Since I started writing this column last year, I've received some provocative responses from what is obviously a unique and diverse audience. My e-mail is often intelligent (but sometimes stupid), combative (I love these), and always emotional.

So, with a little prodding (even more than usual) from my editors, I've decided to go with the flow. You take the lead on this column, and I'll respond to your e-mail. You let me know what you want to discuss each week, I hit you back with my thoughts, and it's on!

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Who do you think you are? Peyton Manning should blast Edgerrin James for not participating in summer workouts. Manning showed his leadership by attending. James needed to do the same. The other players saw his action as a lack of dedication to winning. Manning is the true leader on his team. He has earned it. You show that you write like you played: With no purpose other than receiving a paycheck.
-- Johnny Harding

Okay, let's get this straight. Summer workouts are little more than babysitting. I say that because football coaches are (and maybe for good reason) a paranoid bunch. They like to see their players working out in the offseason. But truth be told, Jerry Rice isn't the only NFL player who works his butt off with a personal trainer in the summer. A lot of guys do it.

In the winter of '93, I joined Rice's trainer, Raymond Farris, and his workout partners. It was a group that included the Vikings' Chris Walsh, the Seahawks' Ricky Watters, and local high school and college kids. Each morning at 7 a.m. we all ran that infamous horse trail in Redwood City, Calif., followed by two hours of weight training. The rest of the week included sprints and one-on-one drills. The past two years, the Vikings' Cris Carter, Daunte Culpepper, and Randy Moss have done a similar program in the Florida heat.

My point? This type of workout schedule is very common around the league. These are grown men who don't need to be around coaches to prepare for the season. And sometimes it's good to get away from the team's facility in the offseason. I'm sure Edgerrin will be just fine.

Okay, gotta go now. It's five o'clock and tomorrow is payday!

That was the gayest article I've ever read. I have to wonder about anybody that loves scarlet and gold and the city of San Francisco. By the way, Merton Hanks sucked.
-- Rich Moore

Actually, a better way to say this is: "That's the most gay article I've ever read." And my favorite color is actually navy blue.

But putting grammar and color schemes aside for a second, I think the real issue here is your anger. I am a firm believer that therapy can help you resolve your hatred of San Francisco. Or, you can visit Fisherman's Wharf. You can do some shopping, have some ice cream, and enjoy perhaps the best seafood in California. If that doesn't change your mind about the city, then send me a note, and I'll give you numbers for some good therapists. I'm sure Mert would agree.

Why don't we want to hear about religion and morals from athletes? Because they don't know what they're talking about, and they believe themselves to be righteous people. Then right after they tell us how they've found God, they get arrested for beating their wives or buying drugs, prostitutes, etc.
-- Timothey Engel

I think most sports fans don't want to hear their heroes riff on religion because it ruins this image of the savage beast. Sports fans want their athletes to be one-dimensional beings. They want football players to block and tackle, basketball players to make shots, and baseball players to run, hit, and field. Just play your sport, shut up, and go away.

But why do so many people keep asking these guys to be role models? Okay -- Eugene Robinson's misadventure prior to Super Bowl XXXIII notwithstanding -- if these guys don't even make an attempt to be morally upstanding citizens, do you think they can achieve role-model status by simply playing a game? I don't think so.

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I'm on my way back to Jets camp, where I'm doing a story on Herman Edwards. Now he's my idea of a coach: one who understands that to get respect from his players, he has to give some as well. You listening, Tom Coughlin?

Get in on the conversation with Alan Grant, a former NFL defensive back who writes football for ESPN The Magazine. E-mail him at alan.grant@espnmag.com, and check back each week to read his responses.