Ricky "shithead" Williams..

[CrzyC]

Got this off another board (not CJ) but thought some of you guys would enjoy it....

Article by Andy Cohen, Editor of Dolphin Digest

Ricky's Last Run An Ugly One

July 26, 2004

Every person has a right to quit their job, to change the direction of their lives in a moment’s notice. But not the way Ricky Williams did it. Not by turning his back on a team, on a season, on thousands of fans, just days before training camp began. Not by failing to give any indication it was coming, anything to afford the Miami Dolphins the opportunity to locate a replacement.

Ricky Williams shafted us all. The way he did it. The timing of it all. It was as selfish and classless a move by an athlete as I have seen in a long, long time.

Had he given the Dolphins a one week warning – just one week – they could have made a run at either Eddie George or Antowain Smith. Not that either player can touch Ricky's cleats, but at least they were out there with solid credentials and the freedom to negotiate with any team. Today they are gone, George with Dallas and Smith with Tennessee.

What was Ricky thinking? As decent a person that he seems to be, couldn't he understand what he was doing to an entire franchise? To his teammates? Shouldn't he have reflected back toward what this franchise did for him, what they gave up to get him, how they renegotiated his contract, how they placed so much confidence in his ability? What could he have been thinking?

Am I livid right now? You betcha. This wasn't a tackle he was breaking. This was the hearts of thousands of fans. He should have been able to see that, should have been able to feel it, should have been able to think about Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor and all his other teammates who sweat and bleed just like he does.

OK, you want to get out. If you can't tell us a month ago, then play out the season, call it your last and we'll salute you the way your performances warranted. But don't skip town with training camp here. You want to cleanse your soul by touring Asia? The planes leave in February as often they do in July. Show some class. Think about somebody other than the guy in the mirror.

So what now? What happens to an offense that centered so much around Ricky's abilities? Those who have cried that the Dolphins don't pass enough will probably get their wish. There is no way the Dolphins can find another Ricky Williams without a draft or free agency. So they’ll have to adjust. They'll have to pass more on first down, probably pass more on second and third down as well. They'll have to run by committee, maybe trying to get out of two or three players something close to what they got out of Ricky.

Clearly, the face of this offense will change. How about a quick passing game? Maybe a few no huddles? Maybe this will turn Chris Chambers into an All-Pro and put David Boston back in the Pro Bowl. Maybe this will give Randy McMichael the stage he covets.

So who's going to carry the ball? The depth chart says Travis Minor will get the first shot. Minor is a versatile back with some excellent gifts. But he’s never been The Man before and that could take some adjusting. Look for Leonard Henry to get a long look. The kid has another gear. Sammy Morris, a free agent signing from the Bills, can play fullback and tailback. The Dolphins liked what they saw of him this off season.

A trade is always a possibility. But it will be hard and the price will be steep. You can be sure that Rick Spielman and Dave Wannstedt are checking and re-checking every name on their big league-wide personnel board to see who's out there and who could be out there. Which teams have an overload of backs? Who might be willing to deal? Granted, it is among the worst possible times to look for a feature back. But the Dolphins do have an entire training camp and preseason to find him.

Spielman and Wannstedt are good, high quality football men. They never saw this coming. Who would have seen it coming? But they were back in the office on Sunday morning, plotting a strategy and using all their instincts to find some answers. Give them a chance to find those answers. They are as determined as two men can be.

I'm not going to insult anybody's intelligence by downplaying the significance of this loss. But as important as Ricky was to this team, he wasn't the entire team. There is still a defense filled with high-octane promise and some legitimate playmakers on offense. There is still Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas and Patrick Surtain and Chris Chambers and the list goes on. All is not lost. There are stories all over the sports world of teams that lose a superstar and band together. Last time I checked the Texas Rangers were doing awfully well without Alex Rodriquez.

This doesn't mean it will happen in South Florida. It just means they have a chance. Especially with the season still approaching its first breaths.

So Ricky is gone and we never had a chance to say goodbye. We never had a chance to thank him for that record-breaking season of 2002 and for the way he persevered behind a struggling offensive line a year later?

Thank him? Right now it's hard to feel anything but disdain. Ricky showed us some great moves in his two seasons here. But the last move he made – the one out of town – should be remembered as his worst.

We can only wonder whether someday – hopefully soon – he’ll look at himself and realize what he's done.

[fliptoniaaa]

of all people to put this post up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[CrzyC]

You know I dont care but I thought you guys would.

[Bling]

ricky is a quitter nuff said........any thread about him is just a waste IMHO lol

[renzo2]

of all people to put this post up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Next thing ya know, she's gonna put up a thread on the negative effects of alcohol.

[CrzyC]

Next thing ya know, she's gonna put up a thread on the negative effects of alcohol.

NEVER!!!!

[happyface]

I say DA BEARS HAVE A BETTER SEASON THEN THE FINS........

[blondboheme]

shouldn't the thread title be ricky "pothead" williams????

[xxgrooveericxx]

GO MARLINS!!!

[xpander4]

ricky williams made a GREAT move by retiring. He prolonged his life, and his health.

Little known stat....ricky williams far and away led the NFL in # of carries TWO seasons in a row, and he's not exactly a finesse back. No running back has ever done that, that is some serious abuse.

Dave Wannsted and the coaches abused him in order to get 10 wins to keep their own jobs. Earl Campbell was a great running back, and ran similar to ricky....power. Earl campbell is barely 50 and he's in a wheelchair already. Ricky ain't gonna put himself in a wheelchair so idiot wannsted can BARELY go 10-6 every year and keep his job...not because hes a quitter but because he's smart IMO.

[strizide]

I don't blame Ricky for wanting to retire either.. but he didn't have to be such a dick about it..

[tranzwhore]

if he wanted to quit, atleast give the Fins some time to find someone decent to replace him! i don't disagree with leaving if he's not happy but that was a weak exit. i'm mostly angry cuz now we don't have a bad ass back to run all up & down on the rest of the sorry ass AFC! he's acting like a lil bitch! suck it up & quit smoking for a couple months. smoke out on the off season!

[b-side]

They were treating, him and abusing him like a mule....

Esp. since he's such a nice guy... (we went to H.S. together in N.O.)

He deserves to do whatever he wants to his body as long as it's no danger to others. Hell after 5 years of that and doing 2-in a row... I'd change my name to Ricky "Puffy" Williams.

So what he quit ahead of his time ....

[xxgrooveericxx]

There are both postive and negative things to this whole situation. In time, we shall see.....

He has the right to do whatever he wants with his life. No one can say or do anything about it. Personally, IMO the way he handled the situtation was bad; quitting. He may want to go search for the truth and be spiritually free, but he let people down who depended on him. The truth is you don't bitch out and leave people high and dry (no pun intended).

I understand that he was over used as a running back, I agree. But at the same time, it's a job. He was getting paid for his services. It's not like he was doing it for free. But it's all done with. He's gone. Nothing we can do about it now. Time to move on.

I think this will help the Dolphins rethink how the offense will be run. Open up the game more, give people a chance. The expectations will be low now, so they can aim high and say "Fuck it" and go for it more often when in the past they wouldn't.

[jona7]

I say DA BEARS HAVE A BETTER SEASON THEN THE FINS........

DAAA BULLS...!

[sotuchick]

I say "shit happens for a reason" - hopefully the Dolphins will benefit from Ricky's decision.