Feeling Randy

Flipping through the channels between "Seinfeld" and the NFL Network I came upon "Sports Tonight" on Comcast Sports Network with Tanguay and Felger. Like sports-talk radio, it's something I can only take in small doses hoping that some actual insight will come my way. It rarely does.

The show opened with a promo about Randy Moss mouthing off about not being wanted. Felger -- a well-known Moss basher -- was almost drooling. His take? Moss had once again shown that he is a selfish, spoiled diva like T.O. I can skip Felger and Mazz for the rest of the week because I know what they will be talking about.

The thing is... There was really nothing wrong with what Moss said. It was certainly not inflammatory. The flames will be fanned by the spouting heads, but not because of what he actually said. Which was this:

"When you have done so much and put so much work in, it kind of feels like I am not wanted. I am taking that in stride and playing my final year out and whatever the future holds is what it holds, but it is kind of a bad feeling -- feeling not wanted. It is not like my production has gone down. I am speaking from an individual standpoint. I don't know about [Patriots quarterback] Tom or whoever else's contract. I am a little older and understand the nature of the business -- the older you get the more your skills supposedly diminish, but I think I am getting wiser in how to use my physical skills. That's the frustrating part when you put so much heart and desire into things and feel like you are not wanted."

MOSS AND BRADY: Best yet to come?

So what's wrong with that? Where's the whining in that? Where's the nastiness? Moss is on the last year of his contract. A contract in which he took a reduced rate to come to New England and play with Tom Brady. He was going to be paid nearly $20 million over the last two years of his deal with Oakland. Instead, he agreed to reduce that to about $3 million. Very selfish. So now he wants a new deal. He deserves one. Moss is still one of the best three or four wide receivers in the game. You don't agree? Here are his stats since coming to the Pats:

2007: 98 catches, 1,493 yards, 23 touchdowns. Moss and Brady had the single greatest passing season a QB and receiver ever had. It was amazing to watch. So amazing I changed my fantasy football team name from Mansfield Maulers to Moss Racing after he bought a racing team. I bought a Moss shirt. For the record, I was not in favor of the Pats getting Moss. It wasn't that I thought he was selfish or a prima donna. I just didn't think he had much left in the tank. I sure was wrong. And watching him from the stands week after week it became obvious how much he loved to play and how much guys loved playing with him.

2008: 69 catches, 1,008 yards, 11 touchdowns. On the first drive of the season Brady goes down. Moss looked like a guy whose dog just died. Or whose girl had dumped him. And he looked that way for quite a few weeks. Can you blame him? The whole point of his coming here was to play with Brady and that was ruined just a few plays into the season. The next week at the home opener Moss sat mostly off by himself instead of right next to the QB where he belonged. Instead of helping Matt Cassell adjust he was mourning Brady. It was annoying and I kept waiting for Rodney to smack him on the head. But Moss, like the team, pulled out of their funk and put together a solid season, just missing the playoffs.

2009: 83 receptions, 1,264 yards, 13 touchdowns. This is often referred to as an off year for Moss. Felger will show the lowlights of his game against Carolina where the only catch he had ended in a fumble. It was a lousy game. Every player has them. Even Brady. But Moss was accused of dogging it. Turns out he had a bad back most of the season and still caught 83 passes. Ya, he was dogging it.

So now we come to year four of Moss Racing. 2010. Last year of the three-year deal he signed after his amazing, record-breaking 2007 season. Moss has done everything that has been asked of him and more. Brady clearly loves playing with him. Belichick loves coaching him. The guy busts his ass. If you don't sit in the stands watching him you might not get that from the way he is depicted in the media. Does he take some plays off? Sure. He's not a youngster. He needs to know when to burn energy and when not. Not every play involves him. Some game plans he's not the focus of the offense. And he knows it. That's the "I am getting wiser in how to use my physical skills" part of what he said.

He looks healthy and ready to go. If he stays healthy he -- and my fantasy team -- should have a great year. He wants a new contract. Just like Brady. Just like Mankins. Unlike Mankins, he hasn't accused Robert Kraft and the Patriots of lacking morals. The media hasn't made too much of Mankins's comments. They are depicted as being what you would expect from an angry player. I agree. The same applies to Moss's much more reasonable self expression.

I know, a guy whose fantasy football team is named Moss Racing is not the most objective voice in the Randy debate. When I heard he said he was feeling "not wanted" I thought he was complaining about not getting enough passes thrown his way. That would have bothered me. I do have one problem with his speaking out and that is the timing. But, being Moss, he's not stupid. Heading into the opener against Ochocinco and T.O. is a good time to say "Hey, I'm better than those guys combined. Why don't you want to wrap me up to three more years?" I think the Pats do want to do that and will sign him at some point. And I think the rest of Moss's statements this year will be made on the field. At least I hope so.