Lost in the recent controversies in Tennessee is the status of receiver Randy Moss. Now 1-6 since being traded by the Patriots, who are 6-1 since dumping him, Moss has faded into the background. But he soon could be stepping back into the limelight, albeit against his will.
While watching Sunday’s early games at 30 Rock, I noticed a play from the Titans-Texans game in which Tennessee receiver Randy Moss develops a full-body case of alligator arms, failing to make any effort to nab a catchable pass in the end zone.
I thought at the time that this could make for some interesting post-game press conference fodder. But after Johnson-Finnegan I, the latest example of Moss choosing not to play was gone and forgotten.
After Cardinals quarterback Derek Anderson blew up at his post-game media availability on Monday night, I remembered the Moss incident, and I looked into whether he addressed the lack of effort after the game.
As it turns out, Moss didn’t meet with the media after the game. Though we’re told that he’s generally making himself available once per week, league policy requires every player to be available after each game and one other time during the week of practices.
Moss was fined $25,000 for failing to comply with this policy in Minnesota. Though it appears that no one in the Tennessee media has made a similar complaint (yet), it looks like Moss will soon be making another contribution that will exceed significantly the price tag for thumping a player in the head after ripping off his helmet.
UPDATE: There’s a question as to whether any member of the fairly small contingent of media covering the Titans at the Texans game asked Moss to talk after Sunday’s game, given the Andre Johnson-Cortland Finnegan fracas. That said, Moss has on multiple occasions this year made it clear he doesn’t want to talk. At a certain point, reporters have little interest in banging their heads against the same wall.