Whoa...Mario's pissed.

At Osi Umenyiora, that is.

Back story: Apparently CBS Sportsline columnist Pete Prisco compiled a list of the NFL's Top 50 players recently.

And apparently Umenyiora took umbrage with Pack alum Mario Williams' position on that list at #6. So much so that he had the following to say about the list:

Asked on a national radio show what surprised him about my list, Umenyiora said, "Mario Williams at No. 6." He then added, "This guy right here at No. 6 is just absolutely ridiculous."

(Continues)

Now remember, one of Mario's defining characteristics in his young career has been his extreme patience in the face of criticism and negativity. When the Texans passed on Reggie Bush and Vince Young to take Williams with the top overall pick, nearly every radio, TV and print journalist (not to mention two-bit keyboard jockey on the internet) said Houston was foolish beyond reproach. They called him a bust before he played a single down, and said Houston passed on the can't-miss prospect of a lifetime in Bush.

Mario had every right to lash out at the chatter. To fire back during the countless interviews about his controversial selection. But he stayed positive, never dwelling on the performance of Bush or Young but only addressing what he could do to get better.

Flash forward to Umenyiora's comments. When word got back to Mario, the normally subdued and positive Texan said:

"He's a coward," Williams said. "If he has anything to say to me, he should have said it to my face. You write that."

Wow. The soft spoken Williams typically would never hurt a fly (well, except for the ones he smears on the windshield of his Lambo), but he lit up Osi like a Christmas tree. It's almost like your local church's lay leader calling you a dirty sonofabitch in the church bulletin.

I'm not much of one for trash talking, for the most part, but I think it's great to see Williams show a little nastiness.

When you're soft spoken in the game of football, you can unfairly get labeled as soft. I think it's even tougher for a defensive end. Snap, explode off the line, chase, kill--that's the name of the game for a DE. That killer mentality on the field clashes with a soft spoken demeanor off it.

Perhaps that's why Umenyiora felt like he could slam Williams (who finished 37 positions higher than Osi on the list, by the way) without repercussion.

It's good to see that Mario's not taking it lying down.