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I've got a TON to say so let's get at it
You can't always
go home
Teammates' reactions
to Jamal Lewis and Ricky Williams are revealing
Judging from the barely hidden distaste in their
tone when they talk about him, the Miami Dolphins
appear to want running back Ricky Williams back
about as much as they want a raging, team-wide case
of intestinal flu.
That's understandable,
in light of the way Williams abandoned the team
just before the start of the season for reasons
that have never been entirely clear -- although
it seems that one of them was that he decided he
enjoyed inhaling a good hit of marijuana more than
absorbing a good hit from a linebacker.
Williams doesn't deserve the defense he received
in this space a few weeks ago, because he has shown
that he's not a free spirit who decided to follow
his heart and take a different life path; he's a
selfish, irresponsible guy who didn't want to face
up to a drug suspension and was willing to leave
his teammates, and a coach whose job was already
in jeopardy, in the lurch. Even worse, Williams
and his agent, Leigh Steinberg, insulted everyone's
intelligence last week with the ridiculous press
release in which they declared that he wanted to
end his retirement because he had "rediscovered
his passion for football." What Williams had
really discovered was that he had to repay $8.5
million to the Dolphins because of his abrupt retirement,
which was going to put a major crimp in his post-football
partying plans.
So it's only natural
for Williams' teammates to have a hard time finding
it in their hearts to accept him as a teammate once
again. The only question is why athletes seem to
be so much more forgiving of other kinds of indiscretions.
Why should Williams be such a pariah when players
seem to have no problem welcoming back teammates
who are guilty of far more serious offenses? The
Dolphins struggle with the idea of playing with
Williams again, but the Baltimore Ravens seem to
have no problem with the thought of accepting running
back Jamal Lewis back after Lewis pleaded guilty
last week to a felony charge involving his role
in a cocaine deal. The Ravens are so comfortable
with having a felon on their team that linebacker
Ray Lewis, who pleaded guilty to obstructing a murder
investigation a few years ago, is not only accepted,
he's the undisputed team leader.
There's no record of the St. Louis Rams players
agonizing over whether to accept defensive lineman
Leonard Little back after he killed a 47-year-old
mother while driving drunk in 1998, or even when
he was charged with another DUI last April (Little
pleaded not guilty and the case is pending). Jason
Kidd's teammates didn't find it against their moral
convictions to play with Kidd after he was arrested
for punching his wife three years ago (The court
ordered Kidd to undergo counseling for six months).
Reliever Frank Francisco of the Texas Rangers broke
a woman's nose when he threw a chair into the stands
last month, but his teammates haven't expressed
any reluctance to welcome him back when his suspension
is over next season.
But those players' offenses didn't directly affect
their teammates, at least not nearly as severely
as Williams' did. The reason that Williams is so
unpopular with the Dolphins is that he undoubtedly
took a few wins with him when he left. It seems
that teammates can forgive crimes committed against
the rest of society, but offenses against the ballclub
are unpardonable sins. Williams would have a better
chance of being welcomed back in the Miami locker
room if he had driven drunk or hit his girlfriend
or attacked a fan because, after all, at least he'd
still be on the field, pulling his weight and helping
his teammates, which, to many athletes, is the only
thing that really matters. Ricky Williams may be
an awfully self-centered fellow, but he's not the
only one.
The Amazing Patriots
It's an amazing thing, that record of 19 straight
wins for the Patriots. I think about all the effort
it takes just to win one game. They've done that
and multiplied it by 19, including a Super Bowl
victory. They've done it while losing big-time players
like Lawyer Milloy and Ted Washington. What's more,
New England probably set that record by winning
more close games than any of the other teams who
won 18 in a row. Then when you consider the competitive
balance of the league and all the amazing talent
out there on every single club, it's an even more
remarkable streak. And through it all, they have
maintained a very level-headed mentality. They're
focused only on the next game. If I know what they're
like, they'll celebrate Sunday night and get ready
for their next opponent on Monday.
I know it sounds trite, but New England's best asset
might be keeping its collective eyes on the target.
The Patriots maintain that one-at-a-time perspective,
and it's not easy to do because everything they
heard on the TV and radio and the questions they
were asked were about that streak. Staying focused
like that is easy to say, but hard to do.
The Wild Wild West
The Rams have fully re-emerged as an offensive
juggernaut, while the Seahawks still have some holes
to patch. Sunday's NFC West showdown revealed much
to fantasy owners. Marc Bulger did throw three interceptions,
but his confidence, smarts and perfect passing under
pressure late in the game was a major boost to the
hopes of his fantasy owners. Isaac Bruce proved
his hot start against lesser teams was no mirage,
as he faced a very tough collection of Seattle CBs
and still made several key catches. Seattle's defense
still has several questions in the interior. The
Seahawks lack proven performers at defensive tackle,
middle linebacker, strong safety, and are still
without Chad Brown. Matt Hasselbeck isn't going
to deliver big numbers until his receivers begin
to cooperate more. Koren Robinson is playing awful
in key situations, and Darrell Jackson still doesn't
focus regularly. The only must-start player on Seattle's
offense is Shaun Alexander. And the Seahawks have
another big showdown in Week 6. Playing on the road
at New England makes every starter other than Alexander
a very risky fantasy football matchup choice.
Eye on Week 6
• This could be the week for the Bengals to
break out on offense. Look for Chad Johnson to stand
out at Cleveland, and Rudi Johnson could have his
best game of the year so far. On the other side
of the ball, look for a big day from Lee Suggs.
• Joey Harrington could have a solid game
at home, as he picks on the Green Bay secondary.
The surprising Lions should easily move the ball
in the air.
• The Chiefs go on the road to face a wounded
Jacksonville defense that should rebound because
of pride. Trent Green and Johnnie Morton will be
risky starting options.
• The Seahawks could struggle on offense
at New England. Shaun Alexander will get a lot of
defensive attention, and Ty Law will lock up Darrell
Jackson, forcing Matt Hasselbeck to take some big
hits and coverage sacks.
• It's another good week to give Santana
Moss a shot. The weak San Francisco pass defense
should give up a lot of yardage to Chad Pennington
and his crew.
• Of course, you start receivers who face
the Texans. The old Houston team, the Titans, hosts
the new one. It will be a great week for Derrick
Mason and Drew Bennett.
• Why should the defenses even bother showing
up when New Orleans hosts Minnesota? We wouldn't
advise you to bench any players here. Heck, it could
be a good week to start Kelly Campbell if you are
desperate.
Now get
back to work...
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On Football Writer Ray Monohan is an NFL analyst
with 10+ years of experience covering the NFL. He
provides a great perspective on the NFL with player
and team insight unmatched in the NFL football betting
industry.
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