Dear Ricky.. I remember it like yesterday! Sitting on my couch wearing my #34 Uniform just waiting like a child on Christmas morn for the game to begin. This wasn't any game you see it was your first game as a dolphin. I was jacked so much we finally had a REAL running back in Miami! You did a decent job nothing to write home about but I was excited and knew the future was exciting for the Dolphins... Looking back on those thought I would say exciting might not have been the best words! After the 2003 season Ricky was the MAN no doubt about it and he was going to lead us to the promised land, but the wheels seems to fall off pretty quickly. Im not here to demean you. Ricky your human and you have your own battles and demons to face in life like the rest of us, but you really let the fans down.. Right or wrong We were counting on you to bring us back to playoffs and into the Superbowl. Sadly you slipped again and it seemed the entire team went into a funk. I remember thinking how dumb you were how much you had it made, how life was easy for you now and you made a dumb mistake costing ME and the Other fans heartache. I stopped counting on you that day. I buried the Jersey and decided to not count on you again.. As early as this spring when people talked about you coming back I said your stupid to think an aging RB who has serious addiction problems would be a positive point on a 1-15 team this year. But something seemed to have changed in you. Maybe it was Bill Parcells coming in, maybe it was that you have aged some and matured? Maybe its because your finally in the last year of a contract and your fighting for a final payday next year? I dunno. But it seems that your on the right path. You have your proverbial head out of your keister and your mind and body back on football. So I wan't to man up today and welcome you back to the Dolphins... Not that you were not hear last year but in my heart you were gone.. This year I'm letting you back in. I realize your life and your struggles are much more important than football, and I'm rooting for you as a person and a Dolphin to get it back... Im rooting for you to lead a young dolphins team back into the playoff hunt. Im rooting for you and your family to finally step out of the shadow of your past, and enjoy the time you have with them. Im rooting for you to get that big paycheck, and Im rooting for you to continue fighting your demons so they may slip away into that closet and never be open again. Welcome back to the Dolphins, Im going to go back out and buy another Jersey and pretend its Christmas all over again, im ready to believe in you again.. Godspeed Ricky Godspeed..
Thank you. Nice thread. I've often wanted to write Ricky a letter of support. Let's hope he continues to progress and doesn't "mess up". He shouldn't though, the team looks like they are supporting him and so does the coaching staff.
He's still got a whole season to go before you should think about apologizing to him. If he can stay clean for a year then I could understand it, but he's still got 16 chances to screw us again.
I'm not going to apologize to Ricky Williams. I'm sure he understands that any ill will from fans, teammates, coaches, etc. is well deserved and understandable. I'm glad he's on our team, as he greatly improves our chances of running a solid offense and being a winning football team.
i agree with some, we as fans need not necessarily apologize to ricky for being disappointed in him or skeptical, no one can deny that was well deserved. but so long as the fans are currently behind him, cheering for him and the rest of the gang on gameday, that's probably all he wants to hear
I'll never say I'm sorry to him. He's a little off the wall, and was a large part as to why this team has stunk for the last few years. What I have done, is forgave him, and wish him the best in his recovery, and rediscovery of his want to play football. He seems on the right track finally. Let him go thru a season or two, and I'll congratulate him for sure and I think he'd appreciate that even more. So for now it's Go Ricky...
that sounded more like a love letter to an ex girlfriend begging for forgiveness than an appology to Ricky All kidding aside, I see where you're going with this. However, i dont see it as we as fans have anything to appologize to ricky for. He's the one who owes the fans the appology. 1000 rushing yards and 6 or 7 td's will do the trick for me. Im glad he's back though. hopefully he can make a full year out of it.
An apology letter to Ricky Williams..... FOR WHAT? I'm not apologizing for thinking he's a fruitcake because he is. I'm not apologizing for getting mad that this fruitcake that Wanny decided to mortgage our teams future for by giving up 2 1st round draft picks in trade decided to walk on our team. I'll support the fact that he's trying to collect himself and that he's back contributing to the team in the present, but he was the one that was wrong in the past. No apology here.
Apologies? Cmon, at the end of the day, its just a game. I'm not one to get on my high horse, but I've always been a Ricky supporter. He's not a turd. He didn't allegedly rape or beat anyone. He didn't drink and drive and kill somebody. He smokes, probably would have a license for it anyway if he didn't play; and screwed up one of the leagues plethora of tests he was forced to take in 06. I like him. Its obvious he's a kind spirited person, and walks to the beat of a different drum. Did he waste a few years and have that effect what could've been an amazing NFL legacy over time? Sure, but I don't think that matters to him. I think he's living on a bit of a higher plain(no pun intended). I don't feel a need for him to apologize and I don't think we owe him one as fans. But to the original poster, that's a nice gesture none the less.
until you walk in anothers mans shoes..you know the rest. i like ricky williams,always have always will.
Is it just me or does Ricky look high in this picture??? We're screwed, it's only preseason. LOL somebody needs to mail him a whizzinator
Some of you are saying why apologize to Ricky, and I see what you mean but I also see the human side of it. Ricky has an addicition and it's not as easy as saying im going to stop. My dislike for Ricky came from me being upset that the Dolphins where not as good without him. I didn't care about him as a person just as some stats on my team.. What Im apologizing for is that lack of compassion for a person in trouble. What im rooting for is a human triumph over an addicition. Ricky has paid for his missteps. He has been playing for very little money due to his problems, hes been in the doghouse for years now, and hes stepping out of the shadows now. Yes it's preseason but I have a good feeling about him this year... Im trusting Ricky once again, here's hoping he succeeds.
The thought is nice, but there's still a lingering doubt in my mind about Ricky. Perhaps the light has come on and he's figured out the mysteries of life, I don't know. but what I do know is that he needs more atonement IMHO...He hasn't proven anything yet..this is only the offseason and a couple of meaningless preseason games...
Well, its everyones own decision to feel if they deserve an apology, or feel the need to give an apology. You felt you needed to and did so and I commend you for it. I have always been a big Ricky fan. While devasted when the things that happened came about, it did not affect me directly so I just put it into my own perspective and felt saddened for Ricky. Therefore he doesn't need to apologize to me. He is here, performing well, and seems like his life is on track both on and more importantly off the field. I wish and pray for him to succeed.
Isn't this the 100th time we've said this? Ricky and dedication shouldn't be used in the same sentence. You take what you can get out of him, but don't place a hope in him, and you don't count on him. He may give us a 1200 yd season, or a substance abuse violation. I'm ok either way. He certainly doesn't deserve an apology. It's like apologizing for calling someone a thief when he returns half your money 2 years after he mugged you.
Agreed larryfinfan agreed, what im saying is im not on his side.. Rooting for his success when the last few years I was indeifferent to him.. Im not trying to bed the man for christ sakes! Im just openly saying I forgive the past.. Today is a new day. A new slate and even though Rickys playing days are numbered Im wishing him sucess and I do care about the man now.. Im sorry for putting statistics above the man... That said.. I hope Tom Brady twists his ankle!
I also root for his success, as I always have, I just don't think that he can do enough for the Fins to erase the bad karma he created on this team, my team, in the past. The slate, imo is far from clean although I agree it does appear as tho Ricky (the man) has taken the right steps thus far...
Don't apologize for being a compassionate and caring individual. Ricky doesn't owe anyone crap..... Do people who quit jobs owe anything their co-workers or clients?? NO. He quit because he wasn't happy on our team... That's all I need to know. I didn't care when it happend... and I still don't care now. If you put all of your hopes on one man...be prepared for disappointment. And that's exactly what this team did. They ran him to the ground.. then cried when he left. They used him like a ragdoll then cried HELP when he was broken and dirty. Let me tell you all something, this man(Ricky) wasn't addicted. He just didn't want to play football anymore. What would you have him do? Keep running until one day, he couldn't handle it anymore and commits suicide? Then we would be all teary eyed because no one attacks the dead... What hypocrisy. And now that he's back and stable, people still have a chip on their shoulder. Like if the reason we didn't win the super bowl was because he left. Everyones mad because they didn't get to scream at him while running down the field for another year. Did it ever occur to you people that running and getting hit in front of thousands upon thousands of selfish, impatient "fans" could take it's toll on a man? Of course not. Because you're not the one down there taking hits and getting bruised so that "fans" can have a good sunday. I cannot believe the hatred for this man.. I know I'm not the minority though. When Ricky first ran against the Bucs, the crowd went nuts. Hateful, resentful people are the minorty. Cruel, twisted individuals with no sympathy for a [GOSH DARN] running back with a social crisis that he had to take care of. I KNOW Ricky is going to prove you all wrong. I LOVED the idea of this thread. Maybe an apology is too much but a letter of support isn't. It's this kind of positive, FORGIVING attitude that the world needs.
I don't have a problem with you supporting him. I support him now. He's cleaned up his act and seems to have his head on straight now. Having said that, I think you're insinuation that those that don't feel the need to apologize for being upset when he went AWOL are "hateful" and "resentful" is way off target.
I respect the posters view and opinions but I don't feel any inclination to apologize or feel the need to forgive Ricky. Whats in the past is in the past and we certainly have a lot of Dolphins past to put behind us, not just Rickys behavior. When Ricky is on his game he is one of the most dangerous running backs in the NFL and a legitimate offensive weapon. I am glad Ricky Williams is back and looking good. He certainly gives us a great option while Ronnie recovers. I will cheer for Ricky when he plays and I will be thrilled when he plays like the old Ricky.
