I am not looking for more rant’s against everything TO has done. I am curious if there is anyone left who is defending him besides Michael Irvin and his agent?
Anyone?
Anybody he owes money to.
Right Guard and Bam Margera?
Kinda funny, really. T.O was odor… Now he just stinks?
Doubtful
You know, I’m not sure I’d go so far as to say that Michael Irvin is on his side. He certainly can see things form his point of view, and tends to lean towards the opinion that on-field performance out strips any possible off-field stuff, but I haven’t heard him justify anything he’s done. I think he even went so far as to agree with the Eagles actions, though he won’t agree with some who say this is addition by subtraction.
Philly fan here. I’d go as far as to say he should have gotten at least some recognition for his 100th touchdown but that’s it. He has been a royal pain in the ass for everyone on the Eagles and we’re glad to see him go. And good luck finding another job with that nasty reputation.
Nice thought, but there will always be someone willing to risk it to have that kind of talent on the team. I don’t think he’s got anything to worry about for next year.
This guy understands his pain. It’s all part of a cunning plan by TO, so crafty you could put a tail on it and call it a weasel…
No way on his carping and disruption. I think it went on (delightfully – I’m a ‘Skins fan) way too long. He was a cancer who left them no choice. In no way am I on his “side” on the issues of recent weeks. The Eagles did right.
I am ambiguous on his (now moot) contract dispute with the Eagles though.
Owens said he signed a contract last year in desperation with no leverage. He was trying to get out of a trade from the 49ers to the Ravens when his then-agent screwed up the filing for free agency. Then this same agent negotiated a contract in a rush of legal proceedings and media attention.
Everywhere you read will say Owens’ contract is $49 million over seven years with the Eagles. In fact, though, the out years were so expensive this was likely never going to happen. Owens is 32 and for the contract to be worth 48 mill. We need to believe the Eagles would pay him $8 million in 2009, and $9 million in 2010 at ages 36 and 37 respectively. I have to call shenanigans on that. In point of fact, T.O. doubted the Eagles were going to give him the 2006 $5.5 million roster bonus. T.O. has a two year 12 million contract – that was what he was afraid of.
It is not like, after his heroic Super Bowl performance the Eagles hands were tied. As of Monday, the Eagles were $7.1 million below the cap Monday after the Bryan Westbrook 5 year $25mil contract.
Did he handle this dispute well? No. Was it as bad as portrayed? Consider:
PRO
Owens asked to be traded in the office season – he threatened to hold out if his contract wasn’t renegotiated or traded. Then he showed up, after skipping mini-camp, at Training Camp to honor his contract. He was almost certainly the best receiver in the NFL (to avoid debate lets call it top 3) this year - he gave his all like a pro on the feild.
CON
He took shots at management, McNabb and the team. He lashed out. Then he apologized and was accepted back by the team and his teammates
Was Owens “right” on the contract issue? I am not sure or, ultimately, even saying that. But the overheated tsktsk-ing googled eyed, SHOCK “Can you believe this guy who has 48 million dollars?” tone of the coverage struck me as overwhelming, over the top and not truly fair, balanced or honest.
FWIW Here is the market
Terrell Owens — Seven years, $48 million, $8.5 million SB (March 2004)
Torry Holt — Seven years, $42 million, $12.5 million SB
Laveranues Coles — Five years, $35 million, $13 million SB (March 2003)
Isaac Bruce — Seven years, $42 million, $7 million SB (2000)
Eric Moulds — Six years, $40 million, $12.5 million SB (January 2001)
Marvin Harrison — Seven years, $67 million, $13 million bonuses (November 2004)
There was an article in a Milwaukee paper discussing whether or not the Packers should pick up Owens. Some of the players were all for it, so I’m guessing that a lot of players not on the Niners or the Eagles are on his side.
Then again, if you read a lot of player interviews, they’re not really on the same planet as most of us.
jimmmy, one added detail. That “bad” contract he signed with the Eagles was largely a result of his own issues. The way he left SF and the attitude he carried made him a liability and limited his options greatly. When the Ravens came a calling it’s not like there was alot of competition, and the Eagles deal was the only one there. To blame his agent for how he was backed into a corner is silly. That’d be like blaming Drew Rosenhaus’s preseason hold out and posturing for his precarious contract situation at the start of next season. His contracts suck because he’s a total headcase, all other factors are minute in comparison.
As I recall people weren’t shocked that he was asking for more money, just about everyone agreed he wasn’t getting market value based on statistics. People were pissed that he was holding out on a deal that he signed less than 12 months prior, and being an ass about it to boot.
well, after 4 games with no pay, he cost himself nearly $1 Million, and countless Millions in future contract and endorsement deals.
I think that even his family is not behind him. After all, they need to be fed!
Can’t find a link just yet, but apparently Freddie Mitchell was recently interviewed and basically said that there’s alot of fault to be placed on McNabb’s shoulders that the overly friendly media don’t report and/or other players keep quiet on.
I’ve been saying for a while that McNabb is horribly over rated, and there’s a shred of truth to what Rush Limbaugh clumbsily said a few years back, and there’s no shyness about many of the Philly media folks adoration for him.
TO is by no means the scapegoat here, but I’m sure there’s more to the otherside of the story than we’re hearing. In any case, to the OP, it seems that Freddie Mitchell is on TO side. Of course look where that’s gotten him so far…
I’m a conservative middle-aged white guy, and T.O. frequently annoys the hell out of me. And being a Giants fan, I loathe the Eagles. So, am I “on his side”? Not at all. I don’t blame the Eagles a bit if they cut him. He’s been asking for it.
BUT…
A little perspective is in order.
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There are LOADS of professional athletes more worthy of hatred, scorn and vilification thatn Terrell Owens. Yes, he often talks and acts like a Grade A jerk, but as far as I know, he’s not a killer (like Jason Williams), he’s not a wife-beater (like Jason Kidd), he’s not a dope fiend or rapist (like too many pro athletes to count), and he doesn’t have 15 kids by 15 different mothers.
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ON the field, Terrell Owens has always given 100%, has always been a valuable player, and has always worked his backside off to be the best receiver he can be.
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After the great season he had last year, and the great performance he gave in the Super Bowl, T.O. believed (wrongly, it turns out) that he had some leverage to get a little more money. He tried to use that leverage. I find it hard to blame him for that. Sure, some people thought that made him disloyal, and some fans were quick to say, “You signed a contract! Shut up and play ball.” But let’s face it: in the NFL, contracts are almost never guaranteed, which means the Eagles could have (and surely WOULD have) dumped Terrell like a hot potato if he had a bad season, or if injuries slowed him down.
Under the present system in the NFL, players KNOW their teams will show them no loyalty, and have little incentive to show loyalty. Knowing how short careers can be, and how they can be ended INSTANTLY (ask Joe Theismann), I don’t fault T.O. or any other player for trying to squeeze a few more dollars out of management if and when the opportunity presents itself.
That said, T.O. lost ALL of my sympathy when he started bad-mouthing his teammates. You just can’t do that, even when there’s a grain of truth to what you’re saying.
Is there SOME truth to his suggestions that Donovan McNabb is a flawed quarterback? Sure. But only an asshole would say such a thing publicly, just as only an asshole would tell his wife or girlfriend, “YES, dear, now that you ask, that dress DOES make you look like a fat pig.” Truth be damned. You owe you wife and/or your team more kindness and loyalty than that.
I’m torn on this issue. Is he an obnoxious asshole? Of course. But he was before he became an Eagle. Did they think they were going to cure him? The Eagles got the player they knew they were getting and now they are firing him for acting the way he always has. But I still think they had no choice especially after the Hugh Douglass incident.
I do think he’s a tiresome jerk, but I was on his side during the contract dispute. That said, even though I was “on his side” I thought he was a whiny bitch, and should just shut up and play ball. I support his right to ask for renegotiation, but I do not necessarily think he should have done so.
The team has the right to tell the player “go home” during the offseason, for any reason, usually because they consider the price/performance a bad deal. The team does not have to buy out the remainder of the contract, the only penalty is an acceleration of the bonus into the salary cap, which does not compensate the player at all. This is controlled by the Collective Bargaining Agreement, and the contract’s terms. The anti-TO crowd considers this choice business as usual for the NFL, just part of the CBA, and does not consider it “breaking the contract”.
However, if TO finds his price/performance to be a bad deal, he can’t choose to “stay home” and be penalized per the CBA and contractual language. This would actually compensate the team, usually via a payback of signing bonus. This choice makes him a dirty cheat who can’t be trusted, who does not abide by contracts he signs. I don’t like that assessment.
I consider the two situations at a minimum to be morally equivalent. I could argue that TO’s side is MORE justifyable because while we may generally accept having companies forced to honor contracts, we do not generally accept forcing people to work against their will. Both sides, for whatever reason, can choose to cancel the contract, and suffer penalties laid out in the CBA and contract language. I don’t see why one side can do this every single year without comment, but the other side cannot.
One added perspective, he threw punches with Hugh Douglas. Hugh Douglas is currently a member of the media. Granted he was very recently a teammate, but for the moment due to his radio show, he is considered a media member. It’s not clear why he was at the Eagles facility, if he was there under the pretext of a radio host or as a “friend of the team”, but you could easily make the argument that TO got into a fist fight with a reporter. Read that way, his action become much much worse.
Does anyone else think that Drew Rosenhaus is hurting more than he’s belping? I actually had a person who was not a football fan ask if that answer session/TO love fest/apology was a fake commercial.