Randy Moss: You've Only Retired Because Nobody Likes You Anymore

Dear Mr. Moss,

You have never met me before, but I think it'd be in your best interests to listen to me. You won't like it, but someone should have told you this years ago. The only reason you retired today is because you finally seem to realize that nobody wants to deal with you.

Before I begin, let me first say that I used to love watching you play. I remember my father went on a business trip to Minneapolis one winter and came home with the No. 84 you wore with the Vikings. I still own that jersey to this day, though it is much smaller now.

The Vikings took you with the No. 21 pick out of Marshall University in the 1998 NFL Draft. You could have gone much earlier, but teams were concerned with your character. Still, the Vikings gambled on you and you made an immediate impact.

Your rookie season was one of the best in NFL history: 69 receptions, 1,313 yards and 17 touchdowns. Those stats won you Offensive Rookie of the Year and your first Pro Bowl berth, one of four you made with Minnesota. It wasn't long before you became the team's most popular player.

However, your attitude ultimately caught up with you. Demands for heavy contracts and run-ins with the law caused you to be traded in 2005. 

The team that happened to acquire you just happened to be my beloved Oakland Raiders. At the time, the Raiders needed an effective receiver to help electrify the offense and you could have been the perfect fit in the Bay Area. However, that was not to be.

The Randy Moss in Oakland experiment proved to be an ultimate failure. It lasted just two seasons and you were unbelievably lazy on the field. Your collective numbers over that stretch: 102 receptions, 1,558 yards and 11 touchdowns. Those used to be the numbers fans expected from you in a full season.

Worst about your tenure in Oakland, however, was how you ultimately betrayed the fans. In a famous interview, you declared, "I'll play when I want to play."

Sure enough, Al Davis traded you to the New England Patriots. There, you seemed to finally redeem yourself. You had a record-breaking season in 2007 as you caught 98 passes for 23 touchdowns.

Overall, the first three seasons in New England were good. Last year, however, the house fell down. Angry about your contract, you dogged it on the field and basically forced a trade back to the Vikings.

Back in Minnesota, what little respect people had for you dwindled down to nothing. You criticized both your coach and your teammates before having a well-publicized flipping out in the locker room over the free food you were served. Sure enough, you were placed on waivers and picked up by the Tennessee Titans, for whom you were a non-factor.

Your line for the 2010 season, Mr. Moss: 28 receptions, 393 yards and five touchdowns. Career lows in two of three categories.

This offseason, despite being just 34 years old, no team wanted to deal with you and offered you no contract. Had you not acted like a petulant child last season, that would not be the case. 

Complaining about complimentary food? Seriously, Mr, Moss? At age 33, you should have been considering yourself lucky that you were still in the NFL.

Don't get me wrong. On paper, you are a Hall of Famer. Your 135 career touchdowns are seventh in NFL history and your 14,858 yards rank fifth.

However, you are not a Hall of Fame individual and that is why you retired. Some experts expect you to make a comeback but if teams are smart, they won't give you a chance.

That all being said, Mr. Moss, I have one thing left to say to you. Someday, the time will come for the sportswriters of the world to vote for you to have a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I am here to tell you right now that based on the way you have behaved throughout your career, you will not get my vote.

If the rest of the voters read this, perhaps they will join me. Once you are denied that honor, perhaps you will realize that you should have played everyday instead of when you wanted to.

Sincerely,

Josh Benjamin