Randy Moss is a Viking

"Over the course of the past several months, I have spoken with Randy and his representative about Randy's place on our team and his future in football. Consistent with my dealings with Randy from the day we acquired him through our conversation this morning, it has been honest, thoughtful and with great mutual respect.
While I will keep private the details of internal conversations with players and staff, suffice it to say that many things were taken into consideration before making the trade. In this business, there are complex and often difficult decisions, but it is my responsibility to make them based on what I feel is best for our football team, in both the short term and long term. I am grateful for the opportunity to have coached Randy Moss and aside from facing him as an opponent, I wish him the very best for the remainder of his Hall of Fame career." - Bill Belichick

This is difficult for me.  A lot has surfaced since we first started hearing about the Randy Moss trade rumors yesterday.  It would appear that Randy wasn't happy, that Randy wanted out from the start of the season, and that his attitude was spilling over to the locker room.  Randy is by no means perfect and, if these reports are true, then the Patriots is not where he should be playing.  But that doesn't make this any more sad.

Sports are great because they can create great excitement -- as I was reminded last night when I caught bits of the ESPN film on the 2004 Red Sox.  However, there are also the heartbreak moments.  My first was when my childhood hero, Patrick Roy, was traded from the Montreal Canadiens in 1995 after a skirmish with a coach.  There are moments when I have been decimated, such as Superbowl 2007.  There are moments of agony, such as seeing a helmet go straight into Tom Brady's knee.  This one, I'm still not entirely sure.  I always wanted to give Randy the benefit of the doubt, which likely caused me to idealize him to some extent.  Whatever happened today, I am honored to have seen a future Hall of Famer show off some of his best stuff.

I only wish that it didn't end like this.  Best of luck, Randy.  You will be sorely missed.