Randy Moss said yesterday he thought he was the greatest receiver in league history.
Then the 49ers receiver said it again today, though he went on at length about how much respect he has for Jerry Rice.
But after the first volley, Rice himself admitted he was surprised to hear Moss say it.
“I’m very surprised Randy Moss used that in those words, that he’s the greatest,” Rice said on ESPN’s NFL Live, via Yahoo Sports. “You’d never hear me say I’m the greatest football player to ever play the game. I let my body of work speak for itself, and I think I was able to be very productive on the football field.”
Moss’s larger point was that he considered his ability to knock the top off a defense with his deep ball ability more of a game-changer, saying he wasn’t as concerned about stats (of which Rice has more).
“You have to look at the stats, you have to look at how you impacted the game, and it’s all about winning this right here, this is it, the Super Bowl, and I was fortunate to win three,” Rice said. “Randy he finally has a chance to prove himself this weekend, and I wish him the best.”
Moss is entitled to his confidence, and after watching two day’s worth of press conferences, my wish is that he’d talk more often, because he can be insightful.
But flaps such as this, and the inevitable blowback, will probably, sadly, drive Moss back into his shell.