Content provided in partnership with

Williams' return would warrant a warm unwelcome

Sporting News, The, Oct 18, 2004 by Paul Attner

For all those fans who considered Ricky Williams a hero for leaving the Dolphins this summer, here's the message he's delivering to them now: Gotcha. Williams is a scam artist, a slick talker who claims an idealistic calling but actually is nothing more than bizarrely self-centered. It always has been all about Ricky. Now he wants back in the NFL. It's time the answer was, simply, no.

Who would want him? Why would anyone embrace a player capable of the betrayal he dumped upon the Dolphins? Here is a guy who says he's all about team, yet initiated the disintegration of Miami's 2004 season by bolting on the eve of training camp, leaving the club without its pivotal offensive player and with no ability to replace him.

Most Popular Articles in Sports: The first family: Archie, Peyton and Eli are incredibly famous, immensely ...; The growing gap: driving distances are skyrocketing on the PGA Tour. So why ...; Which pistol caliber for self defense? Four different people come to four ...; Drag racing - National Hot Rod Association; The world's most popular .22: the Marlin Model 60 just keeps on ticking; More »

By employing Williams, you are telling your fans you are so desperate to win that you will compromise base principles upon which you build a team of character and camaraderie. How can you ask the guy next to Williams to trust him when he takes the next plane to Tahiti whenever the whim moves him? Williams will serve as an NFL litmus test: What franchises actually have standards, and what franchises are hypocritical?

Williams left because he said he was tired of football and had lost his motivation. We've learned other reasons since then. He wanted to keep smoking marijuana. He didn't like his workload. He wasn't so sure he respected the new offensive coordinator. More money would be nice. Now he has been told he owes $8 million-plus to the Dolphins for violating his contract. Suddenly, those are pretty expensive principles. And suddenly, Williams wants back, just as quickly as he wanted out.

Commissioner Paul Tagliabue faces an intriguing situation of his own. He must sanction a player who has failed drug tests and boasts of his marijuana use. This is not your usual hush-hush drug situation. It's open and in your face, and the extent of Williams' punishment will say volumes about the NFL's sense of actual responsibility. Certainly the Dolphins will never play him again. His teammates don't want him back, nor do the Dolphins' fans. And Williams should have absolutely no trade value. But remember, Miami gave up two No. 1s forr him, despite his less-than-stellar tenure in New Orleans.

So there will be a buyer out there, somewhere in the NFL. Sadly, it's all about winning. No matter the consequences.

Williams' return would warrant a warm unwelcome

Sporting News, The, Oct 18, 2004 by Paul Attner

Find Research Guides for:

Find Featured Titles for: Sports

Most Popular Articles in Sports

Most Popular Publications in Sports