Are Randy Moss and Terrell Owens The Last of the "Diva" Receivers?

Let's face it: Randy Moss and Terrell Owens are two of the best wide receivers in the history of the National Football League. That is a fact that no football fan could debate.

In the same breath, Moss and Owens are two of the most mercurial, unpredictable, and self-servient players to ever grace the field.

Why would players with such talent and outstanding ability go out of their way to make themselves the center of attention for the wrong reasons?

Doesn't the talent of such potent stars do more talking than anything that comes out of their lips could do?

Try convincing them of that.

Wide receiver has always been a position that has had the "diva" title follow behind it like a lurking shadow.

Receivers are responsible for making quarterbacks look good by running excellent routes, communicating without speaking, and obviously catching the football.

Receivers also are expected to stretch the field, command double-coverage, and score touchdowns. Maybe it's those responsibilities that make them feel more important than other positions.

Past receivers such as Michael Irvin, Joe Horn, and Keyshawn Johnson often made selfish remarks, demanded the ball, and looked to bring attention to themselves.

While talented and productive, their behavior brought tension to teammates and coaches, sometimes overshadowing their on-field production.

When Terrell Owens, a virtually unknown player out of Tennessee-Chattanooga, arrived in the NFL, nobody knew that he would become one of the most productive receivers of all-time.

Conversely, no one knew that he would help to usher in an era of receivers that let their selfishness and ego speak for them.

Owens destroyed the morale of any team in his wake on a rampage that has lasted much of his career.

Starting his career in San Francisco, Owens became known as a big play receiver who commanded double-coverage, but periodically dropped easy passes.

Owens would blame his quarterback for any issue that arose. Jeff Garcia, Donovan McNabb, Tony Romo, and even Trent Edwards, felt the burn of the flame that is Terrell Eldorado Owens.

His production remained top in the league every season, but so did his childlike-attitude and morale-killing ego-driven behaviors.

While playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, coach Andy Reid suspended Owens for four games and deactivated him for the season for his continued disparaging remarks about the team and namely QB Donovan McNabb.

Even as a seasoned veteran, Owens made more interesting comments about his current team, the Buffalo Bills.

In a terrible attempt to keep the media from "attacking" him as he accused, Owens responded after a loss earlier this season to every question by saying, "I went with the plays that were called."

Another seemingly under-handed attempt to demoralize his team.

Randy Moss, contrary to Owens,arrived in the NFL from Marshall University and was a highly-touted receiver who slipped to 21st in the NFL draft because of character concerns.

Those concerns turned out to be well-documented, as Moss wasted little time getting into trouble with the law and his team.

Moss squirted an official in the face with a water bottle, played when he felt like it, something he would later partially admit, smoked marijuana, and ran his car into law-enforcement.

In other words, the NFL was Moss' world and everyone else just lived in it.

Moss was quoted as saying, "Maybe because I'm unhappy and I'm not too much excited about what's going on, so, my concentration and focus level tend to go down sometimes when I'm in a bad mood."

What?

An NFL player, much-less a superstar making a comment like that? What kind of message does that send to up and coming athletes and children?

You quit when you don't have your way?

This issue was raised again recently with Moss receiving allegations from fellow players that he "shut it down" Sunday against the Panthers, a game that followed he and three other players being sent home earlier in the week.

Adalius Thomas, among the players sent home was deactivated for Sunday's game for making comments detrimental to the team.

After recent average play, Bill Belichick looked to motivate his team and sent Moss, Thomas, and two others home for arriving to practice late.

Moss showed his frustrations Sunday, appearing dejected and uninterested catching one ball for 16 yards, a ball that he would later fumble and be recovered by Carolina.

Why are we so surprised that this guy quit during a game with his past of the same behavior?

It is inexcusable as a professional to quit when you get upset, especially a future Hall-Of-Fame one like Moss.

In the same breath, it is just as ridiculous to feel like you're bigger than the team and can attack anyone whenever you deem it necessary.

Fortunately for fans, a new era of receiver has been ushered in for our enjoyment. Receivers who leave it all on the field and do and say the right things off of it.

Guys like Andre Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, and Reggie Wayne have made careers just doing the right things, catching the ball, and not taking shots at teammates in the media.

They've been a fresh breath of air compared to guys like Moss, Owens, and Steve Smith. We've enjoyed the talents of those guys for over a decade, but have had enough of the silly antics and false pride.

Hopefully, we don't have to witness another half-hearted effort from Moss in the future. With his history, he'll come back with a great game to showcase his amazing talents.

Maybe he'll surprise himself, but don't bet your weekly earnings on it.