LeBron James vs. Randy Moss: Who's More Annoying With the Media?
LeBron James vs. Randy Moss in a battle of media relations: It's an interesting debate.
The players are two of the most polarizing figures in all of sports, and there's plenty of reasons why.
LeBron angered a whole city—and, in reality, a nation— this past summer. Moss is looked at as a team killer and a lazy football player who only cares about himself.
Neither are well-liked—unless they happen to play for your team—and both have some trouble with the media.
With that in mind, here are five incidents each had had with the media and a conclusion on who's the worst when it comes to dealing with the press.
No. 5 Randy: First Titans Press Conference
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After Randy Moss' first practice with the Tennessee Titans, he met with the media and asked...
Moss: What do you expect from me effort wise?
Reporter: Well other people…
Moss: I didn’t say other people. What do you expect from me effort wise?
Reporter: I don’t know what to expect.
Moss: I don’t know what to expect, neither. Next question.
That's vintage Randy for you.
Then again, don't ask a stupid question, and you won't get that type of response back.
No. 5: LeBron: Thoughts on Nike Ad Parody
2 of 11LeBron James' Nike ad drew a lot of parodies from a lot of corners.
It was only a matter of time before the fans of Cleveland got their hands on it and made it their own.
It takes the original ad and splices in reaction from the people of Cleveland about LeBron's very public exit from the city he had called his home for his entire career. After the ad hit the Internet, the media asked LeBron what he thought of the ad.
"It was all right," James said. "They could have done a better job."
Smooth move, LeBron.
No. 4 Randy: Giving Props to the Patriots
3 of 11After Randy Moss played against his former team, the New England Patriots, all he did was talk about the opposing team and how much love and respect he had for his former coach and teammates.
That would have been all well and good if he were still on the Patriots. But he was a member of the Vikings for that game.
He was waived by Minnesota shortly after, landing in Tennessee on the waiver wire, making it his third team this season.
Fun times.
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No. 4: LeBron: Comments about Playing Time
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After the Miami Heat lost to the Boston Celtics for the second time this season, LeBron James took the podium and looked at the box score.
Then he let the media know what he thought about the way the playing time stacked up in the loss to the Celtics.
“For myself, 44 minutes is too much,” James said. “I think Coach Spo knows that. Forty minutes for D-Wade is too much. We have to have as much energy as we can to finish games out.”
It's not like LeBron just got a big, fat contract. And it's not like it wasn't a big grudge-match game against a team that's going to be a factor in the East this year.
Other than that, it was no big deal.
No. 3: Randy: Ready to Go Home
5 of 11Before the Super Bowl against the New York Giants, Randy Moss was talking about the game and he seemed excited about it.
Only for the sheer fact that he just wanted to go home and get the game over with.
He's playing in his first Super Bowl, a game that some players never get to in their entire career. And he's just ready to go home.
The Patriots lost the game, and Moss still doesn't have a Super Bowl ring.
Either way, he should have kept his mouth shut.
No. 3: LeBron: Tackling Racial Issues
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When LeBron James was asked about the backlash of The Decision and his Q rating, which had fallen through the floor after his plan to go to Miami, and if race played a factor, LeBron agreed.
"I think so at times," James replied. "It's always, you know, a race factor."
It set off a firestorm and a lot of controversy about the comments. People said that James played the race factor in talking about it, and that the situation was more about him and his arrogance than the color of his skin.
I'd have to agree, but there are people out there that hate him for his race.
No. 2 Randy: Will Only Take Questions from Himself
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After Randy Moss was fined for not speaking to the media after a game, he took the podium and told the reporters that he would only ask himself questions during media sessions.
"I do answer questions throughout the week, and for the league to fine me $25,000...," Moss said. "I am not going to answer any more questions for the rest of this year. If it is going to be an interview, I am going to conduct it. So, I will answer my own questions and ask myself the questions and give you the answers. So from here on out, I am not answering any more questions the rest of this season."
That sounds about right.
No. 2 LeBron: Nike Ad
8 of 11When LeBron James' new shoes were set to hit stores, he and Nike released an ad campaign addressing what happened during the summer.
It's a pretty well-done ad. But at the same time, it's insufferable.
It doesn't mention how arrogant he was in creating an hour-long special for himself and breaking Cleveland's heart on national television. It makes some valid points, but it doesn't change how the situation was handled.
It wasn't well-received among a lot of people.
No. 1 Randy: Week 1 Press Conference
9 of 11The New England Patriots had just started the season and started it with a beatdown of the Cincinnati Bengals, a team that had Super Bowl aspirations coming into the season.
And Randy Moss decided it was time to talk about his contract.
Moss went on a rant about how it was likely going to be his last year in New England because he knew the business and how things work in the NFL. Not only that, but he blasted the media, saying that he felt there was people that didn't want him to succeed.
It wasn't the time or the place. Not long after, he was traded to Minnesota.
No. 1 LeBron: The Decision
10 of 11It had to come to this for LeBron James.
It was the biggest spectacle in the history of sports, and it revolved around one man.
James and ESPN put together an hour of television where he would announce his intentions for this NBA season, and it was the Miami Heat.
It was a big ego stroke for LeBron. Even though the proceeds went to charity, people were outraged by what James was doing.
It wasn't the LeBron that people had seen for years in Cleveland, and people were angry.
Conclusion
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In the end, it has to be LeBron who is more annoying with the media.
Don't get me wrong. Randy Moss can be annoying and has done it in the past.
However, here's the difference for me.
I think Moss is just being himself and he makes no apologies for that. The person we see LeBron as right now, I think, is this manufactured persona.
He wasn't a villain, and he was never this assassin on the court. He was a guy who loved playing the game and fooling around with his teammates.
I don't know what happened to that LeBron James, but I want him back. I think a lot of fans do.
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