04/26/24
August 24, 2006
Ricky Williams could retire as... an Argo?: Sure, he's under contract to the Dolphins for next year. But after that? "I was thinking it wouldn't be bad to come back up here and kind of follow the same steps as [head coach Pinball Clemons]—play here a couple years and maybe get a chance to coach up here. Because I really like Toronto, I really like this organization ... you can live here, you know? You feel like you have a life."
posted by DrJohnEvans to football at 07:47 PM - 29 comments
He's a fantastic person with great morals and values. Loves Toronto, loves the Canadian Football League, loves Pinball But does he love Vintage Base Ball?
posted by hawkguy at 09:34 PM on August 24, 2006
Doesn't Canada have a very different legal status for the cannabis RW love so well?
posted by billsaysthis at 10:56 PM on August 24, 2006
Ricky says Ricky doesn't smoke cannabis any more, so I would guess it doesn't matter what the status of weed is here. I'm not a lawyer, but so far as I know, it's still a criminal offense to posess cannabis. With our newly elected federal government, it's highly unlikely they'll move to decriminalize. I don't know anyone who doesn't like Pinball. He could probably get elected mayor of Toronto if he ran this fall. I'd vote for him.
posted by tommybiden at 11:21 PM on August 24, 2006
He could probably get elected mayor of Toronto if he ran this fall. I'd vote for him. Not a glowing endorsement for the great city of Toronto.
posted by dyams at 07:07 AM on August 25, 2006
Oh you are so wrong, dyams. Pinball is a damn saint. But he's not a Canadian, so it's a moot point.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 08:17 AM on August 25, 2006
Sorry, read the comment wrong. I was thinking about Ricky, not Clemons. I realize Clemons is a really great guy.
posted by dyams at 08:59 AM on August 25, 2006
Weedy, Pinball is in the process of becoming Canadian, so all hope is not lost! I do have a question though, does one really want to be a DAMN saint?
posted by tommybiden at 09:22 AM on August 25, 2006
If you say it like Sam Jackson, it makes perfect sense.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 09:51 AM on August 25, 2006
Ricky only said that because he'll probably get popped for reefer again, and because he's already 29. Running backs generally dont pass 30 years old- especially when your lungs are shot.
posted by Kendall at 01:01 PM on August 25, 2006
A guy like Ricky Williams says stuff like this so we don't forget him. He has won the Heisman, helped New Orleans get out of the gutter, brought life back to Miami after the dark no Marino days, and now is in Canada and no one cares! He can stay up there all he wants. I don't care if he ever comes back to the Phins personally. We have Ronnie Brown and Daunte Cullpepper. We don't need him. Smoke your pot in Canada!
posted by kidrayter2005 at 02:07 PM on August 25, 2006
Despite Ricky's use of marijuana, he is very likeable, intelligent, engaging, humorous, in short, he is a pretty good guy. I wish he would stay off the weed, so I could see him play, but it's his choice, and his life. I think many people would say that marijauna is not as harmful as alcohol, but until laws and perception change, there is no room in the NFL for him. I'm glad he's happy.
posted by mjkredliner at 02:19 PM on August 25, 2006
Yeah, stay off the weed Ricky. Don't (cough) throw your (hack) life away (sound of massive bong hit - *blubblubblubbulbsssssnnnork* perhaps). I can see the music.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 02:41 PM on August 25, 2006
Good point mjk, while he has messed up his entire career smoking weed, he hasn't been the complete asshole some NFL players are. However, he messed up and is out of the NFL for a while and now everyone is acting like I was writing that comment above when I realized this is the same guy who also high tailed it to Asia and abandoned his team. While he has had some problems with disorders, drugs, and whatever I'm not going to wish him the best. He may be a likeable guy, but it doesn't seem like his personality was built to be a NFL player.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 03:09 PM on August 25, 2006
You know, I bet he's getting less grief in public now than at any time in his life not spent atop a mountain somewhere. I wouldn't be surprised if he really is happier with the Argos than anywhere he's ever played football. Certainly, if big bucks aren't a consideration with him, then why not stay with the Argos? Like YYM said, by all accounts, he's not an evil guy. It's just that the heavily structured grind of the NFL maybe doesn't agree with him, for which I can't blame him one bit. The only sticking point I can see would be with any contract he might have with the Dolphins, but things like that can be fixed. And yeah, I've never, not ever ever, heard of Mike Clemons not being able to get along with someone.
posted by chicobangs at 03:41 PM on August 25, 2006
The only sticking point I can see would be with any contract he might have with the Dolphins, but things like that can be fixed. I wouldn't be suprised if the Dolphins really didn't want him back, the only problem is getting rid of him without having to pay him too much money. I think they will end up releasing him, but it won't be quick and painless.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 04:14 PM on August 25, 2006
Despite Because of Ricky's use of marijuana, he is very likeable, intelligent, engaging, humorous, in short, he is a pretty good guy. There, fixed that for ya. Ricky just doesnt seem all that passionate about playing ball. He seems to have great tallent but just chooses not to use it. Corse that could be a side effect of the weed.
posted by Folkways at 04:46 PM on August 25, 2006
Despite Ricky's use of marijuana, he is very likeable, intelligent, engaging, humorous, in short, he is a pretty good guy. Intelligent? Where did you gather that from? He threw out everything just to smoke a blunt. I dont have a problem with pot, but to put millions of dollars aside for a drug that isnt even addictive, seems pretty stupid to me.
posted by Kendall at 05:30 PM on August 25, 2006
I agree Kendall, but, you know, maybe those millions aren't that important to him. I don't know. I used to watch him run crazy while he was at The University of Texas, and I wish I could watch him more, but like I said, I do hope he's happy.
posted by mjkredliner at 05:48 PM on August 25, 2006
Kendall, I do think Ricky is intelligent. Money is not everything. I've listened to him in 3 different interviews since he's been with the Argonauts, and he certainly comes across as wise, introspective, and comfortable with who he is as a person. It's not like he's making $7 an hour, he's still making more money in the CFL than 10 average Canadians make in a year. Money certainly doesn't make you any smarter, it can on the other hand tempt you to do very stupid things that you otherwise wouldn't have had opportunity to do. I think he's also comfortable in Toronto, he's feeling for probably the first time since grade school that he's not in a fishbowl.
posted by tommybiden at 06:27 PM on August 25, 2006
I agree with what you said TT- but if money wasnt important, then why did Ricky go back with Miami after they wanted their signing bonus back?
posted by Kendall at 07:28 PM on August 25, 2006
Money isn't really important to him, but he does have children and he just didn't have the money to pay it to the Dolphins (we shouldn't call it pay it back since he earned that money while he was in New Orleans). If he had it, perhaps he would have made a different decision. I like Rickey. He's different and that has been a problem for him playing in the U.S. I'm glad he found a place he feels comfortable.
posted by bperk at 07:52 PM on August 25, 2006
Yeah, stay off the weed Ricky. Don't (cough) throw your (hack) life away (sound of massive bong hit - *blubblubblubbulbsssssnnnork* perhaps). I can see the music. That happened to me at an Aerosmith concert in 1975 during their "Toys in the Attic" tour. Their music is purple. Of course it might have been the tab of windowpane I took during the Uriah Heep opening?
posted by commander cody at 08:06 PM on August 25, 2006
They're running the 60 Minutes interview on ESPN Classic right now (10pm ET), if you're interested in hearing how intelligent he is. (A hint: He's pretty smart and on the ball, more than most people I know.) Oh, and you guys who are harping on his weed use obviously don't really understand how weed works.
posted by chicobangs at 09:03 PM on August 25, 2006
Chico, how does weed work?
posted by tommybiden at 11:00 AM on August 26, 2006
That discussion is outside the scope of this website, but if you're really asking and not just being sarcastic, this NYT piece breaks it down. If you're chain-smoking the stuff (see Newton, Nate), sure you'll get stupid, but using it in moderation, y'know, like you would gin or chicken vindaloo or episodes of Around The Horn, can stop you from worrying about pointless problems and make it easier to focus on whatever really matters to you in this world. Not everyone wants to be David Beckham or Lebron James. People find happiness in all kinds of places.
posted by chicobangs at 03:19 PM on August 26, 2006
Couldn't agree more Chico. I smoked pot in moderation for nearly 30 years and it never harmed me any. Well, beyond the cough anyway and part of that was the 2 packs of Kools everyday. The only problems happened when I smoked too much, too often and would get a little paranoid. Still all I had to do was put it down for a bit (few weeks) and was back to fine right away. Basically it's harmless mentally.
posted by commander cody at 05:22 PM on August 26, 2006
I never said that pot was a bad thing, but if you have something like 9 million dollars coming, I don't think you would still smoke if you were told not to. I've smoked before, but never cost myself anywhere as much as it cost him. Still, I know what you're talking about, but the very least he could do is take something to help drain out the shit.
posted by Kendall at 08:47 PM on August 26, 2006
See, Kendall, that's you talking, not Ricky. He has never cared about the big bucks the way you (or, to be fair, I) would. To understand why he's done what he's done, you have to put yourself in his mindset, not just in his place.
posted by chicobangs at 04:09 PM on August 27, 2006
At this point ricky could say he was going to pluto and I wouldn't raise an eye brow. He's a fantastic person with great morals and values. Loves Toronto, loves the Canadian Football League, loves Pinball That's our ricky.