One of the first people we thought of after the Randy Moss news broke yesterday was Beck DeRobertis. The poor guy dedicated years to a strange campaign to bring Moss back to Minnesota, as evidenced by his web site. Then he gets less than a month to enjoy his dream. That's just cruel. We contacted Beck for one more go-round to see how he's doing. Beck? -------------------
Q Your initial reaction when you heard that Randy Moss – less than a month after being brought back – was being let go?
A: I literally didn't believe it. A guy on the street told me, and I just thought, "That can't be true. That's insane." Later, when I looked online and saw that it was true, I became enraged. It's an even worse move than the original Moss trade! It basically means that Childress has given up on the season, which is extremely disheartening and infuriating. I really believe, the way the NFC race is shaping up thus far, that the Vikings could've made a late push, salvaged the season, and wreaked havoc in the playoffs. Now, with Moss gone and the Childress regime still in power, I have no reason to believe that this season is going anywhere.
Q Was the decision justifiable in your mind?
A: Absolutely not. I'll admit, I was annoyed by Moss' press conference. But really, what's the worst thing he said? That the Patriots are a great organization? That we should've kicked a field goal before the half? That the Vikings should've taken more advantage of Moss' knowledge of the Pats' system? I can't say that I disagree with any of those statements. To fire a future Hall of Famer and a Minnesota icon for that?! To quote the Common Man program, "You've gotta be kidding me." The reaction is especially ludicrous in light of everything that Childress lets Favre get away with. Childress deserves to be fired immediately, and then locked in a Mexican jail indefinitely.
Q Were you disappointed by the second-coming of Moss, even before he was released?
A: No. It was great. I wish they'd won more games, but I certainly felt they were a better team with Moss. He may not have been lighting up the scoreboard, but he made some big plays, he opened up the field for Percy Harvin, and his presence made the Vikings an infinitely more exciting team, despite their poor record. It was a thrill just to see Moss walk onto the field in a Vikings uniform every week. Now, to paraphrase Bill Simmons, the thrill is gone.
Q Where do you think Moss will wind up, and will that become your new favorite team?
A: If the move actually goes through (I'm still holding out hope that at the eleventh hour, Zygi will fire Childress and keep Moss), my top two guesses would be the Rams and the Eagles. Whichever team it is won't be my favorite, but I'll definitely root for them this year, and buy the new Moss jersey. Furthermore, I refuse to root for the Vikings until Childress is terminated as coach. And I don't think I'm the only one.
Q The chances of Moss ever coming back again seem completely remote. Even more so than before. Will you give up the fight?
A: Never. Somebody told me recently that no success or failure is ever absolute, and that you've just gotta keep getting up and fighting. So, that's what I'm gonna do. I'll still hold out hope that Moss will return (again) to make it a complete trilogy.
