Moss hasn’t been saying much for publication in the last month, but he had something on his mind after this one, and he was already in full rant as he burst into the interview room bound for the podium.
“I’m gonna make it real brief,’’ Moss started. “Y’all had two weeks to do y’all’s talking; let me do mine. It has been a really tough couple weeks, but you move on. That is the nature of this game. I am happy that we got this victory and I appreciate all the support from my true fans, the players, the coaches, my family, and loved ones. I have been in this league for 12 years and I have been through a lot. These shoulders I have on my body, you could put the Earth on it. Just to let you know, I bounce back. I appreciate it.’’
That was it. He was done and then he was gone, followed to the stage by Brady.
“He’s a big part of our team,’’ said QB 12. “So much was said about him in the last week. He came back and showed everybody the character he has. My father always said that the tall trees experience the high winds.’’
So we have Pa Brady joining the chorus line of Moss defenders, which stretches all the way from Canton, Mass., to Canton, Ohio. Every person associated with the Patriots came to Moss’s defense last week, and several members of the team’s national media cartel also attempted to convince us that Moss didn’t tank against Carolina.
I’m told that this week Sandra Bullock will announce that her family is legally adopting Moss, and Rep. Ed Markey will have it read into the Congressional Record that “Randy Moss did not quit against the Carolina Panthers.’’
In the three games leading up to yesterday’s, Moss had three, two, and one catches, respectively. His lone grab against the Panthers resulted in a fumble. We’ve seen clear demonstrations of alligator arms, quitting on pass routes, refusing to block, and making little effort to prevent interceptions. After the ghoulish loss at Miami, Moss was one of the four players sent home when they were late for a meeting on a snowy morning.
Then came the Carolina sitdown strike, when he was booed at Gillette Stadium.
Then an avalanche of media and talk-show criticism.
