ricky williams

someone at work just freaked out today.

i wasn’t there, but on a support call with the customer, apparently he just freaked out. couldn’t handle it, just hung up, and left. and now he’s m.i.a.

it’s not that we didn’t see this coming; he’s been on and off unhappy for a while now, and a few months ago he tried to leave for another position in the company before he was persuaded to stay. it’s funny, i was thinking about him just last week, and wondering how he was, since nothing had really changed and he was still in basically the same conditions.

but even if he came back now, would we want him back?

all of a sudden, it’s like the whole ricky williams situation. for those of you who thankfully don’t follow football, he was a top-5 running back who decided to retire at the peak of his abilities, just a week before training camp this year. he was the center of the franchise and basically the whole offense for the miami dolphins. and yet he walks away, leaving his team in the lurch.

or maybe it’s like barry sanders. the best running back the detroit lions ever had, and possibly the best running back ever, he was the saviour of the franchise when i was growing up. he did incredible, crazy things. he could break defenders’ ankles with one of his double juke moves. he had the sad sack lions one game away from the super bowl. and yet at the top of his career, on the verge of breaking the rushing record, he retires. he says that he’s lost his love of the game, and that he’s tired of losing. i used to love him. but now i can’t. because he betrayed us.

i guess ultimately, you can’t keep people doing what they don’t want to be doing. they got to love it to do a good job, even if they’re the most talented people for the position.

because you need someone you can depend on and who won’t run out on you. the most talented person in the world can’t help you if he’s not there.

just ask keyshawn johnson.

Posted at October 12, 2004 10:55 PM