Randy Moss Refuses To Be Labeled As Media Member, Despite Being Member Of The Media
BOSTON (CBS) -- Randy Moss had a Hall of Fame career in the NFL, but he never had much of a cordial relationship with the media. That is a nice way of saying the receiver gave off the impression that he'd rather spend an hour inside a lion cage than spend five minutes talking to the media.
Yet like so many similar athletes before him, Moss has made the jump to the dark side, taking a job with Fox Sports 1 as a football analyst. While anyone who's ever heard Moss speak about anything has to be excited to be able to have more Randy Moss in their lives, Moss himself is not so ready to embrace the reality that he is now a member of the media.
"I don't like that term. ... I am not part of the media," Moss told Sports Illustrated's Richard Deitsch. "That's not my label, and I don't want it to start now. I love the game of football, and this is just a new way for me to be part of the game."
It's not entirely surprising that Moss can't possibly see himself as a member of the media, as it was not long ago when he stepped to a podium in Minnesota and announced, "I'm not gonna answer any more questions for the rest of this year. If it's going to be an interview, I'm gonna conduct it, so I'll ask myself the questions then give y'all the answers."
He's also the same man who introduced himself on national games as a graduate of "Rand University," a nod to his hometown of Rand, W.V., that omitted his time spent at Marshall University.
Perhaps the best news for those who have grown to love listening to Moss speak (particularly during his long UStream sessions last year) is that the network doesn't plan on changing much about him.
"I genuinely think he has the long-term potential to be the Terry Bradshaw or Charles Barkley of his show," said Fox studio host Curt Menefee. "You don't want to tinker with that by trying to get rid of his West Virginia accent or having him speak from prepared notes. I believe with his desire to be good, if we just let Randy be Randy, he has the potential to be something special. He truly wants to be good at this."
Of course, Moss may not consider "this" to be a media job, but the 36-year-old has always done things his own way. With the cameras rolling and the microphone attached to his lapel, why stop now?
