THE STOMACH PUNCH FROM OUR LAZY HERO

By: Neal Coolong

In today's NFL, superstars don't need to play all 60 minutes anymore. Were you aware of this? It’s true; it’s football’s version of clocking out five minutes early. Most bosses in the corporate world would be upset with that admission, but hasn't Randy Moss taught us anything?  

Along with the several plays he dogs every game, Moss decided to stick it to every single tortured Vikings fan by walking off the field with two seconds on the clock last week against Washington. Was the game winnable for the Purple? No. But it's difficult to come up with anything lasting two seconds that is worth his punch-in-the-stomach move.  

Two seconds. It's the time we wait for a stoplight to change. A few fractions of a penny for a long distance call. It's the average amount of time it takes to quit our exercise routine and pop in a movie. But for Moss, those two seconds add to a distinguished list of time wasted since he was drafted.  

This is the same wide receiver that had the gall to state he plays when he wants. He takes plays off. He doesn't care what people think of him. He won’t talk to local reporters and has to be prodded to actually apologize for his mistakes.  

Despite the national media's opinion, he is still the same immature player he was when he got kicked out of Florida State his freshman year. He displays no discipline whatsoever, and that's fine for Vikings owner Red McCombs. Former coach Dennis Green didn't care what he did. Current coach Mike Tice seems to care even less.  

Is there any wonder why the Vikings have dropped to Ben Affleck-like depths at the end of the past two seasons? The last two seasons the Vikings have started out a combined 11-1, but ended each season 3-7. Only in 2004 can a team that has finished as poorly as the Vikings still make the playoffs.  

But even more depressing for Vikings fans how Moss compares to his peers. It's not a coincidence that of the top four receivers in the league -- Moss, Indianapolis' Marvin Harrison, Philadelphia's Terrell Owens and Pittsburgh's Hines Ward -- Moss is the only one who can't make a solid argument as to why his team can win a Super Bowl this season. All four have comparable quarterbacks, but while the Vikings lounge at 8-8, The Colts, Steelers and Eagles have a combined 39 wins.  

Owens, while flamboyant and a pain in the neck for the league office, is deadly across the middle and is a mismatch against any cornerback in the league. But it's his intensity on the field that had the Eagles poised to head to Jacksonville before the ankle injury.  

It's Harrison's nearly-pathological desire to make Peyton Manning-to-Harrison second-nature. His teammates see his dedication through the progression of routes he and Manning run before every game and practice.  

It's Ward's teeth-rattling blocks down field that inspire his teammates to play to the whistle.  

How does Moss inspire his teammates? With alligator-armed efforts across the middle. Walking off the field on running plays to his opposite side after the ball is snapped. Sideline tantrums and lack of even the smallest bit of enthusiasm on the sidelines, ensuring the Vikings will never win that elusive Super Bowl while he is on the roster.  

Simply put, it's about heart and guts, and Moss has about as much of those qualities as the 49ers have wins.

And the Vikings don't get a top draft pick in return for his bad attitude.

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