Ricky Williams to retire

[JQK]

Who cares? Ricky williams was never "That Big"... he was a draft bust for the Saints, and had a few decent seasons for the Dolphins. Nothing special. Football will not remember him in 10 years.

[NJTank]

Robert Smith and Barry Sanders did the same thing, non?

Robert Smith had several injuries and wanted to become a doctor if I recall I remeber him sitting out a season at Ohio State for a Pre-Med course he was taken.

That is completely different that is some what noble.

Barry retired because he was sick of losing with the Lions, you can question that some what but its not as lame as retiring for pot.

He is trash, and if he wants to come back the Dolphins should tell him to gent bent and hold his rights so he cant play even when he sobers up and wants to.

[Sterling84]

I'm kind of surprised at this reaction. I mean, I never could stand the guy from day 1 so his absence wont bother me a bit.

But, so many other baseball and basketballers sign huge deals and "hang it up" so to speak while still on the payroll.....for years. Ricky certainly puts the Dolphins in a bind here, but I feel it's kinda decent of him. He could half-ass it all season or Keyshawn it ...not play and still get paid. He's not doing that. He's quitting his job....same as you or I could do. Two weeks notice is nice, but meh.

As for the weed thing. I think it's cute all the DARE programs in your communities worked so well. ANd in general substance abuse is nothing to laugh at. But weed has never hurt anyone ever. The level of the propoganda campaign against it, linking it to both terrorism and gun crime is both preposterous and uncalled for. Compared to the litany of perfectly legal substances that we gorge ourselves on and kill ourselves with .... (the aforementioned tobacco and alcohol) which also get slammed on the CCSL. But worse yet are the caffeine addictions we probably almost all share and the growing epidemic of Type II (self freaking induced) diabetes which is a helluva lot more serious than sugar shock. The only difference with weed is, we don't have systems/companies in place to make it immediately profitable like we do smokes n booze.

We've been raised to think the war on drugs is an age old battle. Its not, its contrived, it's a new phenomenon (30yrs) its a waste of money and its wrong. I think sometimes you DO have to fight and occasionally break the law to set things write. Go William Wallace on somebody. But, its hard to get ramped up about defending your right to sit on a couch and eat Pringles....so. I see both sides. Its not a terribly noble fight. I'd just encourage you guys to open your minds, not to do anything you're not comfortable with EVER....but realize that we get fed a lot of nonsense throughout our lives and to tell you the absolute truth. Being rich, hanging it up, sitting on a beach smoking the occasional bowl doesn't sound like the worst thing that could happen.

I hope this doesn't SHOCKINGLY change your opinion of me as a collective. This is all coming from a guy who's tried it once and pretty much didnt like it.

I'm just saying...there's a fine line between being a good kid, and believing no one else is a good person unless they think like you, act like you....etc.

Now more than ever we have to be vigilant to defend the rights of individuals. Its very hip to take them away and leave in their place the elusion of safety...or freedom.

[NJTank]

He is an addict and attitudes like yours Sterling dont help.

Its all this shades of grey bullplop that is killing Western Society.

Individual rights are important, but illict drugs are different. Drugs hurt people and there is a reason why they are controlled.

If we just allow them to be leagal everything would fall apart fast and you will have anarchy. Some of you would like that, but after a while life would become miserable fast.

I have a question you calling durgs an indiivudal right issue where do you draw the line at inidividual rights?

Because there has to be a line somewhere.

[NJTank]

This guy makes great points

http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/7523844

[DEAD!]

What Robert Smith and Barry Sanders did when they retired was more noble and Williams. That I will. not argue

I agree with Sterling 100% about the "Drug War" We have legalised much more harmful substances than marijuana, but the goverment can't make money off marijuana. I don't think Sterling is out to say we should legalise every chemical/substance. Yeah, there would be problems if we legalise EVERYTHING. But there is some sense of hypocaisy here when marijuana, something that hasn't been proved to kill anyone, is illegal, but cigarettes, and prescription drugs that may have extreme side effects are legal. That's not to say marijuana doesn't do anything.

The world is not black and white. There will always be shades of grey everywhere.

[Magus]

if he wants to smoke pot, thats his business. doesn't matter to me.

but if he doesn't have the heart and passion to play, then he should retire. its a shame really to see a talented player retire like that at such an early age. hopefully in a couple of seasons he will reconsider and return with passion and desire to play.

[jkrdevil]

Who cares what the reason is, if he doesn't want to play football why do you want him on your team?

[DEAD!]

Who cares what the reason is, if he doesn't want to play football why do you want him on your team?

Yes .... on my volleyball team Just kidding.

[TFoA]

Even though it was extremely selfish and foolish for him to leave just one week before camp... I say good for him, if you're not happy with your job, and you've got the money to retire, THEN RETIRE... Just because now he's doing what he wants to do instead of what people are telling him to do, that doesn't make him a loser... Hey, if I was in his shoes with the money, and that kind of free will, I'd leave too... Just not ONE WEEK before training camp...

And then, it's better that he went out in a flame of glory {in his prime} than to fade away into oblivion {like people who stay WAAAAY after their prime}... At least like most people, he isn't hobbling around after his career... He's gonna live the life of a roadrunner, and if that's what he wants to do, then good for him... I just feel for the hardcore Dolphin fans and the fantasy players

[Brass]

Nice. Looks like the Pats can clinch a playoff birth even earlier.

[GameCock82]

mabe he is a extremely religious rastafari. And possibly had to retire for religious reasons. pot

[Saintsfan]

Who cares what the reason is, if he doesn't want to play football why do you want him on your team?

Exactly!

I really don't get why tank feels like he has to take Williams to task for deciding he doesn't wanna play football anymore. Why should anyone criticize the guy? He doesn't wanna be pounded into the ground by 250 pound defencemen anymore! The guy has realised what a trivial existence playuing any pro sport is, why shouldn't he go?

[Roger Clemente]

I know people who smoke pot. Some of the smartest people I know actually. One guy smokes up become coming to work sometimes because he knows that he can't sit still after getting high and his productivity skyrockets. Not to mention that I would call him a general hockey expert, and when he's high, he'll argue up and down about how good this player is/was, how bad this player is/was, this team, that, whatever. He's great.

And no, it is not me.

--Roger "Time?" Clemente.

[mac]

I know how Ricky must feel, when I played football I hated practice, it made me sick to think about going to practice but the games made it all worth while, problem was after a few years the games werent giving me that sense of satisfaction anymore, and i grew to hate playing in the games as much as I hated practice, so even though I was a good player I quit because I didnt like playing the game of football, perhaps Ricky just didnt like playing football. Most of us will not enjoy what we do for a living, Ricky Williams may fall into that category, but he has enough money where he can quit the job he doesnt like and retire, you cant blame him not wanting to do something.

[See Red]

I know how Ricky must feel, when I played football I hated practice, it made me sick to think about going to practice but the games made it all worth while, problem was after a few years the games werent giving me that sense of satisfaction anymore, and i grew to hate playing in the games as much as I hated practice, so even though I was a good player I quit because I didnt like playing the game of football, perhaps Ricky just didnt like playing football. Most of us will not enjoy what we do for a living, Ricky Williams may fall into that category, but he has enough money where he can quit the job he doesnt like and retire, you cant blame him not wanting to do something.

Exactly how I felt the entire time I played football. That's why I no longer play -- because every other sport I've played I loved going to practice and there was a time where I did enjoy football practice but then i transferred to a new high school (not by choice, but glad I did), got switched from WR to TE, coach became an ass, he was especially hard on me because he was a TE in college, and we had a litle grudge, and he blamed the last loss on me despite the fact that I was playing all but 3 plays of the second half with a mild concussion because he chased all my backups off the team.

Ricky Williams has the right to retire whenever. So i don't have a problem with him having chosen now or what have you. My problem is with the timing and him leaving the Dolphins, a legitimate Super Bowl contender, out to dry.

[epper]

this really is a shame, because Ricky was a premier talent in the game, and to just leave it after not really accomplishing much just to smoke pot is pretty pathetic.

on the other hand, THIS IS AWESOME! i am a hardcore Bills fan, so therefore i hate the Fins! This leaves them scrambling to find a replacement, or else go with unproven Travis Minor. As of now, i wouldnt be surprised to see the Fish at the bottom of the AFC East this year

[DEAD!]

Any guess as to where exactly Ricky went? "Where in World is Ricky Williams?" as sung by Rockapella

[Waffles]

Any guess as to where exactly Ricky went? "Where in World is Ricky Williams?" as sung by Rockapella

This ESPN article says he went to Asia "without a return ticket".

I gotta say, I envy the guy. Sure, his timing sucked, but what I wouldn't give to be able to up and travel the world looking for meaning to my life.

[NJTank]

Some of the people defending Ricky is a sad commentary and shows how the world is in peril. There are some things that are not ok, and what Ricky did is not cool.

First off we need to go back to a scoiety where RESPONSABILLITY is important, and to simply call this a life choice and to feel good for him i worng.

If he has a drug problem let him go to rehab and get cured, but to just walk away saying he lost the heart is bogus.

But there are 40 men on a football team and millions of Dolphin fans all over the place I being one of them, this is a spit in the face at us. To just up and leave and say hey man Im outta here is totally classless.

Do I want him back?

Not now I hope he goes over to Asia and finds himself in acountry not so tolerent of drugs and ends up like Midnight Express.

As far as I am conserned he go :censored: himself.

But dont dare say this noble dont dare honor him, look at him as a piece of :censored: that he is.

Yeah he has the freedom to what he did, but that does not make it right morally.