Reply #10: No, the parallel isn't perfect, but...

[Darknyte7]

I believe that comparison is apt because both mens' talent is superior to their contemporaries. Furthermore, the critisism that Moss has endured has been unfair and tinged with racism. Moss does not care what the press thinks of him. He gives interviews rarely. He dismisses questions he regards as rude or irrelevant. And most significantly--he doesn't seem to care what the pundits think of him. In other words, he doesn't know his place. And that, it seems, is his most unforgivable offense.

As a result, Moss is maligned at every opportunity. His astounding achievements as a receiver are attributed to "natural" athleticism. His story is framed as if his success is simply the product of genetic good fortune (the same thing can be said of nearly everyone in professional sports). His work ethic, his savvy, and his drive, meanwhile, are somehow viewed as suspect. So while Moss remains on pace to break every receiving record in NFL history, he is continually tagged with labels such as "lazy" and "not a team player." In a different era, the words might be different--"uppity" surely would have been deployed, as would "nigger"--but the meanings would be largely the same.