| One of the things I enjoy most
about being a writer is bringing order to chaos. Finding a way to order and explain some
jumbled mass of information is an exciting thing. That, to me, is what’s so
frustrating about Ricky Williams. I couldn’t explain him if I tried. You could give
me a week to work with the chaos, and I’d be no closer to understanding him at the
end of it than I was at the beginning.
Williams hit the headlines again this week after some comments he made in Sports
Illustrated. He ripped his teammates, criticized his new coach, blasted the city of
New Orleans and said he’d prefer the Saints play their home games in San Antonio.
A lot of people have taken Williams to the verbal woodshed. I’m not quite so eager
to do that, because I don’t feel as though I have a real good handle on what exactly
Ricky is all about.
I’m asking myself a lot of questions as I try to figure Williams out. Here is a
fairly accurate transcript of some of those questions, and the answers I’ve come up
with.
NEELY: Is Ricky a bad guy?
NEELY: I don’t think so. Misguided, yes. And he’s sometimes too quick to open
his mouth. But I think the main thing Ricky cares about is winning, not about selfish
goals like numbers.
NEELY: Then why is he so confusing?
NEELY: It almost seems as if Ricky is trying to create the persona of a rebel, trying
to make his mark by being unusual. Maybe that’s why he was the first big-name
football player to sign with Master P’s agency, why he signed the kind of
pay-for-play contract he did with the Saints. That would even explain the wedding dress.
NEELY: But that’s not all there is to it, is it?
NEELY: Nope. I don’t think, at his core, Williams really is a rebel. Remember when
we saw Ricky at the draft last April? He was surrounded by the hip-hop entourage and all
that, but he still took time to make eye contact and thank a fan who wished him good luck.
My hunch is that Ricky really is a good guy, but he’s trying to put on this persona,
and it covers up who he really is.
NEELY: You must think you’re some amateur psychologist.
NEELY: I try.
NEELY: What’s Ricky trying to accomplish with his latest diatribe?
NEELY: Here’s the thing: I’m not convinced he’s trying to accomplish
anything. I don’t think he’s trying to force a trade or a contract negotiation.
My hunch is he’s trying to be a little controversial but that he wasn’t savvy
enough to know when to say when.
NEELY: Has Ricky blown it with his teammates so much that he can’t recover?
NEELY: Well, he may have cost himself a few charity golf tournament appearances, but if
he plays well, his teammates will accept him. He may never be best buds with them, but as
long as their working relationship is good, the Saints will be fine.
NEELY: Is Ricky spoiled?
NEELY: Probably a little bit. Certainly he’s not used to failure, and his
struggles last season are obviously wearing on him.
NEELY: So you’re the Saints. What do you do with Ricky after this latest
article?
NEELY: I do nothing. Let things blow over. When Ricky comes to minicamp, ask him to do
what he can to make up to his teammates. Otherwise, have a thick skin. Pressing him on
this now can only lead to trouble.
NEELY: My head hurts. Got any Advil?
NEELY: On my way for some right now. |
