Posted March 15, 2007
Mike Vandermause column: Forget the fans, bring in Moss
By Mike Vandermause
If Bob Harlan's telephone calls are any indication, two out of every three Packers fans are opposed to the team acquiring controversial receiver Randy Moss.
The potential trade hasn't advanced beyond the speculation stage, but the Packers chairman has been getting an earful from fans concerned that Moss would besmirch the Packers' reputation, integrity and class.
Ever the diplomat, Harlan listens patiently and offers callers a chance to vent. "I've had fans call me and say, 'Bob, I'd rather see you go 0-16 than do some things that were done here in the '80s,'" Harlan said.
No one wants to return to the days of Mossy Cade and Charles Martin, but comments like that are absurd.
Moss hasn't committed any felonies and hasn't engaged in blatant cheap shots on the field. His behavior cannot and should not be compared to some of the misdeeds that plagued the Packers two decades ago.
Without question, character matters in the NFL, and the Packers should investigate thoroughly every player they intend to acquire. That's common sense.
"Going all the way back to Ron Wolf and Mike Holmgren, we talked about any player we brought in here, does he bring baggage?" Harlan said. "As Ron used to say, where do you hide him in Green Bay? You don't. Players have to understand that. I even talk to coaches about that. You're very visible in this community. You represent this organization day and night. Watch what you do."
It would be one thing if Moss was a convicted criminal, but his minor run-in with a Minneapolis policewoman a few years ago hardly constitutes a federal offense.
What about the character of the fans who proclaim themselves the moral police of the Packers? Who decreed them judge and jury? Where did they get the right to dismiss another human being as unworthy?
Moss is no saint. He pretended to moon Packers fans at Lambeau Field after scoring a touchdown in a Minnesota Vikings' playoff victory in January 2005. Fans who were offended by that gesture should lighten up. Maybe it was a little over the top, but it was more playful than malicious.
Some say Moss has quit on the field when things haven't gone his way. But in the epitome of hypocrisy, those same accusers are threatening to quit on the Packers if the team signs Moss.
Koren Robinson is a bigger character risk than Moss, but that didn't stop the Packers from signing him last fall amid heavy criticism. Robinson is serving jail time for transgressions related to drunken driving, yet the Packers were willing to give him another chance.
"I have to admit, at the beginning I was concerned (about Robinson)," Harlan said. "The thing that swayed me is Ted said he had worked with the young man, and he was a good person, and if he made one more mistake, he wouldn't be here."
The biggest question surrounding Moss doesn't involve character, but rather how much ability remains in his 30-year-old tank. Many receivers have flourished at his age, and it's very likely he would combine with Brett Favre to ignite the Packers' offense.
Former Packers General Manager Ron Wolf said it best at Packers Fan Fest over the weekend when asked about Moss.
"You have to know what you're getting, but if he can help you win, there's no question that you go after him," Wolf said. "Guys like Randy Moss don't walk down the street every day. You cannot discount that."
If Moss is good enough for Wolf, he should be good enough for the high-and-mighty fans that are lobbying against him. |
