A few weeks ago the Vikings were 0-2. In an effort to get this out of my mind I began to think about the offseason. No, I hadn't given up on the season already. I wrote that it was far too early to judge this team around that time in fact. I was just excited about some of the free agents that might be available this offseason. With this (apparently) being Favre's last season, and Michael Vick lighting up the league, can you blame me for dreaming of getting him in the purple and gold next year? Vick wasn't the only player I dreamt of. One Randy Moss was in the last year of his contract. It was just a pipe-dream at the time, something that would never happen, but hey wouldn't it be great to see my childhood hero return? I didn't know if he wanted to come back, or if the Vikings wanted him back, it was just a dream. I planned to write about picking up Vick, Moss, or even McNabb once the season was over.
A week ago, out of nowhere I decided I wanted a Randy Moss jersey. My old Randy Moss jersey resembled one of those pink women's jerseys because it had been washed so much. It was also a couple sizes too small. So I went on eBay to browse for a new one. There were plenty, so I decided I would get one eventually. Heck it wasn't like Randy Moss Viking jerseys were going out of fashion, since they already were out of fashion.
A day ago, Randy Moss spoke to the media for the first time since officially being traded here. When I first heard the rumors, I was hesitantly excited. I texted a bunch of people just to tell them how much I would love this move. I hoped that it wasn't just a rumor. Then, Wednesday morning, I woke up to the good news. It was official. Moss was a Viking again. It takes quite a bit to make me put a Twins playoff game in the back of my mind, but Moss has that ability. No player captured my imagination quite like Moss. I wrote extensively about the 1998 season in the past, but never really mentioned how big a fan of Moss I was. I remember the Thanksgiving game of '98 against the Cowboys. That was definitely the point where we realized that this guy was like nothing we'd ever seen. We went from saying, "he might become the best receiver in the NFL", to, "he already is the best receiver in the NFL". The combination of speed, size, and hands was a nightmare to any defensive back. Cunningham to Moss will go down as my favorite duo of all time.
It took me years to forgive the Vikings for trading Moss. Whether I like it or not Moss can do no wrong in my book. I'm admittedly blind in my devotion. I loved the water bottle squirting, fake mooning, etc. I defended him the times he seemed to give up on the team and the legal issues he got into. I couldn't help it then and I can't help it now. I'm a Moss fanatic.
This is not just about my favorite player of all time returning, but also a significant part of my childhood returning. Whether I like it or not, I am a nostalgic person. Moss represents a return to some of my favorite sports memories from my youth. That first long bomb to Moss for a touchdown will bring me back to the magic of '98. The ironic part of that is that no matter how painful '98 was, it's also the year with my best memories as a Vikings fan.
In case you haven't noticed, I'm very high on this move. Hearing Moss say all the right things in his first press conference made my day. His repeated use of the word "home" to describe Minnesota affirms what I believed the whole time, that he never wanted to leave here. Welcome home Randy, if it's just this one season, let's make it memorable.
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