Off The Press

Off the Press, my man Ricky won't be playing for the Dolphins in the upcoming 2006-7 NFL season.  Even though I'm a rabid Patriots fan, the fact that Ricky won't be playing this year saddens me.  I have always liked Ricky Williams.  Way back to his days at the University of Texas, thru the cringe-inducing dreadlock wig picture with Mike Ditka, I've been a Ricky Williams fan.  From the first minute I saw him play, I thought he was the most natural running back I'd ever seen. 

Ricky combined incredible vision, speed and power with the ability to change directions on a dime.  His love of football was tempered by his curiosity, intelligence and his desire to follow his bliss. 

A lot of guys who play sports never really understand the game they play.  Ricky was and is a pure football player.  No one ever questioned his effort on the field or his commitment to training off it.  His perpetual existential angst turned a lot of writers off and made him enemies.  People hold grudges.  There's no more misunderstood creature in America than a highly intelligent black man who doesn't conform to whatever trope of the Black man America tries to force him into.  Ricky .  My fantasy team is devastated once again.  The Dolphins will survive, and so will Ricky.

Run Ricky run!!

|  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this

• #1 Comment from monponsett 
  5/2/06 6:16 PM | Permalink

  I love that as long as you're fast, you can dominate the NFL while being a stoned moron. All that "Just Say No" money may as well have been thrown into the furnace.