The Truth About T.O. for those who care:
We pine for the truth, but searching for it requires more effort than most are willing to expend. The truth often lies between spin and speculation, demanding the opening of one's mind to other possibilities before rendering judgment. As a nation, we're more close-minded now than we were 40 years ago, yet we howl about a lack of in-your-face, damn-the-consequences directness
from those who govern, inform and even entertain us. Many people consider Terrell Owens a jerk because he speaks up and dares to tell his teammates, his employers and his supporters exactly what he thinks. Owens' honesty is construed as selfish or even stupid by those with an unyielding point of view. Truth is, the Philadelphia Eagles are as much to blame for what is quickly becoming a wasted season for the defending NFC champs -- yet Owens is viewed as the lone villain. Why? Because it's easy, requiring little thought. Owens asked that his contract be renegotiated -- it wasn't -- then had run-ins with the coach and teammates. The immediate public reflex in these matters is that millionaire athletes should
shut up and play. But T.O. could play for me any day. With him, there's no ambiguity -- you know what you're getting. There wouldn't be any sideline "miscommunications" with him as supposedly was the case with Steve Mariucci and receiver Roy Williams at Minnesota. And while Owens is under suspension by the Eagles for four games, at least he hasn't been suspended for flunking a third drug test like Charles Rogers. But T.O. and the Lions wouldn't be a good marriage because the Lions want nothing to do with the truth. It wouldn't surprise anyone if somewhere within the bowels of the Lions' Allen Park asylum, Mariucci and quarterback Jeff Garcia are chuckling at the unraveling of Owens' reputation. Owens didn't hide his
disdain for Mariucci or Garcia during their stay in San Francisco. And although some of the personal attacks Owens made against the pair were out of bounds, his assessment of Mariucci's overly conservative offensive philosophy seems dead-on now, doesn't it? T.O. was right about Mooch, but those opinions were dismissed at the time as the rantings of a megalomaniac who talks because he loves the sound of his voice. There's no question that he rubs some the wrong way, but that doesn't mean his opinions are devoid of all substance. But that demands a willingness to think outside of the box. You want the "truth" about the NFL? There are no multi-year contracts, only heavily frontloaded one-year deals. Teams can release
players in a heartbeat if they believe he has underperformed, so why is it sacrilege for a player to demand a contract renegotiation if he's played well? The Eagles blew this one from the start. Their management flaunts its abhorrence of renegotiation. They've traded others who have challenged that philosophy, but they weren't going to move Owens because, if they did, it would mean T.O. would have won. They couldn't handle a player rising up and staying true to the courage of his convictions, regardless of the consequences. T.O. lost only money. The Eagles lost a season. There's a good chance Owens can financially recoup much of what he has lost, but the Eagles have only so many chances to win a Super
Bowl. Donovan McNabb doesn't get this year back. It's gone. The physical punishment the players will absorb this season pushes them one year closer to the end of their careers. But Philly management doesn't care because, in its mind, the players remain disposable commodities. Anyway, it's just easier making T.O. the bad guy.
This was a very interesting artical that my DH sent me to read. I really don't see T.O. as a bad guy. Just thought I would throw in my 2 cents.