Randy Moss' best Minnesota fishing buddy, John Laub Sr., wanted to talk Thursday about a new charity project.

The Team Laub Charity Events guy is working with Vikings middle linebacker E.J. Henderson's Pass to Play Foundation on an event scheduled for June 25 and 26. A star party is planned at R. Norman, the soon-to-open steakhouse, followed the next day by a fishing tourney pairing celebrities and pro fishers with charity supporters at Lord Fletcher's on Lake Minnetonka.

Laub left me a message to call him a couple weeks ago, but we didn't actually connect until the day after the news that has marred an otherwise perfect off-and-on-the-field year Moss was having with the Patriots, who look like a lock to win the Super Bowl.

"Nice to talk to you but I wanted to bring up something; when I see what some of these guys do, some of the great things they do, I just think more people should know about it," Laub said discussing the Henderson event.

Very nice.

Now what's going on with your fishing buddy?

Moss has acknowledged there was an "accident," with Ft. Lauderdale's Rachelle Washington. She's gotten a restraining order against Moss, whom she has accused of battery; she claims that he tried to stop her from getting medical help; he denies this and said she threatened to extort money from him. "This young lady, by no means, is hurt. I didn't hurt her. I didn't hit no woman," Moss told the East Coast media about the Jan. 6 incident.

"When you hear things like this, you know there are people out there just trying to get a piece of the action. I feel that's a bogus deal," said Laub. "I can't believe that in a million years. That's just not his character. I feel bad for him. I know he does value his friendships. It's hard, in the business he is in, with the exposure he get. His friendships are extremely important. I think you recall that little girl in Minneapolis he's always kept in contact with ... That's just the way Randy is. You remember when I had my aneurysm, he came here just to check on me."

A transcript of Moss' press conference sent to me by Boston Herald gossip Laura Raposa, of the Inside Track, suggests that Randy knows the timing could not be worse: "I'm disappointed in the timing, first, of myself, for being able to be in this situation."

That's right. Were Moss truly focused on the Patriots' undefeated march to Sunday's AFC Championship game, he shouldn't have required the apparent distractions provided, I imagine, by Washington. She said they've had an "intimate relationship" while he maintains they've been "friends" for the past 11 years. Whatever. Rather than being over at Washington's Moss would have been wiser to spend that time at the home of Libby Offutt, mother of , at last count, four Moss children, Sidney, Senali, Thaddeus and Montigo.

Laub said he's "not sure" who Washington is: "I don't know if I have met her." Laub also hasn't met Offutt: "The times I've stayed at his house in [West] Virginia, she [Offutt] was in Florida with the kids.'"

"No," Laub has not attempted to talk to Moss since this story broke Wednesday: "The times I have talked to his agent, he is so focused on what he is doing that he's kind of put aside most everything to concentrate on just football."

Most but clearly not everything.

Washington's attorney upped the ante today by issuing a statement to NBCSports.com.

"For the past 11 years, Ms. Washington has cared deeply for Mr. Moss and has been there for him throughout all of his trials and tribulations," said David McGill's statement. "However, she refuses to be further disrespected by him. It has never been her intention to hurt Mr. Moss in any way. However, she has suffered mental and physical harm as a result of his actions. She simply wants him to take responsibility for what he has done. As a battery victim, she has shown great strength throughout this entire ordeal."

This might be a little distracting.

C.J. is at 612.332.TIPS or cj@startribune.com. E-mailers, please state a subject -- "Hello" doesn't count. Attachments are not opened, so don't even try. More of her attitude can be seen on FOX 9 Thursday mornings.