February 15th update

Wednesday Spotlight: Randy Moss

• One of the most talented, but frustrating players in NFL history, wide receiver Randy Moss, announced his unretirement on Monday (his 35th birthday). Moss has played for 4 teams throughout his 12-year career (including 2 stints with the Minnesota Vikings). Considered the prototypical physical specimen for a pass catcher (6’ 4” 210 lbs, running a 4.25 second 40-yard dash) in the NFL, Moss’ skills are only matched by his mercurial behavior.
• Moss was drafted in the first round by the Vikings, dropping dropping in the draft due to a number of off-the-field concerns during his college years. After a freshman year at Florida State in which he was arrested for smoking marijuana, Moss transferred to Marshall University in West Virginia. At Marshall, Moss along with future NFL quarterback Chad Pennington, combined to form a feared combination that took a Mid American Conference title.
• Moss played for the Vikings from 1998 until 2005 when he was traded to the Oakland Raiders. As a rookie Moss trained with Vikings superstar Cris Carter, who took Moss under his wing and together, helped form one of the most feared offenses in NFL history. After the 2006 season the Raiders traded Moss to the Patriots and in 2007 Moss combined with WR Wes Welker and QB Tom Brady to once again create one of the highest powered offenses in the history of the NFL.
• After the 2007 season Moss’ production began to slip. During the 2010 season the Patriots traded Moss back to the Vikings. After only 4 games the Vikings cut Moss who finished the season with the Tennessee Titans. At the end of the season, with no takers for his services, Moss retired. Although he is back now there's no promise he will be signed, as the closest player to him, Terrell Owens, went unsigned in 2010 despite having a very respectable 2009 season. Moss will be fondly remembered for his one liners, including saying "Straight Cash, homie" when asked how he would pay a $10'000 fine, and this one that was turned into a fantastic remixed video.


NBA Western conference review

• So here I am, writing about the Western conference but all I want to do is talk about Jeremy Lin. I can't though. So I won't mention that he scored 38 points against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, made a game winning 3 last night against the Raptors, that he was named NBA player of the week, that he has at least 20 points, 7 assists and a steal in all 6 games he's played substantial minutes in (all Knicks wins) or that even Lin's high school coach never thought he'd be a good college player, much less an NBA star. Nope, won't mention that stuff. Stop the Lin-Sanity! The Western Conference awaits!
• The West has been the better conference for what seems like decades now, and the reason for the is the depth of good teams on that side. The Oklahoma City Thunder and the revamped Clippers are the class of the conference, although losing Chauncey Billups for the season will hurt the Clips.
• The Spurs, Mavs and Lakers are hovering a but behind, but until those veteran teams lose to the young inexperienced squads led by Durant and Westbrook (Thunder) or Paul and Griffin (Clips) in the playoffs, they have not proven anything.
• Steve Nash's Phoenix Suns would be in the thick of the playoff hunt in the East but are the 3rd worst team in the West at 12-17. Kevin Love's T-Wolves are much improved and really any team other than the miserable Hornets or the slightly less miserable Kings could realistically fight into one of the last two playoff spots.

August 3rd update

Randy Moss calls it a career

• Possibly the most unguardable pass receiver in the history of the NFL has called it quits, and now it's time for people to decide whether his unbelievable athleticism, remarkable catches or his mercurial personality and bizarre antics will be what his ongoing legacy will be.
• When Moss was at his best he was unstoppable as is evidenced by his record 23 TD catches in 2007 and his rookie record of 17 TD catches in 1998, but he famously took plays off and had the attitude of "I play when I want to play." He played for the two highest scoring teams in NFL history and made defenses change their entire personnel just to stop him, but he also sulked, threw teammates under the bus and seemed to disappear for plays and games at a time.
• From the time he played football and basketball in high school with former Sacramento Kings PG Jason Williams, Moss was an athletic freak who was probably this generation's best example of an athlete who was his own worst enemy. The stats don't lie, he's one of the greatest ever as he has:

• 10 1,000+ yard receiving seasons – 2nd all-time
• 64 career 100 yard games – 2nd all-time
• 153 touchdown receptions – 2nd all-time
• 73.6 receiving yards per game – 7th all-time
• 154 total touchdowns scored – 4th all-time
• 14,858 receiving yards – 6th all-time
• 954 career receptions – 10th all-time
• 4-time All-Pro selection
  

...But he also bumped a traffic cop with his vehicle, berated a caterer (saying he wouldn't feed the man's food to his dogs), pretended to moon fans in Green Bay after a touchdown, and was jettisoned from Oakland, New England and Minnesota (the second time) as teams realized that the good wasn't worth the bad. He'll be a Hall-of Famer, but which facet of Moss's career will be remembered more? Only time will tell.


Ballers Killin' Time

• With the NBA (aka No Basketball Anywhere) currently locking out its players, NBA news not relating to the lockout is sparse. Unless you're one of the 17 people who tunes in weekly to Khloe and Lamar you won't see much of your favorite NBA players so we've decided to keep you updated on what some of the league’s biggest stars are doing with their lives. We've already discussed Deron Williams' decision to play basketball in Turkey.
• Kevin Durant lit up Rucker Park on Monday. Durant visited the Mecca of "street" basketball (aka the playground for grownups) in Harlem as part of a Entertainers Basketball Classic. Durant's team, the DC Power, played the Sean Bell All-Stars which has an NBA player of their own. While its not altogether surprising that Durant (the NBA’s leading scorer last year) could score against some lesser competition, the large total is still impressive. The environment was much more interactive and fans repeatedly mobbed Durant the higher his totals got and Durant obviously had a blast. Afterwards, via his Twitter he said: "No lie, jus had one of the best times of my life at Rucker park..wow!"
• What do you do when you were born in Santa Monica California, you're really tall, and don’t have basketball to play? Play beach volleyball of course! Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star forward Kevin Love is taking his respite from basketball and turning to a different ball. Love, who’s uncle Mike was a member of the Beach Boys, grew up in Southern California and we can safely assume has played his share of beach volleyball. He will be participating in a tournament held at Times Square from August 26th-28th and hopes to supplement his income with the NBA's season uncertain.
• And then we have Steve Nash, whose competitive drive is so intense that he's been reduced to stealing parking spots from old ladies. This man was meant to play basketball, let's get this lockout lifted, NBA powers-that-be!