"Teeee Oh!! T-O, T-O, T-O..."
That, my friends, is opening line of the Terrell Owens song. The fans at Lincoln Financial Field made up a song for their star (being Philadelphia fans, it had to be a simple song). Every time he makes a big play, the stadium serenades the superstar.
But now the serenades have been replaced with harangues. Few superstars have had a city turn against them faster than Owens. Just eight months ago, he was the toast of the town after taking the field in the Super Bowl and hauling in nine catches for 122 yards. Now he may never again play for the Eagles. After suspending Owens for Sunday's game with Washington, Philadelphia extended the suspension for the rest of the season.
In case you are out of the loop on the latest Owens development, the prima donna athlete was suspended for comments he made to ESPN.com that lambasted the Birds.
"Their reaction shows you the type of class and integrity of an organization that they claim not to be," the Little Girl pouted to ESPN's Greg Bensinger when the team didn't acknowledge his 100th touchdown in a win over San Diego in Week 7. "You know, they claim to be first class and the best organization. I just felt like it was an embarrassment. It just shows the lack of class that they had."
Of course he didn't stop there.
"I just don't see myself really being here," he said. "And that's not because I don't want to be here, but I just don't foresee them trying to do the necessary things to keep me here."
And then he bashed Donovan McNabb (again) by saying Brett Favre would be a better quarterback for the Eagles. "He has played with injuries," Owens said. "I just feel like [with] him being knowledgeable about the quarterback position, I just feel like we'd be in a better situation."
If you're keeping track, that's the third time he has gone after McNabb. In April, he criticized McNabb for supposedly getting tired during the Super Bowl. During his training camp holdout, when asked about if the two could succeed together, Owens said, "I don't think so, and I'm just being honest."
If his treatment of McNabb wasn't enough, there are reports Owens got in a fistfight with Hugh Douglas, former Eagles defensive end and now team ambassador (the team "bad-ass-ador," as Douglas calls it).
Owens, despite all his childish whining, has a point in regards to his contract. His contract tacks most of the money on to the final few years with a team option after two years. The Eagles, it appears, were never going to pick up the option, so Owens was never going to get the $49 million he was promised. Owens is currently one of the most underpaid players in the NFL. That's the way the Eagles conduct business. They sign their superstars before they become superstars to stay below the salary cap, meaning guys who deserve huge checks end up playing for chump change. When their contracts expire, the Eagles let them leave. That's what happened with Douglas, Bobby Taylor, Troy Vincent, Corey Simon, Jeremiah Trotter and Duce Staley.
Does he deserve a new contract though? No. He knew what he signed. He lobbied to come here. The Eagles went out of their way to bring the problem child Pro-Bowler to Philly from Baltimore (who is probably thankful not to have Owens) in March 2004. He got a $9 million signing bonus. He should stop whining. He's severely damaging his own value by being a nuisance.
It takes a lot for coach Andy Reid to suspend Owens. The guy is the whole team right now. He has six of the team's 18 offensive touchdowns this season, including a 91-yard score against Denver last week that switched the momentum in the Eagles favor. He was an offensive force last season and put the team on his back with his Super Bowl performance (even if he only had one good ankle).
But Owens has the maturity of a spoiled 5-year-old. The Eagles are a better team with Owens gone, because there's no way they can coexist anymore. He blasted the ownership, which has brought the city four visits to the NFC Championship game, and a Super Bowl appearance. The guy managed to join a perennial Super Bowl contender with one of the classiest quarterbacks (McNabb) and one of the smartest coaches (Reid) in the NFL and end up writing his own ticket out of town.
As an Eagles fan, I'd rather see them miss the playoffs this season than trot Owens back out there to disgrace the Eagles green. I'm certain he'll find another job with another team, but only because coaches are mesmerized by his offensive ability and believe they can control his personality. But anyone can see he is more trouble than he is worth.
Teeee-Oh! In the words of Phillies announcer Harry Kalas, you're OUTTTTA HERE!
