Randy Moss Trade and an improved performance: Some Call it Discretionary Effort… We Call it Oomph!
The opening page of our new book, Contented Cows MOOve Faster chronicles star NFL player, Randy Moss, who was quoted in Sports Illustrated in 2001 as saying, “I play when I want to play. Do I play up to my top performance, my ability every time? Maybe not. I just keep doing what I do and that is playing football. When I make my mind up, I am going out there to tear somebody’’s head off. When I go out there and play football, man, it’s not anybody telling me to play or how I should play. I play when I want to play, case closed.” Moss has been widely chastised both for the SI remark, and some of his actions which created the distinct impression that one of the most talented players in the history of the game was “mailing it in.”
We didn’t know it at the time, but we couldn’t have picked a better poster child to make the case for Discretionary Effort, both the “with” and “without” versions. After a lackluster ‘05 season that included some decidedly unhelpful antics, Moss was traded to the Oakland Raiders, where the “effort thing” again became an issue, to the point that he was called out by teammates, and eventually found himself asking to be traded. Though trading players doesn’t happen in the NFL nearly to the degree it does in some other team sports, Moss got his wish in April of this year, with a trade to the New England Patriots.
Admittedly the season is still young, but #81 seems to have the throttle fully engaged once again. In the 3 games played thus far, he has caught 22 balls for 403 yards, and 5 touchdowns, helping an already potent Patriots offense.
Having agreed to restructure his contract to a salary that is substantially less than he is used to, it’s obviously not the money that is driving the extra effort. Rather, I’ll submit that near and dear to Randy’s heart is the opportunity to play for a winning organization. He realizes, as do most of us, that winning requires extra effort, and indeed higher standards. That’s a precept that travels well, whether the game is called business, life, or football.
As always, your thoughts are welcome.
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