Pubdate: Sun, 01 Aug 2004
Source: St. Petersburg Times (FL)
Copyright: 2004 St. Petersburg Times
Contact: http://connect.sptimes.com/contactus/letterstoeditor.html
Website: http://www.sptimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/419
Author: Roger Mills
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?420 (Cannabis - Popular)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/ricky+williams

WILLIAMS' RETIREMENT CONFOUNDS DOLPHINS

One week after his bizarre, but not entirely shocking retirement, the
fallout of Ricky Williams' decision to leave the game to pursue a life
in which he is free to smoke marijuana is trickling through his old
locker room.

While many former teammates support his decision to leave the game if
his heart isn't in it, they seem a bit ticked off that he made his
announcement so, ahem, bluntly.

"I would have applauded it if it would have happened in February or
May or even one month ago," linebacker Zack Thomas told the South
Florida Sun Sentinel. "That would have given us the opportunity to go
and get somebody else. ... It's all about timing, because there are a
lot of guys depending on each other."

Some teammates were down right vicious. Center Seth McKinnley ripped
Williams for the late announcement, prompting Williams to criticize
his former teammate's ability to block. McKinnley responded
accordingly.

"What Ricky seems to misunderstand is that in a team setting, people
are accountable to each other," he said. "He said he doesn't owe me
anything. That would be true if we had no association with each other.
However, we are on a team. That's the association we have - teammates.
He owes me and I owe him - that's the reality of it. I owe him to
block to the best of my ability. I owe him because he makes an
offensive line look better than it really is. He owes me to run to the
best of his ability, and that is all he owes me as a teammate. ... I
never quit on him. It's about quitting, and unfortunately that's what
he did. He quit on us."
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