Minnesota Vikings wide receivers Chris Carter (left) and Randy Moss (right) sit on the bench just before halftime as the Vikings fall behind the New York Giants 34-0 in the NFC Championship game, January 14, 2001 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
HENNY RAY ABRAMS/AFP/Getty Images
What do you get when you mix two former NFL stars, ESPN radio, Twitter and Valentine's Day? A good old fashioned war of words steeped in a love-hate relationship.
It started on Monday when Randy Moss announced his plans to return to the NFL after "retiring" last August. It didn't take long for that decision to be questioned by ex-Vikings teammate Cris Carter.
Speaking on ESPN Radio on Tuesday morning, Carter said he wasn't worried about the 35-year-old Moss being too old or out of shape to return to the NFL - but he has other concerns.
"The one thing you have to address with Randy Moss is not a conditioning thing," Carter said. "It's not an age thing. It needs to be addressed. I believe it's the elephant in the room. It's that thing called quit... And Randy, not like any other superstar I've met, he has more quit in him than any of those other players. So I need to address that. That's what [New England Patriots coach Bill] Belichick did when he brought him over from Oakland. He told him he wasn't going to have it."
Carter went on: "But Randy, when things don't go well, like no other player I've ever been around or associated with, he has a quit mechanism in him that's huge. That needs to be addressed before he signs with any team."
Strong words but nothing shocking. Moss has been labeled a quitter before - from not finishing routes to not being a reliable teammate. But the comments from Carter must have struck a nerve because Moss posted this tweet on Tuesday:
@criscarter80 its sad how u stroked ur own ego when u were suppose to b my mentor!then u wonder why karma bites u in the ass!#goodlukwithhof
Ouch. The "goodlukwithhof" hashtag is a swipe at Carter for being a perennial Hall of Fame snub. One reason? He was often overshadowed in Minnesota by the guy with the "quit mechanism." Moss, who has compiled 14,858 receiving yards and 153 touchdowns in 13 seasons, may be a divisive player but he is a sure-fire Canton inductee on those numbers alone.
So Moss' tweet was a low blow for sure. But the mercurial receiver/quitter quickly had a change of heart. He later sent out another message via Twitter:
Randy Moss rips ex-teammate after "quit" comment
By Stephen Smith
/ CBS News
What do you get when you mix two former NFL stars, ESPN radio, Twitter and Valentine's Day? A good old fashioned war of words steeped in a love-hate relationship.
It started on Monday when Randy Moss announced his plans to return to the NFL after "retiring" last August. It didn't take long for that decision to be questioned by ex-Vikings teammate Cris Carter.
Speaking on ESPN Radio on Tuesday morning, Carter said he wasn't worried about the 35-year-old Moss being too old or out of shape to return to the NFL - but he has other concerns.
"The one thing you have to address with Randy Moss is not a conditioning thing," Carter said. "It's not an age thing. It needs to be addressed. I believe it's the elephant in the room. It's that thing called quit... And Randy, not like any other superstar I've met, he has more quit in him than any of those other players. So I need to address that. That's what [New England Patriots coach Bill] Belichick did when he brought him over from Oakland. He told him he wasn't going to have it."
Carter went on: "But Randy, when things don't go well, like no other player I've ever been around or associated with, he has a quit mechanism in him that's huge. That needs to be addressed before he signs with any team."
Strong words but nothing shocking. Moss has been labeled a quitter before - from not finishing routes to not being a reliable teammate. But the comments from Carter must have struck a nerve because Moss posted this tweet on Tuesday:
Ouch. The "goodlukwithhof" hashtag is a swipe at Carter for being a perennial Hall of Fame snub. One reason? He was often overshadowed in Minnesota by the guy with the "quit mechanism." Moss, who has compiled 14,858 receiving yards and 153 touchdowns in 13 seasons, may be a divisive player but he is a sure-fire Canton inductee on those numbers alone.
So Moss' tweet was a low blow for sure. But the mercurial receiver/quitter quickly had a change of heart. He later sent out another message via Twitter:
It is Valentine's Day after all.
Stephen Smith is a senior editor for CBSNews.com.
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