Who's the real disgrace here, anyway?

Terrell Owens scores a touchdown to win a game, takes a Sharpie out of his sock, signs the ball and tosses into the stands. People around the world call him a disgrace to the game, a joke, a punk, an arrogant prick, what have you.

During a Buccaneers interception return, Warren Sapp cleaned Chad Clifton's clock about a mile and a half away from the play while Clifton was slowing down, sending the second-year offensive lineman to the hospital. Packers coach Mike Sherman confronted Sapp, and the big man had to be held back as he shouted profanities at Sherman. People around the world commend Sapp for his restraint and tell themselves it was a clean hit. It's part of the game: you're supposed to lay people flat and send them out of the stadium on a stretcher if necessary.

Do you see any sort of problem forming here? I do.

In what twisted, perverted world would Terrell Owens be chastised for signing a ball, and Warren Sapp be celebrated for nearly breaking a man in half? The NFL, of course.

For the past two weeks I've almost every NFL analyst has told me that Warren Sapp is a clean player, one of the greats, and that what happened to Clifton was just part of the game. I've listened to Sapp tell me that he'll never change the way he plays, no matter who tells him to. He's been successful playing football a certain way, and if he renders a few people paraplegic, so be it. And people applaud him for it.

Sorry, Chad. Maybe in a few weeks when you can walk again you'll understand. It's all part of the game, buddy. Great hit, Warren.

Meanwhile, nobody has stopped talking about Terrell's Sharpie incident on Monday Night Football way back in the beginning of October. I've listened to Terrell tell me that he'll never change the way he plays, no matter who tells him to. He's been successful playing football a certain way, and if he offends a few people, so be it. And everyone hates him for it.

See a pattern here?

According to Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren, the Sharpie incident was "a dishonor to everyone who ever played the game." I see Mike; maybe you would have preferred that he knocked one of your players unconscious and thrown him into the hospital for the week _ you know, so he could honor him. Lord knows everyone else would have.

There is something seriously wrong when it's a mortal sin to have fun celebrating a game winning touchdown, but it's okay to hit someone who isn't even involved in the play hard enough that he can't feel his legs.

Of course, nobody thinks that Warren Sapp is a dirty player. Even I don't. I think he was wrong to make that hit like he did, but he wouldn't have done it if somebody along the way had told him that it wasn't a good thing to do. Fans, players and the league celebrate violence in football, plain and simple. When safety flips a receiver end over end, it's all over highlight reels for weeks to come. In the NFL, it's okay to hurt people _ at least physically.

But whoa, whoa, whoa, what's that you're doing there Terrell? Celebrating? In someone else's face, no less? This won't do! You might hurt someone's feelings. We can't have any of that in football, no sir. Football's a game of dignity and respect. We can't go around celebrating. Heaven forefend!

What did you say Chad? Oh don't worry, you'll probably be able to walk again in three to four weeks, once those separated ligaments heal, that swelling and internal bleeding goes away, and you get a metal plate inserted into your pelvis. Don't you feel honored?

Who is Terrell actually hurting when he signs a football and tosses it to his financial analyst, anyway? When did everything get so twisted around that having fun and making jokes is penalized and putting a man in a wheel chair is the "honorable" way to play?

Maybe I'm missing something. I haven't spent the long, hot afternoons in practice, toiling under the hot sun for millions of dollars per year, but I still can't see the logic here. I think Chad Clifton probably feels just slightly worse about having his bed pans changed for him than he does when he sees Terrell Owens celebrating a touchdown. Maybe I'm wrong.

But Sapp's argument is a valid one. Football is a physical game, and people can get hurt. And there's no rule against what he did. Maybe there should be, but there isn't. So we tell him that it's okay. Keep hittin' 'em Warren because that's what we love about football _ big hits, broken bones, blood, the whole kit and caboodle.

And we try to pretend that this is alright, it's justifiable, it's honorable, as long as nobody flaunts it. As long as nobody tries to have fun playing this game, then it's okay for us to look the other way when somebody's lying face down on the field, not moving. We tell Warren Sapp that it's okay for him to pop Chad Clifton like he did, and then we turn around and tell Terrell Owens he's a disgrace.

Sure makes sense to me.