"I just don't want to be in this business anymore. Everyone has thrown every possible scenario at me about why I shouldn't do this, but they're in denial. I'm happy with my decision. I'm finally free. I can't remember ever being this happy." - Ricky Williams

Ricky Williams likes to smoke marijuana.

Ricky Williams likes to live a life of freedom.

Ricky Williams had the talent to be one of the all-time great running backs in NFL history, but despite all of his talent, Williams never had the desire to be a star. He never wanted to be an NFL player, and he never attained a drive to succeed in the league.

Everyone knew Ricky didn't want to play football. You could see it in how he played the game. A boatload of talent, but when you force your talent out to the masses, it can get very excruciating.

After five years in the league, Ricky Williams is walking away from untold fortunes to retire to live out his life as he wants. No longer will he worry if a reporter from southern Florida criticizing his play because he only managed 102 yards and a single touchdown when "he should have played better." No longer will he worry about meeting weight when reporting for training camp. No longer will he worry about suffering a panic attack while surrounded by reporters. No longer will he worry about random league drug tests.

Instead, Ricky says that he wants to travel the world. He says that he wants to experience all he can from life.

"I don't want to be in this business anymore," Ricky Williams told the Miami Herald. It was that simple for him. Just like that, in the mind of Ricky Williams, he was free from his obligations to the Dolphins. A few days after it happened, it still hasn't sunk in for most people.

Skeptics will say that he's trying to side-step a $650,000 fine for testing positive for marijuana for a second time since joining the Dolphins.

Apparently, Ricky has been thinking about this for awhile, but he neglected to tell anyone. One week before camp starts, he leaves his team high and dry. That's it. His teammates deserved better, the fans deserved better. They have backed him for so long, and the fans are the ones that pay his salary. How does he repay them? Packs up his bags and heads overseas

Sure, a lot of people (especially those in Miami) hate Ricky Williams right now. Teammates must feel abandoned. They can't really feel anything else right now. Williams is their offense. There is no other way around that. A.J. Feeley looked solid for a couple games in 2002, but can he lead a team that now asks Travis Minor to carry the load at halfback?

According to the Dolphins, Williams' departure doesn't change much with the team. Dave Wannstedt says that their offense will remain balanced. This is a good thing. Balance does happen to be a crucial element to success in the NFL. It's just that balance is a little more to their liking when you happen to chew up four or more yards a carry instead of two or three. As of right now, the Dolphins top running back is Travis Minor � hardly a name that strikes fear in defenses around the league.

So basically, my question there is this� did Wannstedt get a little something from Ricky�s private stash before the interview? The team loses one of the top offensive threats only days before training camp opens, and he�s actually thinking that we�re na�ve enough to actually believe that the team is going to continue like it�s business as usual?

Look at Detroit. Five years ago, Barry Sanders retires under similar circumstances (that is, on the eve of training camp - not because of drugs, mind you). The team is now finally starting to rebound from that loss. The Dolphins can�t expect to rebound in a matter of days� it will take time.

An action like this should have been expected from Ricky. Ricky has always been Ricky� While with the Saints, he would only grant post-game interviews while wearing his helmet. He�s stated that he�d rather photograph the perfect sunset than win a Super Bowl. Speaking of photographs, he was once featured on the cover of ESPN the Magazine wearing a wedding dress.

Ricky will no longer concern himself with what happens in the NFL (no matter how it affects his former teammates). He just has to worry about what he's doing next. And he doesn't even have to worry about that. He can just float, rather aimlessly, and apparently Ricky is just fine with that.

So, it should come as no surprise to anyone that he�s walking away from this career.

Or, as some might say� letting it all go up in smoke.