This isn’t the first time Randy Moss has declared himself to be the best receiver of all time. He initially made that claim in the days preceding Super Bowl XLVII, his final NFL game.
“I do think I’m the greatest receiver ever to play this game,” Moss said at the Tuesday event during Super Bowl week known at the time as Media Day.
“Put my numbers up against his numbers,” Rice initially said in response to the argument. Rice later elaborated.
“I’m very surprised Randy Moss used that in those words, that he’s the greatest,” Rice said on ESPN’s NFL Live. “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. . . . 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. Randy finally has a chance to prove himself this weekend, and I wish him the best.”
Moss had two catches for 41 yards in Super Bowl XLVII, making him largely a non-factor in San Francisco’s loss to the Ravens.
Although Moss remains firmly in the conversation for No. 2, along with Terrell Owens and arguably Larry Fitzgerald, Moss isn’t the best receiver ever. He could have been. If he’d worked like Rice did, Moss would have been.
Moss had the most God-given talent of any receiver in NFL history, but Moss failed to get the most out of his talents. He took plays off. He took games off. He took a season or two off, during his time in Oakland.
“I play when I want to play,” Moss notoriously said, early in his career. Rice played all the time. Rice combined natural skill, hard work, and determination to achieve more than any other receiver ever has. Moss is entitled to his opinion, and we’re entitled to say that his opinion is wrong.
Rice was and is the best receiver in NFL history. Moss arguably had more talent and potential, but Moss claiming that he was the best is no different than the kid in high school who claims he’s smarter than the valedictorian, because he could have gotten better grades, if he’d tried harder.
The fact that Moss didn’t try harder means something.