bostonfred
Footballguy
I know there's a lot of threads on Owens, but whenever the topic comes up, it seems that people inevitably parrot words like "team cancer", or "I loves me some me".
I remember that he talked poorly of Jeff Garcia. Well looking back, it turns out Owens was responsible for over 40% of Garcia's production, and when Owens left, Garcia fell apart but Owens kept on ticking. Maybe he was wrong to say it, but he was dead right.
And then, of course, there's the two controversial things Owens said about McNabb. The first was when Owens said he wasn't the one throwing up on the sidelines when they were struggling to get a play off in a two minute drill to win the Superbowl. Well, it may not have been the right way to say it, but when push came to shove, an injured Owens excelled in that Superbowl and a healthy McNabb was too out of shape to get it done. Maybe it's the kind of thing Owens should have said behind closed doors, to team management, or even had his agent say it to the team, but he was right.
The second was the most overblown interview of all times, where ESPN trumped up a massive amount of controversy around an ESPN interview where the interviewer asked Owens if he agreed with the comments of an ESPN analyst, who was a close friend of Owens. I know it's not the coolest thing for a teammate to say, but all Owens agreed with was that the Eagles would probably have a better record if their injured quarterback had been replaced with a guy on an underperforming team - a guy who happened to be one of the best quarterbacks ever to play the game, but whose #1 receiver was lost for the season early.
I understand that his behavior was disruptive. I understand that the Eagles had a laundry list of actions they asked him to stop, and he refused to comply while he was seeking a new contract. I understand that it may have been one of the worst thought out negotiating tactics he could have tried. I understand that he's tried to maneuver himself to a better situation in the past.
But on the other hand, I can also understand how he'd have thought that as an underpaid pro bowl player, showing up to play but refusing to talk to participate during the week is better than another player who just sits out. He helped his team win games on the field.
If you look at it from his perspective, I can certainly understand how he thought the Eagles owed him something after setting single season receiving records andgetting injured, and then risking his career to play in the Superbowl while bringing them to the edge against the Patriots.
And perhaps you remember the 2002 playoff game between the Giants and 49ers? The one where, to quote ESPN, "Owens caught TD passes of 76 and 26 yards, and inspired his teammates to victory with fiery speeches at halftime and in the fourth-quarter huddles -- a remarkable development for a Pro Bowl player who has few close friends on the team."
I know he doesn't fit the picture most of us have of the ideal teammate. I know he doesn't have the best social skills. But understand that this guy has gutted it out for his team, elevated the play of his teammates, and is probably one of the top ten players on offense in the NFL. And the teams he plays on win.
Can you explain in your own words what makes Owens so bad? I'm not looking for a list of offenses here, or a link to someone else's article. I'm looking for the behavior you think he will exhibit on the Cowboys that makes you think he's a bad signing.
I remember that he talked poorly of Jeff Garcia. Well looking back, it turns out Owens was responsible for over 40% of Garcia's production, and when Owens left, Garcia fell apart but Owens kept on ticking. Maybe he was wrong to say it, but he was dead right.
And then, of course, there's the two controversial things Owens said about McNabb. The first was when Owens said he wasn't the one throwing up on the sidelines when they were struggling to get a play off in a two minute drill to win the Superbowl. Well, it may not have been the right way to say it, but when push came to shove, an injured Owens excelled in that Superbowl and a healthy McNabb was too out of shape to get it done. Maybe it's the kind of thing Owens should have said behind closed doors, to team management, or even had his agent say it to the team, but he was right.
The second was the most overblown interview of all times, where ESPN trumped up a massive amount of controversy around an ESPN interview where the interviewer asked Owens if he agreed with the comments of an ESPN analyst, who was a close friend of Owens. I know it's not the coolest thing for a teammate to say, but all Owens agreed with was that the Eagles would probably have a better record if their injured quarterback had been replaced with a guy on an underperforming team - a guy who happened to be one of the best quarterbacks ever to play the game, but whose #1 receiver was lost for the season early.
I understand that his behavior was disruptive. I understand that the Eagles had a laundry list of actions they asked him to stop, and he refused to comply while he was seeking a new contract. I understand that it may have been one of the worst thought out negotiating tactics he could have tried. I understand that he's tried to maneuver himself to a better situation in the past.
But on the other hand, I can also understand how he'd have thought that as an underpaid pro bowl player, showing up to play but refusing to talk to participate during the week is better than another player who just sits out. He helped his team win games on the field.
If you look at it from his perspective, I can certainly understand how he thought the Eagles owed him something after setting single season receiving records andgetting injured, and then risking his career to play in the Superbowl while bringing them to the edge against the Patriots.
And perhaps you remember the 2002 playoff game between the Giants and 49ers? The one where, to quote ESPN, "Owens caught TD passes of 76 and 26 yards, and inspired his teammates to victory with fiery speeches at halftime and in the fourth-quarter huddles -- a remarkable development for a Pro Bowl player who has few close friends on the team."
I know he doesn't fit the picture most of us have of the ideal teammate. I know he doesn't have the best social skills. But understand that this guy has gutted it out for his team, elevated the play of his teammates, and is probably one of the top ten players on offense in the NFL. And the teams he plays on win.
Can you explain in your own words what makes Owens so bad? I'm not looking for a list of offenses here, or a link to someone else's article. I'm looking for the behavior you think he will exhibit on the Cowboys that makes you think he's a bad signing.
It seems to me TO is the tragic Greek hero who for all of his talent and potential at greatness is corrupted by selfishness and an inherent insecurity, which he feels he needs to overcome whether its through showboating on the Texas Star, weightlifting until he possesses the body of Adonis, putting up gaudy numbers, or being labeled and paid as the #1 WR in football. The TO that Steve Young and the 49ers knew is probably somewhere deep within Owens but is a guy that his friends and family may only see come out and that the media and the NFL will probably no longer see. Here's hoping that people really can mature and change. Sadly, it probably won't be long before TO is mindraped and exploited by the media for a story, something his personality often plays right into.
