http://www.dallascowboys.com/news.cfm
SAN ANTONIO - Every day, seemingly day after day, we hear this daily diatribe from a disgruntled player.
But it's not T.O.
Every press conference, day after day here in the Alamo City, Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips faces question after question for nearly 30 minutes, and in this the second week of camp the questions are turning redundant.
But none much concern T.O.
Every practice, and there have been nine after six days of training camp, there are a handful of players off to the side rehabbing injuries, and even a couple of new ones joined the group on Monday.
But none are named T.O.
Seriously.
No issues. No tantrums. No ESPN live trucks - at least not yet, anyway.
What in the world of black spandex tights gives?
I'll tell you, Terrell Owens, in his mind, has found people he trusts, or at least as much as he will allow himself to trust anyone. Wade Phillips. Ray Sherman. Jason Garrett.
The mercurial wide receiver doesn't seem to be leering over his shoulder, as if on-guard for something or someone to spring a surprise attack when he's not looking. Nothing has antagonized him, thus he hasn't had to protect himself with his self-perpetuating antagonism.
And this is not to say Owens is being treated with pillow gloves while the rest must face the 8-ouncers. That does not seem to be the case. And it's not as if he has a bunch of friends or close acquaintances on this new Cowboys coaching staff.
Phillips really didn't know T.O. before he became the head coach. Sherman says he met Owens at the Pro Bowl following the 2004 season when he was a member of the Green Bay coaching staff leading the NFC. Garrett had never even met Owens, period.
But for some reason, the guy who managed to steal the spotlight last training camp - intentionally and unintentionally - has been quieter and more well-behaved than the blasted crickets making a nuisance of themselves here at the Alamodome, and from what we understand, all over this rain-drenched city. No moaning. No groaning. No bike riding. No hamstring. No posturing.
Seriously. Still.
Deion Sanders, never known to be a Bill Parcells backer, weighed in on the subject when here for a couple days during the NFL Network's taping of Sunday's practice to be televised tonight at 7 p.m. (CDT).
"It's not just T.O.," said Sanders when asked why he thought Owens has been such a happy camper, "it's the trainers, the equipment guys and even Rowdy has a smile on his face. There are several injuries now they're not making a spectacle out of in this camp, and that says enough in itself."
But it's not just how the coaching staff seems to be handling the at times hard-to-handle wide receiver. Even the meddling, needling media has seemed to lose its bite. Like during the camp-opening press conference, one lasting 58 minutes, by my count there was but one question thrown at Phillips and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
The next day, I think there was one question. The next day, maybe another question. Since then, I think one question, and that one was insinuating Phillips hired Sherman as Owens' babysitter, inferring Parcells and former receivers coach Todd Haley continually rubbed Owens the wrong way. To which the new head coach took exception to, pointedly saying what he was doing by hiring Sherman, a former offensive coordinator, was "most of all hiring a good coach."
And as for as questioning Owens, oh, he's done a few on-field interviews after practice, but nothing volatile, just like after Monday's second practice when he graciously answered questions about the death of Bill Walsh, and even said, "As for last year, it was a frustrating year. I wouldn't say I wasn't happy, just seemed like something was always happening involving me."
There's been a question or two, but not two dozen, about his surgically-repaired finger tip that likely will never be the same, but no one has been charting his drops in practice, and there has been a few, but from my medical understanding having nothing to do with the immobility of the finger tip. As for proof, go ahead, try this. Try catching a football and see how useful the tips of your ring fingers really are in securing the ball. I did. Very little, even with my small hands.
So for nearly one week, it's been Camp Tranquility.
"We're on a mission as a team and he's on a mission," said Sherman, a man who has coached the likes of Jerry Rice, Randy Moss, Cris Carter and even Terry Glenn in Green Bay after the Cowboys wide receiver was banished from New England and somewhat labeled a problem child.
"You see him today, you see T.O. is in tremendous shape," said Sherman, thus diffusing all those who were wanting to create a hissy in the off-season about Owens working out in Miami instead of at The Ranch or about not being there daily to catch passes from Tony Romo.
Oh, sorry, Phillips did talk about Owens playing the different receiver spots instead of just one, and talked about him potentially moving into the slot in some nickel sets, which caused that former defensive guru Larry Lacewell, when asked what that does to a defense when seeing Owens in the slot, to say, "Put fear in 'em."
Now if you ask Garrett how he has managed the potentially volatile Owens, he will give you the same answer he's been giving since he's been hired, that stuff about how you treat all the players with respect and you try to get to know all your players and how you try to put all your players in the right spots and how you try to use all your weapons and how you try to figure out what motivates all your players.
Fine. Knowing Garrett, who watched Troy Aikman deal with an emotional Michael Irvin, probably told Owens the past doesn't matter; probably asked him what routes he likes most; probably included him in the discussion when designing the offense. Because, as a former quarterback, he knows you have to trust - there's that word again - your wide receiver to give you the accurate information, especially in a game.
But you know what, this stuff goes both ways. Sounds as if Owens, unlike with Parcells and Haley, likely has wiped Garrett's slate clean, too. He does not seem to have any preconceived notions about what Red Ball was or wasn't.
And maybe most of all, two of the bigger influences on his football career, Irvin and Sanders, are Jason Garrett fans after having played with him in Dallas, and I'll guarantee you those guys both assured Owens he would be in good hands - that you can, and here comes that word again, trust Garrett.
Now Garrett doesn't have any idea about all that. He just sees what he sees.
"Did you watch him run out in practice?" Garrett said, his eyes opening wide. "Unbelievable. He runs his (butt) off."
Cornerback Anthony Henry will vouch for that, too, having to go up against Owens time and again during training camp, and the guy beaten by Owens on a sideline route the other day for what would have been a long touchdown grab to end practice to the disgust of the defense.
"He's so competitive," said Henry, further explaining how that turns up his competitive juices for mere training camp practices. "He never takes a play off."
Now just because everything is so hunky-dory doesn't mean you can put your T.O. filters away. Wouldn't do that, because knowing him, and the media, you're only one don't-you-wish-you'd-get-the-ball-thrown-your-way-more-often question away from having to strain out all the extraneous bull to find the truth.
How long can this last? Would asking for one peaceful season be too much?
Something tells me with this guy you got to take it one week at a time, no matter what. So one down, at least 21 more to go.
Who knows, maybe we should take all these crickets back to Dallas with us. One of them just might be his Jiminy Cricket.
SAN ANTONIO - Every day, seemingly day after day, we hear this daily diatribe from a disgruntled player.
But it's not T.O.
Every press conference, day after day here in the Alamo City, Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips faces question after question for nearly 30 minutes, and in this the second week of camp the questions are turning redundant.
But none much concern T.O.
Every practice, and there have been nine after six days of training camp, there are a handful of players off to the side rehabbing injuries, and even a couple of new ones joined the group on Monday.
But none are named T.O.
Seriously.
No issues. No tantrums. No ESPN live trucks - at least not yet, anyway.
What in the world of black spandex tights gives?
I'll tell you, Terrell Owens, in his mind, has found people he trusts, or at least as much as he will allow himself to trust anyone. Wade Phillips. Ray Sherman. Jason Garrett.
The mercurial wide receiver doesn't seem to be leering over his shoulder, as if on-guard for something or someone to spring a surprise attack when he's not looking. Nothing has antagonized him, thus he hasn't had to protect himself with his self-perpetuating antagonism.
And this is not to say Owens is being treated with pillow gloves while the rest must face the 8-ouncers. That does not seem to be the case. And it's not as if he has a bunch of friends or close acquaintances on this new Cowboys coaching staff.
Phillips really didn't know T.O. before he became the head coach. Sherman says he met Owens at the Pro Bowl following the 2004 season when he was a member of the Green Bay coaching staff leading the NFC. Garrett had never even met Owens, period.
But for some reason, the guy who managed to steal the spotlight last training camp - intentionally and unintentionally - has been quieter and more well-behaved than the blasted crickets making a nuisance of themselves here at the Alamodome, and from what we understand, all over this rain-drenched city. No moaning. No groaning. No bike riding. No hamstring. No posturing.
Seriously. Still.
Deion Sanders, never known to be a Bill Parcells backer, weighed in on the subject when here for a couple days during the NFL Network's taping of Sunday's practice to be televised tonight at 7 p.m. (CDT).
"It's not just T.O.," said Sanders when asked why he thought Owens has been such a happy camper, "it's the trainers, the equipment guys and even Rowdy has a smile on his face. There are several injuries now they're not making a spectacle out of in this camp, and that says enough in itself."
But it's not just how the coaching staff seems to be handling the at times hard-to-handle wide receiver. Even the meddling, needling media has seemed to lose its bite. Like during the camp-opening press conference, one lasting 58 minutes, by my count there was but one question thrown at Phillips and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
The next day, I think there was one question. The next day, maybe another question. Since then, I think one question, and that one was insinuating Phillips hired Sherman as Owens' babysitter, inferring Parcells and former receivers coach Todd Haley continually rubbed Owens the wrong way. To which the new head coach took exception to, pointedly saying what he was doing by hiring Sherman, a former offensive coordinator, was "most of all hiring a good coach."
And as for as questioning Owens, oh, he's done a few on-field interviews after practice, but nothing volatile, just like after Monday's second practice when he graciously answered questions about the death of Bill Walsh, and even said, "As for last year, it was a frustrating year. I wouldn't say I wasn't happy, just seemed like something was always happening involving me."
There's been a question or two, but not two dozen, about his surgically-repaired finger tip that likely will never be the same, but no one has been charting his drops in practice, and there has been a few, but from my medical understanding having nothing to do with the immobility of the finger tip. As for proof, go ahead, try this. Try catching a football and see how useful the tips of your ring fingers really are in securing the ball. I did. Very little, even with my small hands.
So for nearly one week, it's been Camp Tranquility.
"We're on a mission as a team and he's on a mission," said Sherman, a man who has coached the likes of Jerry Rice, Randy Moss, Cris Carter and even Terry Glenn in Green Bay after the Cowboys wide receiver was banished from New England and somewhat labeled a problem child.
"You see him today, you see T.O. is in tremendous shape," said Sherman, thus diffusing all those who were wanting to create a hissy in the off-season about Owens working out in Miami instead of at The Ranch or about not being there daily to catch passes from Tony Romo.
Oh, sorry, Phillips did talk about Owens playing the different receiver spots instead of just one, and talked about him potentially moving into the slot in some nickel sets, which caused that former defensive guru Larry Lacewell, when asked what that does to a defense when seeing Owens in the slot, to say, "Put fear in 'em."
Now if you ask Garrett how he has managed the potentially volatile Owens, he will give you the same answer he's been giving since he's been hired, that stuff about how you treat all the players with respect and you try to get to know all your players and how you try to put all your players in the right spots and how you try to use all your weapons and how you try to figure out what motivates all your players.
Fine. Knowing Garrett, who watched Troy Aikman deal with an emotional Michael Irvin, probably told Owens the past doesn't matter; probably asked him what routes he likes most; probably included him in the discussion when designing the offense. Because, as a former quarterback, he knows you have to trust - there's that word again - your wide receiver to give you the accurate information, especially in a game.
But you know what, this stuff goes both ways. Sounds as if Owens, unlike with Parcells and Haley, likely has wiped Garrett's slate clean, too. He does not seem to have any preconceived notions about what Red Ball was or wasn't.
And maybe most of all, two of the bigger influences on his football career, Irvin and Sanders, are Jason Garrett fans after having played with him in Dallas, and I'll guarantee you those guys both assured Owens he would be in good hands - that you can, and here comes that word again, trust Garrett.
Now Garrett doesn't have any idea about all that. He just sees what he sees.
"Did you watch him run out in practice?" Garrett said, his eyes opening wide. "Unbelievable. He runs his (butt) off."
Cornerback Anthony Henry will vouch for that, too, having to go up against Owens time and again during training camp, and the guy beaten by Owens on a sideline route the other day for what would have been a long touchdown grab to end practice to the disgust of the defense.
"He's so competitive," said Henry, further explaining how that turns up his competitive juices for mere training camp practices. "He never takes a play off."
Now just because everything is so hunky-dory doesn't mean you can put your T.O. filters away. Wouldn't do that, because knowing him, and the media, you're only one don't-you-wish-you'd-get-the-ball-thrown-your-way-more-often question away from having to strain out all the extraneous bull to find the truth.
How long can this last? Would asking for one peaceful season be too much?
Something tells me with this guy you got to take it one week at a time, no matter what. So one down, at least 21 more to go.
Who knows, maybe we should take all these crickets back to Dallas with us. One of them just might be his Jiminy Cricket.
golden."
