the NFL that is the way it can go—here today and gone tomorrow.
Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.
- Paul Gauguin
Enjoy the rollercoaster.
He’s a talent like nothing football has seen before, but the dude is crazy.
Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.
- Paul Gauguin
interesting
Something like 19 teams passed on Randy(not sure about NO and GB)
It's U
There has been alot said of moss not trying hard enough to catch a ball that pass interference was called on, And that he takes plays off. I have never seen a wide receiver run all out on every play, And fooling a defensive back is part of there jobs. I noticed a change in moss at the end of the 2nd quarter in Green bay, vikings have the ball with time outs, and just laid on the ball, while moss was running down field, thinking what we all were, that they would try to get into field goal range. Who quit then not moss, and you could see the disappointment all over his face. And throwing to a pro bowl wide receiver 2 times on the road, is a disgrace to the offense.
A Big FU to Childress...
I could care less about what Moss did or didn’t do, he made this team better, and after giving up a 3rd draft choice on a team that isn’t getting any younger, this is just plain asinine.
Childress is a piece of shit. I have HATED him since `08, I cringe every time a major coaching decision is made, whether it be a replay challenge or going for it on 4th down. He isn’t to blame for everything, but I would guarantee 90% of the other coaches in the league would be able to do more with this teams talent.
I am and will always be a Vikings fan, regardless of how f-ed up they seem to be, but it SUCKS, just F-ING SUCKS to cheer for a team that has a coach that you hate. My enthusiasm for this season hasn’t dropped because of our record, but because of Childress. I look forward to the day he is canned.
So I disagree that it certainly is US (well, Childress) and not Moss.
by San Diego Viking on Nov 3, 2010 5:19 PM CDT reply actions
How many examples are there of Favre not taking practice, film study, and games seriously? I’m trying but I can’t think of any.
Answer: Training camp for the last, oh, five years.
/good read, though
"Brandon Jennings needs a nickname before he gives himself one. Oh wait, Young Money, he already did."
No argument.
Yep, Farve does hose the beginning of the season by skipping training camp. However, once he’s in, he’s all in.
Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.
- Paul Gauguin
Farve is a excellent mental student of the game but...
He is kind of like the kid who never had to study to get ’A’s. There comes a time where you need to have more preparation to get the same results… example (Training camp this year).
As he has become less mobile this year, he needs a better feel for where to throw the ball and where receivers will be. I know he is great at spending time looking at game film to find weakness/ tendencies to exploit, but the timing needs to be there if he can’t scramble around to let a WR uncover.
Lets hope our “preseason” is over and the victories come in bunches!
Someday...Vikings win a superbowl!
by MadisonViking on Nov 3, 2010 6:47 PM CDT up reply actions
A thought.
I’m going to kinda take something I posted earlier and do my usual rambling addition to it.
There is a point to all of this that I have been sharing with everyone who will listen. (Most tell me to go away, but I just keep scooting down the barstools so that they can’t escape.) We just took a rare NFL talent and released him… to someone else.
Granted, the Titans aren’t on our schedule. But what if in some crazy universe we actually made it to the Super Bowl… and it’s the Titans on the other side?? We just made potential opponents better. And ANY team in the NFL is a potential opponent. Granted, we could have ‘given’ him to an AFC team with 0 shot of making it to the Super Bowl (Broncos, Jags, etc.) and who wasn’t on our schedule, but alas, with the waiver wire you have no such control.
Randy is undoubtedly pissed off at us right now. He didn’t appear that pissed off about the Pats releasing him, and therefore that feared chip on his shoulder was nonexistent in that game. But- like Randy or not- he’s a fearsome talent when motivated, and chips on his shoulder serve often as a form of motivation for that freak.
Why- WHY- did we let that happen? Why did we waste a 3rd rounder just to make the Titans better? I’m not saying he WILL- hell, try and predict this guy at this point. I dare ya. But it COULD happen.
Bench him, suspend him for acting like a jerk. Teams have that ability. Granted, you can’t indefinitely suspend a player by NFLPA rules, but there is ABSOLUTELY no rule on when you have to and when you don’t have to play a guy. Make him a third stringer and point to the bench. And shrug when he has a hissy fit and marches to the locker room. Keep him here, where he can’t do damage to us on the field.
That said- there is the counterpoint to my own argument that I’m willing to understand. IF there was a real threat to what he was doing to the locker room, then perhaps releasing him was for the best. A lot of people have been pointing out how Harvin clung to him like glue. Granted, Moss did the same thing with Carter in ‘98… and gained absolutely none of his incredible workman play spirit. So maybe, just maybe, Harvin wouldn’t have gained Moss’ penchant for acting like a prick and taking plays off.
But what if he was? Harvin looked up to Favre as well, and had more of a history there, but Favre is a QB, not a WR. Moss was probably more likely to have the bigger influence. And Favre has his own drama elements to boot, although, as Skol Girl has pointed out, they are typically the polar opposites of Moss’. Maybe players like Favre started to see a subtle change in Harvin. Maybe Harvin was starting to walk around with a more entitled, diva-ish air.
In our WR corps, there really wasn’t a talented vet to counter Moss’ potential effects. Rice isn’t a vet, and Berrian really doesn’t have the resume, talent, or production to challenge Moss’ authority. Hell- Harvin is better than Berrian and probably knows it.
So- there’s the question I wish I could have answered to really judge how I feel about this. Waiving seems, at this point, silly. Rice isn’t coming back tomorrow, and I still have reservations if he will be back at 100% this season. Moss WAS taking the ‘top of the defense off’. And- again- if you just don’t want the guy on the field regardless, BENCH his lazy punk ass. It’s not like we needed to free up a roster spot or save the money left on his contract. (We would have been on the hook for that second part ANYWAYS had he cleared the entire waiver wire.) BUT, if Harvin was starting to show negative signs that would impact this franchise and this team for years to come, you HAVE to take action. Moss was a rental all along anyways- it was fairly unlikely we were going to resign him for a lockout year. Harvin, on the other hand, represents a real part of our future. The last thing we’d want is to just trade him off to the Raiders in 5 or 6 years.
A side note: I agree with those who say this is about him calling out Chilly, sadly. Why wasn’t Moss punished sooner for the locker room catering incident? Why is it just now coming out? It does seem to be a bit of a ‘spin’- don’t make it because Chilly couldn’t stand his presence or saw him as a threat, make it because he was a jerk and locker room cancer. I dunno, at the end, even if releasing him WAS the right idea in theory, I still will always suspect the reasons behind the final decision.
Ramble done.
Um, yeah...
Don’t have to worry about Super Bowl man. Chilly is the worst big game coach ever, and looking at road play off wins needed as a wild card team? Please.
I hate to say it, but the best thing that happened last year was losing the NFC title game. Chilly would have gotten annhilated in the Super Bowl, would have ripped my heart out worse than this pathetic excuse for a season so far.
Sorry. Can't agree with that.
Chilly is terrible at game management, but last year’s team was talented enough and successful enough to win anyway. The loss to New Orleans was the result of a number of factors (e.g. an insane number of fumbles, bad coaching in the critical final moments of regular time, an unlucky flip of the coin for OT, and TERRIBLE officiating). I don’t think that perfect storm of issues shows up again two weeks later in the Superbowl. Just my opinion of course.
Do you honestly...
think Chilly tries an onside kick after the half? The Colts were the better team, it was coaching that was the difference. I think Minnesota would have lost a close game to the Colts.
I truly believe that.
Okay
I don’t have any trouble believing that the Vikings would have lost a close game to the Colts, but I was responding to your earlier statement that “Chilly would have gotten annihilated in the Super Bowl…” However, if I attempted to be objective for a moment (which really isn’t possible for me in this circumstance), I’d have put my money on the Vikings against the Colts. When Payton is subjected to relentless pressure he isn’t as good as he is when given lots of time. This year, he’d kill us. Last year, I dunno. I think that was our shot.
A viewpoint from the other side of the pond.
The catering incident did not have anything at all to do with Chilly getting rid of Moss. I would imagine those kinds of incidents happen all the time. You just never hear about them. You have ass holes and you have nice guys. You have guys who are moody where one minute they are a nice guy, the next they are a prick. Randy strikes me as this sort of guy. At the end of the day though what the hell does a catering incident have to do with football? It is totally irrelevant.
This cancer in the locker room talk is bullshit. Everywhere Randy has been his team mates have said he is indeed a good team mate in the locker room, in practice and on the field. I heard he gave a great half time speech in the Dallas game that really motivated the players. You won’t see headlines on that though.
Yes he seems to take plays off when his number isn’t called. He doesn’t seem like the hardest worker in the NFL. But guess what. You don’t catch more TDs than anyone else in the history of the NFL except Jerry Rice on talent alone. There are some freakish talented individuals that didn’t make it. Pro athletes make it because they make more sacrifices and put in more work on their game than the average person. Then you have pro athletes that had an ordinary career. Randy is one of the best WRs to have played the game. The numbers, records and awards tell you that. Yet the disrespect is incredible.
A lot of talk about the PI and Randy not trying to catch it. I am sure he would want to score a touchdown so I do not quite understand why he would choose not to catch a ball he could while wide open with the end zone in front of him. Maybe he switched off mentally when the play was flagged I don’t know. But it’s not enough for me to judge him and say he didn’t care. He cared enough to score 153 TDs previously.
Randy’s problem is if he doesn’t feel he is not being involved in the play enough, if he isn’t loved enough and if his team is losing all the time he’ll let everyone know about it. He’ll bitch and moan and call people out. A good coach knows how to handle that. Being a head coach is about managing personalities. There is the argument that these players are paid millions to do their jobs and should just get on with it. It is a good argument but if it were as simple as that then why do we have head coaches? Why do they get paid millions? Is the ability to handle personalities not a part of the job?
If you have pro bowlers all over the field on offense and defense and you still can’t win what do you do? Rebuild the team or fire the coach?
I did not see or hear anything negative about Moss for 3 years while he was in New England. Everything was positive. They chose to get rid of him because their offense is going in a different direction. They drafted 2 dynamic tight ends and were taking less shots down the field. Moss did not get to even discuss a new contract. The writing was on the wall. Hence his press conference. The coach decided to trade him before he became a problem. Totally understandable. From both sides. Moss not happy he’s not getting thrown too or discussing a new contract. Coach who is going in another direction decides to get rid of any potential problem sooner rather than later.
Chilly though brings Moss in but doesn’t incorporate him into his game plan. Probably threw 1 deep ball a game IF that in the 4 games Moss played. The first sign of trouble was the end of the first half in Green Bay when Moss threw his arms in the air when Chilly decided to run down the clock and go to the locker room rather than going for a score. All Vikings fans were in agreement with Moss that time. But not when he called out the coaching staff after the New England game?
Chilly got rid of Moss because he told the world what a lot of us already know. The guy is a bad head coach. Chilly couldn’t have that so he got rid of Randy. You can tell a lot of the players are pissed off with the decision. They know their head coach is bad and they have lost a great player. The team is weaker now than it was a week ago. No defense is going to respect the deep pass. It will be 8 and 9 in the box. Double coverage on Harvin. Hope AP can break 3 tackles on every run. Hope for magic from a beat up Favre who probably wishes he stayed retired.
It will be interesting to see what happens against Arizona.
Pretty sure we did see headlines on that halftime speech.
How did you hear of it?
They were not as predominant as the negatives.
by UK Viking fan on Nov 4, 2010 1:50 PM CDT up reply actions
Greg Camarillo is not one of those players.
He said that Randy is a good player, but not a team player.
Well if Greg said so it must be true. Never mind what Harvin, Peterson, Berrian, Kerry Collins, Tom Brady have said.
by UK Viking fan on Nov 4, 2010 1:54 PM CDT up reply actions
You might want to read some of the stuff former teammates have had to say about Moss' antics the first time he was a Viking.
Moss has been a diva for a long time and it hasn’t been a secret. However, the first time he was a Viking he came in as a rookie who had slipped significantly in the draft and had a lot of veteran players to keep him in line. I have a feeling that Cris Carter cannot get nearly enough credit for keeping Moss in line when Moss was a rookie.
In light of Moss’ most recent exodus from the Vikings, reporters have been talking to some of his former teammates and it is kind of like that nursery rhyme about the girl with the curl on her forehead because when Moss was good he was very good but when he was bad he was horrible. Pete Bercich was both a teammate of Moss’ and was later on the coaching staff when Moss was a Viking from 1998-2005. He said that Moss “did his own thing” taking plays off as early as his first few years in the NFL and that the longer he was in the NFL the more noticeable it was that Moss was taking plays off. There was also his famous “I’ll play when I want to play” line too.
Randy Moss has the kind of talent that will always have people making excuses for him, but giving up on plays in the fourth quarter of a game that was still within reach is inexcusable. Last year in interviews some of the Vikings receivers said that you had to always stay alert because you never knew when Favre was going to fling the ball your way based on what he saw on the field. And, anyone who has watched Favre play at all knows how he loves to take advantages of penalties on opposing defenses to take shots down the field. That’s why so many of us out in Vikings land are amazed by Moss giving up on the play that drew the pass interference penalty in the Patriots game—the game was still winnable at that point, the other Vikings receivers know that you don’t let up while Favre still has the ball (especially in the fourth quarter when you’re trying to win a game), and with the defensive penalty it was a free shot. There was no harm in trying to get the ball even if he didn’t make it, but the fact that Moss didn’t even try is the thing that his critics take exception to.
Yes, Moss is a once in a generation talent. Sure, he’s capable of being pleasant and charming when he wants to be. And, absolutely, he has made friends over the course of his career who think highly of him. But, he’s also left teams, throughout his career, because, in spite of his talent, he isn’t a team player. He’s a good player and has great football smarts, but he isn’t a team guy. The Vikings needed him to be a team player and that required something more than a good half-time speech, it required showing up for every play to help turn a losing season around.
Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.
- Paul Gauguin
Randy, you broke our heart!!!!
I USED to be a Randy Moss fan. I will always have 1998. But Randy Moss turned his back on the Vikings when we needed him most. I hope he will be happy as a Titan. We don’t need him. RANDY, YOU BROKE OUR HEART!!!!
SKOL VIKINGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
by North Ranger on Nov 4, 2010 2:24 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
It takes all kinds
As in life it is in football. You have to take your divas with your hard workers. For every Randy there are a dozen Greg Lewis’ and Hank Baskett’s.
The problem here is the Vikings don’t have the proper leadership to pull it all together. The reason it fell apart so quickly is because Randy recognized the huge gap between Belicheck and Childress.
It isn’t Randy’s job to make halftime adjustments and speeches, he tried it and it didn’t work. He quit on Childress, but how many other Vikings have already done that, albeit silently?
Love your avatar.
Although I question her choice of beer. I used to buy the 64 oz. jugs with the finger loop when I was a kid, but I now know how good beer can be.
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