Terrell Owens--where to start?

[The Squish]

I seriously can't think of a more self-centered and selfish "Me first I never make mistakes, it's never my fault but always someone else's" player in modern NFL history.

Has any other player utterly destroyed the chemistry of 3 different NFL teams, 49ers, Ravens and Eagles?

Sports Illustrated ran an article about him in a recent issue and the thing that jumped out at me was the writers assertion that TO wasa first ballot Hall of Famer, citing:

1) His holding the record for most catches in a single game with 20

2) His game winning catch against the Packers in the playoffs some years back, without mentioning that up until that point he had dropped every ball thrown anywhere near him, thus costing the 49ers at least 4 scoring opportunities

3) His career stats which rank him in the top 10 in catchs.

Now, seriously, can anyone justify his being a first ballot HoFamer based on those three things?

And I have a semi-serious problem with the overall career number of cacthes, which is this: the NFL has made so many rules changes in the past 10 years which have essentially crippled defenses when it comes to defending receivers. Basically, the defense can't so much as breathe on a receiver one the receiver steps out of the 5 yard zone, and jamming off of the line is pretty much a no-no.

With stuff like that, it's no wonder receivers are putting up ungodly numbers. I see it as being the equivilent of steroid use in baseball.

And then there's TO's new book, his second autobiography, about which he is now bleating that he was misquoted.

Also, can the fawning over TO's "miraculous return from his broken just f***in stop.

I also love how reporters and the folks at ESPN constantly bleat that Owens was the reason the Eagles made the Super Bowl in 2005.

He wasn't.

If he was the Eagles would have lost every game played without him and would have lost in the first round of the playoffs, and it's quite telling that the first game that he played in after his injury the Eagles lost (Super Bowl XXXIX).

What was so miraculous about it?

It wasn't all that serious of an injury. In point of fact Rams HoFame defensive end Jack youngblood had a much more severe injury when he broke both bones in his lower leg in the 1980 playoff game aganist the Cowboys. Not only did Youngblood not miss a game, he had the leg taped up and returned to action, yet Youngblood's actions are almost never mentioned.

Why?

Probably because he never was a "look at me, it's all about me player" like TO.

Thoughts, comments, hints and allegations?

[Brendan]

I wouldn't say he destroyed the chemistry of the Ravens. But I agree with you on most points especially that he isn't a first ballot hall of famer though he could of been if hadn't had all this mess. The thing that has recently made me just hate TO is his 200 something page on his 2 seasons with the eagles. Why in world do you need to write a book about how you screwed up a team. It dosen't matter though he will fail in Dallas and the next place and where ever he goes after that.

[NJTank]

Oh when Bledsoe has a bad game and cant hit TO, you wll see him do the same act again and perhaps destory another team.

[PaperAirplane31]

Oh when Bledsoe has a bad game and cant hit TO, you wll see him do the same act again and perhaps destory another team.

As a Giants fan I pray for that game.

[Cyclopsis Joe]

And as a Falcons fan, who doesn't care about the East, I can say that I would pay good money to watch Parcells V. Owens.

I got 10 bucks on a firing by week 5. Any takers?

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Oh when Bledsoe has a bad game and cant hit TO, you wll see him do the same act again and perhaps destory another team.

As a Giants fan I pray for that game.

As a Bills fan, I'm also looking forward to that.

Drew Bledsoe is kind of like the Kenny Rogers of the NFL, huh? Broken hearts everywhere he goes.

[slapshot]

Drew Bledsoe is kind of like the Kenny Rogers of the NFL, huh? Broken hearts everywhere he goes.

Not quite...Bledsoe is a respected player of the league.

He may be prone to choking under pressure, but no cameraman is going to run away from him in fear of getting punched in the face.

[paynomind]

Again with the holier-than-thou whiney-ass parade.

Owens IS a first-ballot hall of famer, due to his stats as much as the fact that the Football HOF is far more lenient with the numbers they demand out of entrants. It?s not the baseball HOF, for sure. The standards for admission are definitively lower.

I'd take him on my team. I wish the Falcons would have signed him. Then, the excuse that our WRs aren?t good enough for Vick's passes would be gone, and it would be time for the Falcons to perform and succeed.

TO has never been in any legal trouble. He has not been arrested. He has not punched a cameraman. He has not jump on a cop car in traffic. He has not beaten his wife. Has not shot a man outside of club. Has not sold drugs. Has not shoved his wife in his trunk.

TO has demanded the ball and demanded performance from his QBs. That?s it. That?s his crime?

I'll take him. You guys can have all of the god-fearing, yessir-nomaam, quiet, unassuming WRs in the league. I?ll take all the loudmouthed, over confident braggarts.

I've got Owens, Moss, and Chad Johnson. You've got Marvin Harrison... and.... uhm.

Point is, TO is an incredible player. I'd take him. Best WR in the league.

[Fred T. Jane]

Again with the holier-than-thou whiney-ass parade.

Owens IS a first-ballot hall of famer, due to his stats as much as the fact that the Football HOF is far more lenient with the numbers they demand out of entrants. It?s not the baseball HOF, for sure. The standards for admission are definitively lower.

I'd take him on my team. I wish the Falcons would have signed him. Then, the excuse that our WRs aren?t good enough for Vick's passes would be gone, and it would be time for the Falcons to perform and succeed.

TO has never been in any legal trouble. He has not been arrested. He has not punched a cameraman. He has not jump on a cop car in traffic. He has not beaten his wife. Has not shot a man outside of club. Has not sold drugs. Has not shoved his wife in his trunk.

TO has demanded the ball and demanded performance from his QBs. That?s it. That?s his crime?

I'll take him. You guys can have all of the god-fearing, yessir-nomaam, quiet, unassuming WRs in the league. I?ll take all the loudmouthed, over confident braggarts.

I've got Owens, Moss, and Chad Johnson. You've got Marvin Harrison... and.... uhm.

Point is, TO is an incredible player. I'd take him. Best WR in the league.

Exactly my sentiments, especially the off-field behaviour part. Since when is being a "team killer" a worse sin than wife beating or drug dealing? Only in the NFL I suppose...

[slapshot]

I'd put Owens on my team. He's a big-time playmaker. He catches touchdowns. What more do you need on the field?

Yes, he's a cancer to his teammates. But he can back up his comments and attitude with his on-field performance. And stats alone, he's definitely first ballot HOF material.

You don't hear anything about him outside of football. I'll take the pain-in-the-ass with mad skillz over the druggie or convicted felon.

[Jigga]

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!! I don't like T.O. mommy!!! He's MEAN!!! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!! He's bad!

For real, it's tired. Dude is great. Not good, but great. He is HOF material. Deal. Get over it. Get over yourselves, your smary-ass, I'm-better-than-him attitudes.

Bitches.

[TFoA]

He should be in the HOF, as much of a team-killer he is. If he doesn't shape up then the media (which determines who gets into the HOF anyways) will probably keep him out of the HOF because of his reputation, regardless of the fact that the man is prolific, and like Payno says, I wish he was on the Falcons, but as long as he doesn't act an ass while doing so.

Same can be said for Randy Moss, who even said he wanted to play for the Falcons. Arthur Blank wouldn't take him, but with the shape our WRs are in right now, I sure as hell would

[NJTank]

Come on what he did in Philly was a joke it was all him Donovan could have made it TO ddint want to, a QB tells a WR to shut up all the time, but pooor Baby TO had his feelings hurt.

[Fred T. Jane]

Come on what he did in Philly was a joke it was all him Donovan could have made it TO ddint want to, a QB tells a WR to shut up all the time, but pooor Baby TO had his feelings hurt.

...as did poor baby Donovan. Getting yelled at by the only deep threat the Iggles had seen in a decade to perhaps throw the ball to him in a losing game got widdum's feelings hurt. Obviously the Eagles preferred the Campbell's pitcher to the guy who actually makes a difference on the field. If Reid would have had a brain, he could have beat the Patriots if he had sent TO downfield at least once on their final drive in the Super Bowl, making this discussion superflous.

A Super Bowl win, and Philly would have given TO Independance Hall if he wanted. To act as though the Eagles' management was soley tired of his "antics" is silly. Face it, McNabb didn't like another ego his size in the locker room, and with McNabb being the face of the franchise, McNabb gets what McNabb wants.

But he's a team killer, which obviously makes him inferior to such team players and models of society like Chris Henry and Lawrence Taylor, Nicht wahr?

[NJTank]

TO was throwing a season long tantrum he wanted more money Im sure if TO didnt attack DOnovan and didnt act like that his antics would not have amtter like in 2004 when they went to the SB.

[Fred T. Jane]

TO was throwing a season long tantrum he wanted more money Im sure if TO didnt attack DOnovan and didnt act like that his antics would not have amtter like in 2004 when they went to the SB.

So basically McNabb gets off scot-free in your book, with his "You're with me, or you're with TO" statements reported to have happened initially by anonymous sources, and confirmed by Hugh Douglas?

Besides, a pro athlete wanting more money, and pitching a fit about it? I must say I'm floored by such a ludicrous accusation.

[NJTank]

Yes I am McNabb is the QB and the leader so either you are with him or you are not with the team .

[Fred T. Jane]

Yes I am McNabb is the QB and the leader so either you are with him or you are not with the team .

Ray Lewis would care to differ.

And since when does a player get a say in who's on the team or not. If a QB thinks they need that kind of authority, that would make TO's antics simply pedestrian.

[HedleyLamarr]

I would take Owens in a heartbeat. I would just want him to not poor-mouth his teammates to the media first.

The only thing that peeved me was his complaining of his contract one year into his 7-year deal. Product of his agent Rosenhaus? Possibly, but when you complain about your deal shortly after you signed it, you should have negociated your contract a little better.

[JPBlueHen]

I don't understand why everyone made a big deal between the TO and Donovan McNabb feud. Fights between teammates happen all the time, especially in baseball, like the recent scat between Brad Penny and Kenny Lofton or in Philadelphia last year with Pat Burrell and Billy Wagner and no one made a big deal about it. Even Shaq and Kobe had to put up with each other for all the years they played together with the Lakers. But the minute it happens in the NFL, that's all you'll hear on the news. I think TO is right in that the media's to blame for all this crap.

I wish him the best in Dallas and hope the Eagles become the Cubs of football.