Run Ricky Run

by Ivette Ricco, President of Femmefan.com

July 26, 2004

The hottest preseason story is the sudden and totally unexpected retirement of 27-year old running back, Ricky Williams.

Sportswriters appear to be solidly in the corner of the Dolphins and their coach, Dave Wannstedt. The prevailing sentiment seems to be that Ricky is running away from the NFL because he wants to travel the world and smoke blunts.

Come now fellas, I understand the dismay and disappointment Ricky’s actions have generated in the NFL and the Dolphins organization. This was bad timing for the Fish, and their fans have every reason to be in pre-season depression.

But as far as I’m concerned Ricky has been running away from the NFL since being drafted by Mike Ditka as the Saints’ Savior in that infamous draft deal.

After winning the Heisman Trophy at Texas in 1998, Williams joined the New Orleans Saints when Mike Ditka used all of his draft picks to acquire the standout running back.

In 2001 he was diagnosed with social anxiety disorder, a condition contributing to his extreme shyness. Ricky was and has been a tormented person during his NFL career, often conducting interviews from behind the shield his football helmet provided.

Williams told the Miami Herald that the marijuana tests he failed had a minor influence on his decision. In May, The Palm Beach Post reported that Williams tested positive for marijuana and faced a fine of at least $650,000 for violating the league's substance-abuse policy for a second time since joining the Dolphins.

His attorney, Gary Ostrow, said there was no violation, and a ruling on Williams' appeal was pending. Williams has created a small controversy by stating that he has gotten around drug tests in the past by taking a special liquid players all over the league consume to avoid detection. Ah hah.

"You can't understand how free I feel," he told the Miami Herald before he boarded a flight bound for life after football.

Ricky Williams has taken the road of least resistance. He has discovered at the tender age of 27 that, money doesn’t buy happiness. That being happy is the ultimate goal in life.

If those who are bashing Ricky now for his sudden and unexpected retirement really cared about the young man. The Ricky who has never been comfortable in the football-star’s skin, they would understand that this is very Ricky-like and that he has simply elected to do what’s best for him not what’s best for the NFL machine.

I say Run Ricky Run, you be jammin’.

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