(Photo: INSNTRPLY.com)

Part 2 of A Football Life aired on NFL Network last night (read our review of Part 1 HERE), and while there was plenty more insight provided into the world of Bill Belichick, the runaway highlight from the show came during the Patriot’s 2009 week 8 bye. Former pats WR Randy Moss organized a Halloween party for the players & coaches, and sat down with the Hoodie to see if the coaches would be interested in joining.  Belichick slowly warms to the idea, eventually saying “it’s a great holiday! Candy and costumes … how can you beat that?!?”

That scene is followed by footage of Belichick arriving at the roller rink dressed as a pirate, with his girlfriend playing the part of wench, where he’s greeted by Moss as Spongebob Squarepants and other players who are just thrilled to see Bill let his hair down a bit.  And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, Belichick laces up the skates and takes to the rink to get his pirate roller boogie on … yaaaarrrrr:

VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP

[Video via Guyism]

Bill is definitely starting to show a more human side in this episode. Other highlights include:

• A look back on his father, Steve Belichick’s career as a Naval Academy football scout, where young Bill got his first taste of the game, and his days playing for Annapolis High
• After failing on 4th & short earlier in the season, Belichick stresses the situation to his team in the film room and goes for against the Colts on 4th &2 on their own 28 yard line … and don’t make it.  The Pats lost the game 35-34, and Belichick was roundly criticized for the decision. But in talking with his players, he refused to apologize for “being agressive and trying to win”.
• Belichick re-living their Super Bowl XXXVI victory against the Rams in New Orleans, going to far as to run the out-and-up route that resulted in the team’s only touchdown by WR David Patten
• Toward the end of 38-17 beating at the Saints, sharing his frustrations with a steely-eyed Tom Brady on the sideline, saying “We have no mental toughness … I just can’t get this team to play the way we need to play. It’s so f@*ing frustrating.”
• Following consecutive losses in Weeks 12-13, using the legendary 1985 Hagler-Hearns fight (known at “The War”) to help deliver a message to his team about getting back up after being knocked down
• With his team up 35-7 against the Jags in Week 16, unleashing on his defense on the sideline, calling them “punks“, among other colorful descriptors
• In preparing for their Wild Card playoff match-up against the Ravens, Belichick talks to his players about Sun Tzu, author of The Art of War, and his quote, “Every battle is won before it is fought”
• And finally, we learn the name of Bill’s boat:

(Photo: INSTNTRPLY.com)

(Photo: INSTNTRPLY.com)

Buffalo @ Cincinnati: Pig City vs. the Home of Buffalo wings. Going with God’s favorite football snack on this one. I wonder if TO gets a little excited for this game – does he even remember playing in Buffalo? Did he buy a house? Regardless he is having a bang-up season.

Detroit @ Dallas: The media will needlessly hype Jason Garret because he is the Dallas Cowboys’ coach. However, in the end like all things Dallas he is wildly uninteresting and mediocre. There is no public transportation to Arlington. At least in Detroit you can still catch a bus.

Washington @ Tennessee: I have this strange feeling that Randy Moss and Jeff Fisher will get along. It might not translate into any wins, but I see them after the season on a road trip, two men searching for something intangible, maybe in a old convertible Mustang, listening to mixtapes with complicated cover art from college girlfriends, smoking cigarettes, picking up local girls at honky-tonks, emailing from local libraries along the way.  At night they will drink beer and pass bourbon back and forth on the hood of the car. Silently they will stare into the twilight and let their dreams get lost amongst the stars.

Arizona @ Kansas City: I’d watch this game if I had to. Also the Chiefs coach seems very unlikeable. Take your lumps. If Belichik and Mangini can shake hands, you can too.

How Soon We Forget (source: NFL.com)

Green Bay @ Minnesota: The last hurrah. Brett Favre, the lion in winter. I find America’s newfound dislike of Brett Favre to be predictable and boring. This idea that athletes should know when to retire is daft. Athletes should play until they want to quit or they are cut. If someone wants to pay them a ton of money to play a game for our enjoyment then they should go for it. This game and season will be remembered briefly and then forgotten, and one day not far in the future the cynical adult in all of us will have a moment of clarity and we will remember #4 picking up Donald Driver after a touchdown and bouncing him up and down under a shower of Wisconsin cheers – a pure expression of joy in a sometime overtly serious league, and we will wonder why we decided as a nation to have a collective stick up our asses in 2010.

Houston @ NY Jets: The Texans are one of the teams that you just wonder why they are in the league. They have a Rothko museum in Houston. I can guarantee that staring at a Rothko painting for two hours would do more for your soul and wellbeing then watching the Jets paste this dead-on-arrival franchise on Sunday. Sanchise forever!

Oakland @ Pittsburgh: I am pretty sure that the Steelers will annihilate the Autumn Wind this weekend. I am only picking Oakland because I used to live there, in this old factory across from the Oakland Coliseum. The night they lost the Superbowl a few years back, I woke up to notice outside my apartment that someone had lit a car on fire. The car was burning alone by itself, flickering in the grey light. If Michael Mann were to film it a wolf would have walked by… things like that stick with you.

Baltimore @ Carolina: Do people really care about the Carolina Panthers? Do they have fans?  I don’t get this team. Like the Texans, nobody cares.

Sometimes You Just Need a Chew (source: Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

Cleveland @ Jacksonville:  Browns need to win this one to keep some solid momentum going. They are beaten up a bit, but hope springs in the steely gaze of rookie Colt McCoy and the Juggernaut Peyton Hillis. I have noticed as of late that Mangini has given up trying to not use Kodiak, now he has got a big chaw in during the game, spitting, getting Kodiak jammed up into his clipboard, in Josh Cribbs’ cleats, just saying to hell with it, and embracing his addiction. I am pretty sure the NFL will send him a memo soon, until then however, I am enjoying it.

Tampa Bay @ San Francisco: Will the Josh Freeman train continue to roll? Will the Troy Smith train get started? Will Mike Singletary deliver a fiery sermon about how only the devil can’t run the ball and then shoot lasers out of his eyes? I don’t know but I do like Troy Smith. I think a lot of teams will be kicking themselves for not picking him up when they had the chance.

Seattle @ New Orleans: Pete Carroll is very excited for this game… he is very EXCITED, he has got the Jock Jams going, he is slapping hands, he is running up and down the charter plane cracking jokes, getting they guys HYPED, these guys are pumped! Unfortunately they still loose; however, after the game they can get blackout drunk on Bourbon Street and forget the whole thing.

"Seriously though, maybe you could call me the Rock?" (Source: AJC.com)

Atlanta @ St. Louis: Don’t mess with Matty Ice! Do they really call him “Matty Ice”? Oh well sometimes you can’t get a do-over when it comes to nicknames. Atlanta is a solid team this year and they will make short work of St. Louis.

Indianapolis @ New England: I am picking the Pats because I am a wicked big homer. I have come around on Tom Brady and his hair. It really is magnificent… I bet all the guys in the locker room want to rub their hands through it, but are afraid that Gisele would have one of her bodyguards slit their throats and then hack them up with a machete.

New York Giants @ Philadelphia: Will Vick continue his march to become MVP this season and will we have to read article after article about his amazing turnaround from jailbird to Eagle? This game will be a good test, can’t say I am pulling for him, but I will be watching. Vick has been nothing short of electric this season.

Denver @ San Diego: Too bad this game isn’t in Denver. I heard that in Denver you can get drunk faster because of the altitude.

You Can Get Hammered in This Town (Photo by Sally Brown)

So without further adieu, here they are, the 2nd annual ReadAndReact mid-season NFL Awards:

Peyton Hillis has captured the imagination of an entire city (Photo: Cleveland.com)

MVP: Peyton Hillis, CLE - Everyone in the world is picking the other Peyton for this award (YAWN), but nobody has made a bigger impact on a franchise (or a city) this year than Peyton Hillis. The 7th round draft pick out of Arkansas was traded to Cleveland for Brady Quinn and some  magic beans, which might turn out to be the worst trade of Josh McDaniels career, and the best of Eric Mangini’s.  Since being given the starting workload, Hillis has taken the Browns on his shoulders, leading them to 2 straight wins over the Saints and Patriots. And more importantly, he’s given the team an identity to build around, and given Browns fans something to believe in. Finally.

Offensive Player of the Year: Arian Foster, HOU – what can you say about Foster, who has busted onto the NFL scene this year and leads the league in both yards (884) and TDs (9)?  So far, Foster has claimed this year’s title as the stud RB in the league … let’s see if he can keep it going for the rest of the season.

Defensive Player of the Year: Clay Matthews, GB - The 2nd year linebacker has emerged into a dominant force this year, collecting 9-1/2 sacks so far to lead the league. There isn’t another defensive player who’s had a bigger impact on his team, and Matthews should be a mainstay in GB for years to come.

Morris is already one of the best young coaches in the game (Photo: TampaBay.com)

Head Coach of the Year: Raheem Morris, TB - At age 34, Morris is the league’s youngest coach, and his Bucs team is showing that they’re willing to fight to the death for their leader. So far, Morris has turned the team around from 3-13 last year to a 5-3 start, and he’s done it without very much talent to work with (a 2nd year QB, a rookie RB and two rookie WRs).  It’s probably too soon for them to put it all together for a run at the playoffs, but with Morris at the helm, the future looks bright in Tampa.

CONTINUE READING FOR THE REST OF OUR MID-SEASON AWARDS

Assistant Coach of the Year: Perry Fewell, NYG - After the Bill Sheriden-led unit collapsed at the end of 2009, the Giants brought in Fewell to return the unit to its former glory. And in less than one season, Fewell has turned the Giants into the #1 defense in the league, with 24 sacks and 19 takeaways so far. His players believe in Fewell’s new-style “read and react” system, and the Giants are once again one of the league’s most feared defenses, having taken out 5 quarterbacks already this year.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Sam Bradford, STL - Even though the numbers might not be there to support it, Bradford has already managed to live up to the expectations of a #1 overall draft pick. He’s won 4 of his first 5 starts, and has thrown 11 TDs thus far. But most importantly, he’s given the Rams that much-needed leader on offense … check out the Sound FX featuring Bradford to hear a field general in action, even as a rookie.

Suh has already changed the football culture in Detroit (Getty Images)

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Ndomukong Suh, DET – kind of a no-brainer on this one. The league hasn’t seen a dominant defensive inside presence like Suh come along in a long, long time. His 6-1/2 sacks lead all defensive tackles, and he gives the Lions defense a whole new attitude when they take the field.

Comeback Player of the Year: Michael Vick, PHI - ummm … yeah. No explanation necessary for this one.

Surprise Player of the Year: Hillis - see above

Worst Offensive Player of the Year: Randy Moss, NE/MIN/TEN – personally destroying the locker rooms of 2 teams in less than half a season earns this award by itself. We’ll see how he does with Jeff Fisher in Tennesee.

Worst Defensive Player of the Year: Brandon Meriweather, NE - Meriweather’s flagrant head shot on Todd Heap was the hit heard ’round the world, and it’s changed the way defenders will have to play the game moving forward.  Of all the plays that have been scrutinized of late, his was the only real dirty hit of the bunch … so he gets this award starting the whole mess.

Next Coach to Lose His Job: Brad Childress, MIN - Childress was almost fired when he released Moss without consulting Vikings owner Ziggy Wilf. And the reports coming out of Minnesota were that Childress has lost the locker room, and the team is right on the verge of a total collapse.  He was able to stave off execution with last week’s win over Arizone, but it could be a matter of time before Brad gets the boot.

(Photo via Yahoo!)

The Tennessee Titans claimed Randy Moss off of waivers on Wednesday, and were the only team to put in a claim for the unruly WR after the Vikings officially released him yesterday. Tennessee was 22nd in the waiver order, which means that 21 other teams saw the same thing the Patriots and Vikings saw from Moss this season: a self-centered brat who simply can’t put the goals of a team ahead of his own childish ego.

But Jeff Fisher apparently thinks Moss can help his ball club, who are 5-3, and lost Kenny Britt for an undetermined time to a hamstring injury last weekend. The Titans have a bye this week, but hope Moss will give Vince Young another weapon on offense for their run at the playoffs. And All-Pro RB Chris Johnson certainly believes Moss’ presence will help his chances on the ground:

“Why do we need Randy Moss?” Johnson said Wednesday, before the move was announced. “You can’t put eight in a box if you got Randy Moss out there on the outside. If you’ve got Randy Moss out there, you just can’t play him one-on-one. I feel like Randy would be a great addition to this team, be a great addition to our receiving group and really help us go deep in the playoffs.”

That, of course, is assuming that Moss decides to actually run his routes full speed and play until the whistle. When he does that, Randy is an undeniable talent … the problem is, he only seems to really make an effort when it’s beneficial for himself, personally. And if Moss isn’t feeling it, he half-asses it, and makes sure the rest of the team knows about it. So far this season, Randy clearly hasn’t been feeling it.

But Jeff Fisher runs a tight ship and has a strong personality, so he should be able to handle Moss’ ego. At least for a few weeks, I mean. Think about this: the Titans become Moss’s third team in less than half a season. It’s pretty clear he’s going for some kind of demented record here.  How many teams do you think he can he tear through in 17 weeks?!? We’ll set the over/under at 5.

Randy Moss waves goodbye to his latest stint in Minnesota (AP Photo via NFL.com)

UPDATE: We thought it important to mention that Moss hasn’t been officially waived by the Vikings yet. Multiple reports suggest that Brad Childress went rogue when he informed the team & coaching staff that he was releasing Moss. Chris Mortensen said tonight that Childress has “lost the locker room” and Adam Schefter tweeted that several members of the organization want Randy to stay.

Stay tuned, but Moss’ agent has confirmed that he was informed by the team, and it’s hard to imagine a situation where he would stick around to play for Childress now.

____________________________

In a surprising move, the Minnesota Vikings waived Randy Moss today, less than a month after trading a 3rd round pick to the Patriots for the troublesome wide receiver. Moss had an awful game yesterday in his return to New England, with just 1 catch for 8 yards, plus one play where he noticeably quit on a sure touchdown pass after being interfered with (Favre was injured on the very next play). And to top it off, afterward, Moss told the press he was done answering questions for the rest of the season (having being fined $25k last week for not cooperating with the media). He then went on to answer his own questions, volunteering criticism of the Vikings while praising the Patriots.

Moss will remain on waivers until tomorrow afternoon, during which time teams with the worst record will get the first chance to sign him, along with his contract (1-6 Dallas anyone?). But obviously, Brad Childress saw the same things from Moss that Bill Belichick did, and didn’t want him on his team for even one day longer. So any team that decides to take a chance on Moss has to be prepared for the headaches that inevitably come along with him. When he’s not happy, he makes it real hard on those around him.

With that, we bring you the latest remix from DJ Steve Porter, which gives us an auto-tuned retrospective on the career of Randy Moss.

WATCH “ONE CLAP” BY DJ STEVE PORTER AFTER THE JUMP

2nd UPDATE: The blogosphere & Twitterverse are freaking out over the final shot of the video, in which it looks like DJ Steve Porter might be wearing blackface. Shockingly, the internet is wrong. As Porter clarified via Twitter, he’s wearing this Randy Moss mask, which Moss sold on his site for a while.

Honestly, I recognized that immediately when I first watched the video … but people love to stir up trouble where there isn’t any.

My letter to the American press at 6:12 a.m. on October 6, 2010 (tele-transcribed):

To admirers of fashion + revolution!

Randy Moss has been sent away and it’s for the best. Even my Tom knows that Moss will thrive, once again, in the purple and gold tones of the Minnesota Vikings.

When Tom and I threw a house party in our Beacon Hill flat during OTAs, it was Moss (downtrodden, alone on the porch overlooking the city) who told me: “GB… I am far from home.”

He was very forlorn that night, refusing to speak with anyone… telling people, “China will always be red.”

I will never forget a long string of text messages Randy sent me before the 2009 season opener against Buffalo, when the Pats wore their throwback uniforms:

“My dear Gisele: How it pains me to take to the playing fields tonight,” he texted. “This obnoxious attire, ill-fashion in its day, has been brought back to life as some cruel joke by ownership. Parading us around like circus animals — draining us of our will to perform by cladding us in overtly noisome throwback ensembles. GB, how I long for the hour of my youth, when I pranced on the field in dark purples, in royal golds — not hemmed in by the hyper-nationalistic reds/whites/blues of this night. Revolution is dead.”

He told me once that he had secretly completed a 480-page novel about Neo-Realism in a Revived Europe.

Randy’s condo, on the far-outskirts of the city, was littered with hundreds of first-edition rare books (an original copy of The Great Gatsby was the coaster for my mint julep when I visited with Tom). It was the home to poetry readings gathering Boston’s underground subculture, a vast array of anarchists, newspaper reporters on the lam, and visionaries. Tom and I attended one of these events, staying until well past dawn (leaving just as Randy was beginning to cook breakfast for at least 25 artists, suggesting they ride the Peter Pan busline north into Canada and stay for weeks in a youth hostel).

I left knowing that Moss was not the man described by a self-seeking media, but a “Wideout-Poet.”

Randy texted me again this morning, as news was breaking of the trade.

I was lounging on the balcony attached to my suite at the Chateaux Santa Teresa in Rio. Below me, early-morning swimmers on holiday were gathering poolside, sipping chilled white wine. I thought of my busy workweek ahead (with a fashion show Thursday evening in the city square, and three-plus galas to attend before flying to Aspen for a respite with Tom during his bye week).

It was during this flight of fancy that Randy’s text arrived, bringing me back to the present moment. I know, from his words, that he is relieved to be heading home:

“My dearest GB, Forgive me if I woke you from sleep with this text. I am packing up my belongings and waving farewell to Foxboro. It will take months to box up the apartment — BenJarvus Green-Ellis has offered to coordinate in my absence. I have invited all to a future poetry gathering in St. Paul, where I will stay for the remainder of the season. I located an unused warehouse in the meatpacking district — vast and sparse, and perfect for poetry readings. I will live there for only $425 per month.

“I have spoken with three local college students about creating a chapbook — a photo journal — of my return to the Vikings, to be self-published on paper, using a photocopier and staples. They will help assemble the pages. If we can find a small publisher to release a second printing, that would be ideal, but I don’t hold my breath. I will continue to ball, in order to save up funds for future publishings, with hope that the poetry students of Minnesota will call my warehouse a safe-haven.

“I hope that you and Tom will visit. I even sent coach Bill a hand-written note, on felt-paper, inviting him to join a late-season party I am titling ‘Winter of Anarchy and Spirit-Vision’ — G.B., please encourage him to make the trip, so that we can mend fences.”

All the best to you, my dearest Gisele. I will remember you often. Very fondly, R. Moss”

He will be missed.

With love,

Gisele B.

(Photo: Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY)

The build-up to this afternoon’s Jets/Patriots game was filled with all sorts of smack talk between the AFC East rivals, leading some in the media to label the match-up as the “Hate Bowl”.  One of the juicier pieces of trash talk was leveled at WR Randy Moss by Jets CB Darrelle Revis, when Revis labeled Moss a “slouch” during an interview with NFL Network in January. After all, Revis had effectively shut down Moss last season, holding him to nine catches for 58 yards and just one touchdown in two games last season.

Earlier this week, Moss responded:

“I guess he’s entitled to say what he wants to say,’’ Moss said. “Then again, we’re coming to the Meadowlands on Sunday, man, so you got 60 minutes of this ‘slouch.’ I don’t really get into the trash talking, but if what he called me was a slouch, then I guess the slouch will be there to see you on Sunday.’’

And late in the 2nd quarter of today’s game, the “slouch” showed up big time, snaring this Tom Brady pass with a beautiful one-handed grab for a 34-yard TD over Revis:

WATCH VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP

We’ll see who stands up taller in the second half, but so far Moss and the Pats receivers are getting the better of the Jets secondary, with 2 scores from Brady.  And after that catch, Moss’ posture is looking pretty good … and he isn’t anywhere near being stranded on Revis Island.

UPDATE: Revis has been forced to leave the game early with a hamstring injury; possibly sustained on the play above. He will not return. So I guess this round goes to Moss, but it looks like the Jets will get the win, so uh … yeah.

Yesterday Moss reminded us that he’s still one of the most dominant players in the league, with a 6-catch, 147-yd, 1-TD performance in the Patriots win over the Dolphins.  And in case you missed it, early in the game, he made this freakish one-handed catch:

State Farm has been running a commercial for a little while now that features Lebron James in a dream sequence where he signs with the Cleveland Browns and becomes a star in the NFL.

According to Randy Moss, that dream might not be far off from reality. Moss said in an interview with ESPN that he believes Lebron is one of those rare athletes who could succeed as a 2-sport athlete, and could even do better than Antonio Gates – who played basketball in college – in the NFL:

“I see his power and his explosion,” Moss said. “It really translates to the football field. Basketball was my first love. I just chose football because I was able to excel at that a little bit quicker than basketball.

“But looking at him and evaluating his skills and things like that, I don’t think it’d be a problem for him to make the transition from basketball to football.

“I believe that he could be a star in this game.”

Moss might not be too far off. James was an all-state receiver as a sophomore and junior at St. Vincent-St. Mary High in Akron, OH. He quit football as a senior to focus on basketball, and clearly, that has turned out pretty well for James.  But he has said that he still misses the game of football “every day”.  And at 6’8″, and with his freakish combination of size, speed and athleticism, it’s not hard to imagine James beating smaller DBs off the line, and out-reaching them for jump balls in the endzone.

So while everyone is focused on the NBA Playoffs, and hoping for a Lebron vs. Kobe showdown in the finals, it isn’t too much of a pipe dream to envision a future with James lining up against Troy Palomalu, and wondering who would get the better of that match-up.

After the jump, the director’s cut of the “Lebron-as-a-Brown’ State Farm commercial.