Randy Moss should be suspended. On Sunday, on national TV, after scoring a touchdown that effectively ended the Packers' season, Moss ran under the goalpost, pretended to pull down his pants and
moon the crowd, then rubbed his backside against the goal post. Granted, I am a Packer fan, so I may take it more seriously than others, but I think he should get a one-game suspension.
For one, he has never exactly been a model citizen. His entire career has been defined by selfishness and stupid attitudes, none that match this latest incident. Just a week earlier, he walked off the field and into the locker room with two seconds left in a game, showing immense disrespect for his teammates who still had a shot at a last gasp miracle onside kick. When repeatedly asked by Fox analyst Jimmy Johnson if what he did was wrong, he finally said it was but that he might do it again.
But the larger picture is that this was not just a stupid display of selfishness, he provoked the crowd. Just a few weeks ago a melee occurred in a game between the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers which involved fans and players. Punches were thrown, chairs and drinks were thrown, arrests were made, suspensions were issued, fans were banned from the arena.
A disgusting act is one thing, but Moss' act was also an act that could have easily brought fans out of the stands or incited them to begin throwing items onto the field. 70,000 people were in the bleachers in a foul mood. I daresay in a few other NFL stadiums, Moss' actions would have resulted in a riot.
It is time for pro sports, entertainment and other high publicity segments of society to stop coddling these creeps. It is said that no publicity is bad publicity. Bad for who? Maybe Moss, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Jerry Springer and others get their faces in the public eye and become more "marketable" to a certain segment of society, but everybody else is demeaned in the process. Randy Moss may never learn decency or class, but if he learns, it will only happen if his actions are punished and if it is clear that his selfish stupidity affects others and not just himself. Let the Vikings play their next playoff game without Randy Moss. See if he likes the publicity then. Better for one team to suffer one game than for a full scale riot to break out in a 70,000 seat stadium.
By the way, Coach Mice Tice looks like about a six foot seven individual and talks tough in press conferences. Why isn't he willing to get in the face of Randy Moss and give him an ultimatum - shape up or sit out?
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