Have you ever smoked weed? I have, and I’ve written about it in the very pages of this paper. So far, I’ve received no invitations from Judy Johnson at Student Conduct, which is how it should be. The NFL, however, seems to disagree with this policy.
Most of us have seen, or at least heard about, Randy Moss’ interview on HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel in which Moss admits to having smoked marijuana during his time on the NFL. No one acted surprised. This was, after all, the same guy who blew free rides to Notre Dame and Florida State before finding a home at Marshall. There, he became quick buddies with Jason “White Chocolate Thai Stix” Williams, who was booted from Florida for smoking weed and subsequently suspended in the NBA for burning a little more than just a few defenders.
Why then is Moss’ admission such a big deal? Because now the NFL sees fit to put the controversial star into its drug-testing program. That stinks worse than a VW bus at a Phish concert.
No one is saying Moss is perfect. In fact, he might be the most flawed superstar we’ve seen in an era where flawed superstars seem the norm. Yet, there is an allure to Moss’ don’t-give-a-damn attitude that is undeniable. Every action he makes is scrutinized for its seeming lack of respect, but watched repeatedly for the spectacle it creates. And the NFL has embraced it.
The love-hate relationship between Moss and the NFL is never more obvious than now. Moss, whose name graces the highest-selling jersey in the league, is one of the league’s star attractions. He makes highlight-reel plays and then headline-grabbing miscues. His interview on Real Sports is just another example. The news of the content of Moss’ interview was leaked about a week before the interview aired, yet the NFL remained silent. Most likely, they figured a suspension for the drug test they presumed he would fail would be sufficient. But Moss has never played by the rules, and he’s not about to start now.
It was reported this week by Fox Sports and ESPN that Moss was called in for a drug test on the basis of his Real Sports interview. Moss stands to be suspended if he does not report since two no-shows equals a suspension.
The NFL has to shoulder some of the blame for this fiasco, but much should also go to the media, whose sensationalist tactics and need for ratings have undermined their ability to produce effective journalism, and have put careers in jeopardy in the process.
Before Pardon The Interruption and Around The Horn, the media were relatively civil when it came to athletes. Those days are long gone, and the Moss incident goes to the top of the list of everything wrong with sports journalism.
For those who caught the interview, Bryant Gumbel truly made Wayne Brady look like Malcolm X. Wearing his polo shirt and dorky glasses, he had insane moments where he would dabble in ‘street talk,’ an obvious attempt to gain the trust of an insecure athlete who happened to be black. In doing so, Gumbel got what he wanted: a sensational story that grabbed ratings. It didn’t matter that it came at the expense of someone who did nothing but answer a stupid question with an honest answer.
How can athletes be expected to even stand in the same room as the media, let alone talk to them, without the fear of being ‘out-of-context’ the next day? Tiger Woods has pretty much stopped talking to reporters about anything not golf-related since he was quoted telling an off-the-record and off-color joke. Barry Bonds began using his website as his sole means of communicating with the media. Chad Pennington chided the media last year for its sensationalist tactics, and Herman Edwards did the same yesterday. Is anyone with a pen and pad getting the point yet? Sure, you may get a pat on the back from an editor for a great scoop, but you deserve to be working per diem for The National Enquirer.
So, let me be the first to say: FREE RANDY MOSS! And Judy, if you’re reading, I was just inhaling smoke, er, blowing smoke, uh, exaggerating. Nowadays, you can’t be too sure about what you say.
