A Mossy Divorce

Randy Moss is like a rolling stone...

After forcing his way into a trade out of New England, the Minnesota Vikings waived Randy Moss after only four games. They ate what they gave up for him and told him to get out. They probably emptied his locker and threw all his stuff on the curb.

As nasty a break-up as it was, it seems to have been the right move for everyone. Moss was unhappy and his heart just wasn't in it. He could no longer look past the flaws. The Vikings wanted to make it work, but parting ways was the only way to keep their self-esteem.

It does seem difficult to blame Moss for being a little upset about his new situation. He just went from possibly the best-run organization in the league to a slap fight between an aging diva quarterback and an inept coach who goes by the nickname "Chilly." If you even once considered calling Bill Belichick "Billy" he'd probably jump across the table and strangle you to death with the strings from his hoodie.

Moss just fell into the trap that so many of us do. He didn't realize what he had until it was gone. He felt he deserved better than his current relationship and clamored to get out. He left the girlfriend who was stable and attractive, but didn't really offer much for the future, and got set-up with an ex-girlfriend who had become neurotic.

The first couple dates went fine as they were just getting to know each other again, but by the third date he just quit putting as much effort into it and by the fourth he had just given up.

Crossing paths with his ex seems to have been the breaking point. It made the realization of what he had done hit him with the speed of a pass from the Ol' Gunslinger (that he didn't even try to catch). He realized he wanted back what he had tried so hard to get out of. He wanted back the girl who may not be flashy, but always cooked a good meal and never served some "bleep" he wouldn't feed his dog.

He knew the grass on the other side may offer more green, but when he got there he could only peer over the fence and long to be back.

Straight Cash, Homey

Almost out of nowhere Randy Moss is once again a Minnesota Viking. The suddenness of the trade left people wondering what went wrong. What did Randy do that made the Patriots trade him so quickly? Was it because of an argument with the quarterbacks coach? Did Moss and head coach Bill Belichick have a confrontation in the locker room? The speculation flew.

Though he was lying, Belichick came out and said there were no discipline problems with Moss and it was "in the best interest of the team" to trade him. So, what were the best interests of the team? Why did the Patriots basically trade away their chances of winning the Super Bowl? It's actually simple and the words of Moss himself probably say it best: "Straight cash, homey."

It's fun to speculate and try to come up with reasons why Moss got traded, but any reason that doesn't have to do with money isn't the real one. Moss was a commodity, as all professional athletes are, and he knew that. He made it clear he wanted to get paid and the Patriots knew they weren't going to pay him.

The trade was a simple financial transaction. It had nothing to do with helping the Patriots win more games this season. It had everything to do with dumping a commodity before it lost all value. The "best interest" of the team probably has a rate of about 2%.

When it comes to the NFL wins and losses matter, but profit is the bottom line. Winning isn't everything...money is.