Every Quarterback's Dream

By David Snyder

Chad Pennington made a push with G.M. Mike Tannenbaum to get Rand Moss. He already has Laveranues Coles, and 2006 breakout receiver Jerricho Cotchery, but he knows the kind of reward a player like Moss can bring.

He also knows the risk.

Everyone saw the attention the T.O. brought to a rebuilding Cowboys squad last season. Sometimes over-hyped, sometimes factual, the distractions did not outweigh the production. Quarterbacks are willing to make the sacrifice of negative speculation and controversy for a receiver that can get them over ten touchdowns a season.

More often than not elite receivers make their quarterbacks look better than they are. Torry Holt has done it for two quarterbacks in St. Louis, and Moss made Dante Culpepper, that has done little since he played with the phenom, look like a future hall of famer.

Pennington said what all NFL fans feel.

"I've always been a fan of Randy. I always felt like, in the right situation, he's going to excel and help your team win. He's just a phenomenal player."

He more than anybody should know what Moss is capable of having played with him at Marshall.

In all of this we get a glimpse of what professional sport is really about.

Competing to win.

This is what the sport's fan loses sight of when they get involved with the hero worship that is attached to professional athletes. These people are human; flawed with weaknesses. And although we realize our own limitations and dislike labels being put on us because of them, we without hesitation react towards the professional athlete in terms of labels and judgments.

As sports fans we often take these labels and twist them to fit what we believe about the player.

Randy Moss is unhappy and unproductive, thus he is lazy. Many people grow tired of the organization they work for; it does not lessen the person's worth.

T.O. is riding a training bike on the sideline so he is copping out of practice, but when Steve Smith is doing it he is rehabbing?

Randy Moss' job is to catch the football, a job he hasn't done particularly well since his 1632 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2003. This is all he owes to his fans, or any team he plays for. He does not need to be a great teammate, or citizen; he just needs to catch the ball.

Once again we must look at the fact that Brady, Pennington, and even the golden boy Brett Favre knew what they were going to get when they were begging for the acquisition of Moss this season; distractions and unparalleled talent.

Pennington put it best when he said of Moss, "I'm sure he looks at this as not only a great opportunity, but a challenge to prove people wrong."

David Snyder is a sports writer that takes a unique look at headlines floating round the sports world. You can read his blog at bigdaveonsports.com, as well as various features and sporting news. David enjoys comments and criticisms at dave@bigdaveonsports.com.

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