OMG :eek: This. Just. Keeps. Getting. Funnier.
What the fuck are you people talking about? Let’s not confuse on the field with off the field. On the field, if you doubt that TO is on the short, short list of playmakers in the NFL, you’re watching the wrong end of the TV. Yes, he bitches a whole lot. Yes, he turned on Jeff Garcia without cause, and frankly, he doesn’t seem like a very good person. He also drops a fair amount of passes for somebody of his ability. But when you’re saying things like
and
you’re not thinking straight. TO is the single guy in the NFL I’d want going over the middle for a third down reception I had to have. Do I like him? No. Is he a bastard? Fuck yeah. But there should be no doubt whatsoever that he’s the most physically imposing and complete receiver in the NFL. More importantly, he’s committed to his craft, and he’s not scared to lay it on the line. Most importantly for the Eagles, he makes plays- he’s 15th all-time in touchdown catches after 8 seasons- and he’s unstoppable after the catch. In the media, he’s a cock, but out on the field he’s a god-damn monster, consistently and with great effort. Have you ever seen the guy’s body? It’s hard to doubt his commitment to being a great receiver, which is what it all boils down to- the Eagles need a great offensive player, and he’s obviously that.
I think there’s a real parallel between TO and Allen Iverson. AI and TO both have attitude problems and both are headaches, and both run their mouths when the team’s losing. The important thing is that both of them step on the playing field and go all-out (except AI two nights ago). TO bitched this season because he wants to be a winning player on a winning team. Why do you think he wanted to be an Eagle so bad? He wanted to win a Super Bowl, and he wanted to be a big part of it. I love it- who wouldn’t want a guy coming into town saying “I’m here, and I’m bringing a Super Bowl?” Take Michael Jordan, for example- was there a bigger asshole ever? But he won, and so his assholery was simple competitive fire. Had he lost, his outbursts and practice fights would be selfishness. He just didn’t lose. AI was a god when the Sixers went to the Finals. Now, not so much.
People don’t understand how Philadelphia works- Philly fans don’t care if the players like them, or if the players behave. Philly fans like guys who bust their asses on the field and win. Now, TO is a primadonna, and they don’t like that, but it can work- they love World B. Free. TO came right out and said he wanted to be an Eagle because he wants to win- so far so good. If he bitches and the Eagles lose, the fans and the media will turn on him. If they win, his mouth is wholly beside the point, and like AI, like Jordan, he’ll be a god.
If you don’t think the Eagles’ offense just got at least twice as dangerous with this move, and if you think Owens is going to hurt the team overall, you’re off your fucking nut. My only problem is that this move needed to be made three years ago- the defense isn’t the same as it was, and I don’t think the improvement on offense is enough to offset that. They missed their chance to bring in a guy like this and ultimately have it matter, in my opinion. Either way, the worst case scenario is that TO’s 1200 yards and 14 touchdowns don’t translate into a Super Bowl. Whether there’s a meltdown or not, it’s Super Bowl or bust for the Eagles, so who cares?
Fuck, there’s no such thing as accountability these days.
Didn’t think about it before, but Don Banks made a good point in that Baltimore, thinking that they had T.O, didn’t get a chance to pursue Boston or Darell Jackson.
Damn straight. I could care less about TO, we’re better off without him, but we missed the opportunity to keep our #1 guy (Marcus Robinson) or persue any of the other free agent WR available because we figured we had made a legal trade for a top flight WR (which we did). A 5th round pick dosen’t compensate for that at all.
As for TO, I watched him curl up in a ball and quit last year when he played the Ravens. I can’t wait for C Mack, Ed Reed and Ray Lewis to get ahold of TO when we play Philly this year. Hopefully it’ll be in Philly so the fans there can see what a wuss TO is.
Sorry about your luck, Dave. The Steelers’ luck is pretty good, we got Duce and we’re picking top 15. How 'bout them Ravens? 
I’m not worried. So, you going to start your “Steelers march to the Super Bowl” thread now? That’s one of the things I like about you Dave, you have a rich fantasy life with little or no basis in reality. “One for the thumb”? How about “It’s been 25 years since the Stillers sniffed a championship, and that’s not likely to change anytime soon”?
Not so, Dave. The Steelers made the big game in 1996, and they would have won had it not been for that lousy, rotten, bumbling polecat we had at QB throwing the game.
I could start my Steelers march to the Super Bowl thread right now, but I think it’s just a tad bit early. Rest assured that when the season approaches I’ll be starting it.
Ya know Dave, I am so sick of hearing this.
The Steelers Lost!
It’s not a conspiracy, the QB did not throw the game, Pittsburgh was not destined-by-the-Gods-to-win-and-thwarted-by-evil, they just lost. It happens, get over it. You continued whining about the LOSS really is as annoying as hell.
I’m glad you’re here to tell me that, Dave. And in 24-point letters, no less.
It’s no secret what I think about that game, and I’ve never made any attempt to hide it, but I also don’t trot it out on a regular basis, either. You don’t see me saying it a lot, do you? I said it once during the last season, I said it now, and that’s it. Twice. In a year. And you’re sick of it. Whatever.
I’m not saying he sucks. He has talent to burn. I’m saying that, based on the last couple of seasons, there are questions about his effort … and that includes keeping his head together and being a team guy. If he drops a pass? Boo. If he If he goes into Leon mode? Boo. If he insults McNabb the way he did Garcia? Please. They’ll crucify him.
In Philly, it’s not just about production. This is a city that booed Mike Schmidt most of his career because he was seen as underachieving and taking the occasional AB off. It may work if he is rededicated and can be team player and not bitch if the offense doesn’t go through him every week.
I have my doubts.
Add a big ol’ ME TOO to Jimmy Chitwood’s post, With the excpetion of this:
“But there should be no doubt whatsoever that he’s the most physically imposing and complete receiver in the NFL”
I’ll still give the nod to Moss. He’s not as ripped as TO is but I still like his talent more.
Goodbye T.O…and good fucking riddence,ya loud mouth jerk off!I just hope to hell you spread your primadonna bullshit just as thick with McNabb and company as you did with the 49ers.
The missing piece of the puzzle?..BULLSHIT.Andy Reid must be smoking crack if he thinks this will take the team to the “next level.”
Congrats San Fran,…what took ya so long???
Being a Redskins fan (shut up), I have an obligatory hatred of Philly. Now I find myself in the awkward position of feeling sorry for you.
(((((HUGS))))) 
Really?
A lot of things happened to SF this offseason, but “congrats” is not the word that comes to mind.
Last year’s offense:
Garcia
Hearst/Barlow
TO/Streets
This Years offense:
Tim Rattay
Barlow
Cedric Wilson/Fill in any one of the 6 other WRs on their roster I’ve never heard of
I think it’s going to be a long year in Sanfran. Arizona may win more games.
Oh,I don’t doubt the wisdom of your words,MB…but as far as I’m concerned its better to go into one of those infamous “rebuilding” years than to have T.O. (and Mr.-can’t-get-the-job-done Garcia) spreading his ‘better than the team’ crap.
Nevertheless…GO NINERS!!!
Dammit, and I tried my hardest to craft that statement to avoid Moss being the counterpoint. Physically gifted, I might have to concede. I’d still say TO’s the more complete.
My emphasis. I think maybe we agree more than you think. I don’t think TO’s the Schmidt kind of player. In Schmidt’s case, he was sort of the opposite of TO, because he never said shit, so people wondered if he cared. I think everyone in Philadelphia will be able to see that he’s genuinely interested in putting out the maximum effort, so long as he’s receiving what he deems sufficient effort (read: throw him the damn ball) on the parts of his teammates and coaches. In my opinion, TO felt the Niners quit on him before he quit on them (and quit he obviously did). He was unwilling to give effort in San Fran the last two years, I agree, but I believe he’s more than willing to do so in Philly. You can’t judge a guy based on what happens in one particular situation, especially if that guy feels like he’s been wronged. Egomaniac that he is, he thought the Niners were really trying to fuck him over for two seasons. I can’t make a judgment about the accuracy of that perception, because I didn’t follow the story much. Either way, he was loathe to put his body at risk for people he thought were fucking him. I can forgive him that. My feeling is he’ll be another AI- the only question is will the honeymoon be consummated with a championship before it ends.
But that “deems” is the problem. All recievers are always open in their own minds. What happens when he comes back to the huddle and tells McNabb he was open, and McNabb says “No you weren’t.” What happens when he’s held to a one-catch, eight-yard night and the media start asking him questions about it?
It may not even be that he is in fact to blame: if they double-cover him and Pinkston catches 20, it’s a team win, but the media will try to goad him and he has to be smart enough to stand there and say all the cliche bullshit. There is some truth behind “throw me the damn ball.” But the point is you can’t say it, because if you do the cycle starts.
Sure I can, if it suggests to me that he’s someone prone to feeling “wronged” all the time. Say he pulls a Sharpie stunt, and after the game Reid or Brian Dawkins says to him – in a respectful but firm way – “That’s not really the way we prefer to act around here.” Is he going to be a team player, or is he going to start bitching about how he’s being dissed and they want to stifle his personality and they all have it in for him.
I’ve never seen anyone other than Owens question the competence, work ethic or fairness of Mariucci, Erickson, Greg Knapp, Jeff Garcia or anyone else he had conflict with in SF; my conclusion is that it was probably TO that was the problem. Maybe all the reporters were wrong, or maybe he’ll straighten up now. But I’m not betting on it.
Pretty much, although I think the whole thing will happen in less time than AI’s saga.
Well as the self-proclaimed Niner expert* of the board, please allow me to introduce you to Brandon Lloyd. All last season, I had fantasies of Erickson’s following the lead of Tampa Bay, by benching TO and putting this guy in. Watching him reminded me of the early Randy Moss. By the way Barlow proved last season he’s a 1000 yard back missed it by 2, while sharing time with Hearst.
In addition, the Niners seem to be going big on the O-line. So if you’ve got to have stone footed Rattay (Excellent passer, mobilty of molasses in winter), at least they seem to be making moves to give him the right protection. I’m not saying it we’ll be a contender, but it may not be as bad as I feared earlier in the off season. Oh and as bonus, TO got us a DE.
I don’t think I’ve missed a single Niners game since 81.
I like Barlow. I’ve been waiting for him to get a shot at being the only option in the backfield for about 3 years now. I know he can do it. The rest of that crew? hmmm…
Out of curiosty from your hype of this Brandon Lloyd, I just went back and looked at my draft notes from 2003 – and the guy who’s draft and scouting opinions I trust more than anyones I have come across – He LOVED this kid coming out of college. He had him as the #3 WR behind Charles Rogers and Andre Johnson.
Snippets…
• “he hasn’t got the speed that you look for in a first round pick, but there is too much of Marvin Harrison’s game in Lloyd’s game to ignore him.”
• “tremendous athleticism and can make the acrobatic catch look routine”
• “runs great routes”
• “Lloyd is as reliable a target as a QB could wish for – Keep an eye on him…”
So, maybe I will be standing corrected. We shall see.