Thoughts on the Randy Moss Story

Immediately after Randy Moss pretended to moon the Lambeau fans Sunday, Fox's Joe Buck's trashed him on the air. This initial response turned out to set the tone for the rest of opinion media, which almost unanimously parroted Buck's disapproval until guardian of morality Tony Dungy said he didn't have any problem with it. The righteous indignation is starting to fade. And perhaps the story will disappear.

Who the fuck anointed Joe "Leon" Buck as the arbiter of right and wrong. I have news for Fox, no matter how many big events it tries to put Joe Buck at he is not, and never will be, Bob Costas. Buck is decent looking, well spoken, and prepares well for broadcasts, but if you take him out of a press box there is no proof the man has two thoughts to rub together. Costas, meanwhile, understands culture, proportion and history. He knows how to put things in context. Buck chided Moss for basically saying "Look at me," but Buck did the same thing. If Costas disapproved he would have done it with a story or an anecdote, something that directed the focus at the action. Buck's verbal spanking amounted to him saying, "Look at how good a person I am." Fuck you.

--I also suspect Fox's decision not to replay Moss' fake mooning had more to do with its fear of the FCC and Chairman Powell than in any true fear of broadcasting obscenity. I mean, we're talking about Fox here.

--Moss also may have finally achieved Allen Iverson status, which is to say that much of the criticism leveled at him comes in racially tinged terms. In sports, when white fans complain about the good old days, when they cry about "fundamentals" in the NBA, when the point to "hard workers" versus "guys who coast on talent," they are speaking in shorthand. It's all about plausible deniablity. There is a sizable portion of the white sports fan base that detests black athletes, especially those who refuse to "play by the rules." I'm not defending Allen Iverson's sentiments against practice. But the response to Iverson from white people, was he was a "me-first" player who coasted on his talent, playing a flashy style that lacked the fundamentals and who didn't understand what a privilege it was to be a pro athlete and was too selfish to put in the hard work. Moss has earned the same reputation. There will probably be more on this topic later.

--The choreographed end zone celebration may be on its last legs. Moss' antics were silly, but they got him noticed and that's the point. Players try to top each other every week, but it's getting to the point where someone is going to have to score a touchdown, slaughter a chicken, then smear the blood all over uniform and play the rest of the game that way.

--Moss is the reason why the Vikings can beat the Eagles.